Miroir des eaux

Mirror Lake is one of the most serene and photogenic lakes in Jiuzhaigou Valley, the UNESCO World Heritage Site of northern Sichuan, and the place most visitors think of when they imagine the park's legendary reflections. Set in the Rize Valley branch of Jiuzhaigou, it takes its name from the uncanny stillness of its surface, which on a calm day mirrors the surrounding forest, mountains, and sky with such perfection that the water seems to vanish into a second, inverted world.

The magic of Mirror Lake depends on stillness. On windless mornings and evenings, when the surface lies perfectly flat, the reflection of the blue sky, white clouds, distant peaks, and near trees is reproduced in the water with such fidelity that the boundary between the lake and the landscape seems to dissolve, and it becomes one of the most celebrated sights in all of Jiuzhaigou. The lake is narrow and elongated, about a kilometer long, and it is hemmed in by forest, with a cliff face rising on one side like a great stone screen and the valley opening gently on the other.

Among the most haunting features of Mirror Lake are the great windfallen trees that lie half-submerged in its water. Some of these fallen trunks are enormous, and a few still stand partly above the surface, their broken crowns sprouting shrubs, mosses, and ferns so that they resemble living bonsai rising from the lake. These strange, sculptural trees, preserved by the mineral-rich water and crowned with new growth, have become one of the most distinctive and photographed details of the lake, and they add a sense of mystery and time to the already magical reflections.

Mirror Lake is visited as part of the standard circuit of the Rize Valley branch of Jiuzhaigou, and because the best reflections appear in the early morning and late afternoon, when the wind drops, it rewards visitors who time their arrival carefully. The boardwalks along the shore make it easy to find a quiet spot and wait for the surface to still. For travelers who want to experience the reflective, dreamlike beauty for which Jiuzhaigou is famous around the world, Mirror Lake is one of the purest and most enchanting stops in the park.