Lagos de Nuorilang

The Nuorilang Lakes are a beautiful chain of lakes at the very head of the Rize Valley branch of Jiuzhaigou Valley, the UNESCO World Heritage Site of northern Sichuan, sitting at an altitude of over two thousand meters where the shuttle-bus routes and the walking trails of the park's main branches converge. Made up of eighteen linked lakes, the group sits just upstream of the great Nuorilang Waterfall, and together the lakes and the cascade form one of the central, defining landscapes of the whole park.

The lakes of the group are intensely blue, their waters colored by the dissolved minerals that give Jiuzhaigou its famous hues, and they are linked by a sequence of small waterfalls and cascades that tumble out of the surrounding forest, so that the whole area sparkles with moving water. The combination of still pools, rushing falls, and woodland gives the Nuorilang Lakes a varied, lively character, and the group sits at a natural crossroads of the park, making it one of the most visited and most photographed areas in Jiuzhaigou.

The seasonal beauty of the lakes is one of their great strengths. In spring and summer, the banks are alive with fresh green growth, wildflowers, and full, vigorous water, while in autumn the surrounding forests turn brilliant red and gold, and the blue of the lakes glows against the warm colors of the trees. In winter, the cascades and pools freeze into ice, turning the whole area into a crystalline, silent scene of extraordinary purity, and each season reveals a different mood of the same remarkable landscape.

The Nuorilang Lakes are visited as part of the standard circuit of Jiuzhaigou, and because they sit at the junction of the park's main branches, they are an almost inevitable stop on any day in the valley. The boardwalks and viewing areas around the lakes and the adjacent waterfall make it easy to explore at a relaxed pace, and the area rewards a longer stop rather than a quick pass. For travelers in Jiuzhaigou, the Nuorilang Lakes are one of the most beautiful and most characteristic sights in the park, and a place where all the elements of the Jiuzhaigou magic come together.