Jiuzhaigou Pearl Shoal Waterfalls

Overview
Pearl Shoal Waterfall is a waterfall located in Jiuzhaigou, Aba-Ngawa Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture in northern Sichuan Province, China. The waterfall exists on one of the tributaries of the Bailong River. Located at an altitude of 2,433 metres (7,982 ft), the top of the waterfall is 162.5 metres (533 ft) in width. It has a fall of 40 metres (130 ft).

Highlights
The Pearl Shoal Waterfall was the first of three waterfalls in the reserve that we saw by foot. It turned out that this waterfall was fairly typical of the cascades that run through the Jiuzhaigou Nature Reserve as the water tended to be rich in minerals (e.g. calcium carbonate or limestone), which gave it the cave-like textures (e.g. rounded bumpy ledges, alcoves, overhanging travertine, etc.) you see in the photos on this page.

As for dimensions, the Pearl Shoal Waterfall was said to have a width of about 163m and a height of 21m. But on a clear day, it was said that we might have been able to see this waterfall with the backdrop of stunning alpine mountains. 

And in Autumn, we probably would've enjoyed the place even more when the leaves would change color and provide even more contrasting colors to the scenery. Unfortunately as you can see from the photos on this page, neither of these things happened, but perhaps that means Julie and I have an excuse to come back here under more optimal circumstances.

Legend Story
A long time ago, there was a beautiful Tibetan girl called Wo Nuo Se Mo living in the Minshan Mountain. Depending on the pair of gold bells, she drew down the sacred water to irrigate the wonderful land. Then verdant forest, beautiful flowers and rare birds and beasts grew and developed to make the wonderful land full of vitality.

One day morning, the girl came to the side of the spring and made up, singing folk song. She met a Tibetan boy feeding his horse with water. The boy had adored the girl before and the girl liked the brave and clever boy secretly. Encountering by the side of the spring made the youths pleased. When the youths were expressing the affection between each other, a devil floated down from the sky and separated the youths by force.

The devil grabbed gold bells in the girl’s hand and compelled the girl to marry with him. The girl didn’t agree and the brave boy tried his best to fight with the devil, but he was no match for it. The girl hid in a cave and the boy asked the villagers to fight against the devil together. After 9 days, the devil was defeated in the end and the girl was rescued.

The boy and the girl came back home, singing love songs and shake the bell. In the meantime, the cloud in the sky became colorful and the spring from the underground rolled over and over. On the wedding ceremony of the boy and the girl, the gods of the mountain brought them varieties of green trees, flowers, rare birds and beasts. The pearl shoal became a beautiful and fascinating paradise.

Information
Location: Inside the Jiuzhaigou, Zhangzha Town, Jiuzhaigou County, Aba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan Province
Opening Time: 08:30-17:00
Ticket Price: Free (Included in the Jiuzhaigou National Park Ticket)
Time for visiting: 1 hour
How to get there: You can take Jiuzhaigou sightseeing bus or walk to reach the Jiuzhaigou Pearl Shoal Waterfalls