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Pearl Shoal Waterfall is one of the most famous and most dramatic waterfalls in Jiuzhaigou Valley, the UNESCO World Heritage Site of northern Sichuan, and one of the iconic sights of the park. Set in the Rize Valley branch of Jiuzhaigou, it is named for the way the clear mountain water fans out across a wide, gently sloping apron of travertine before plunging over a cliff in a thundering cascade, so that the shallows above the falls seem to scatter the water into millions of bright, bouncing droplets, like pearls rolling across the stone.

The waterfall is built from two distinct parts. Above the main drop, the river spreads out across a broad, crescent-shaped shoal of golden travertine, where the water slides over the rock in a thin, fast sheet, splitting around small terraces and ledges and catching the light in thousands of glittering points. At the lower edge of the shoal, the water gathers itself and plunges over a high cliff in a broad, powerful curtain of white water, framed by dark rock and green forest, and the contrast between the delicate shimmer of the shoal and the raw power of the falls gives the site its distinctive, dramatic character.

The setting of the waterfall, deep in the forested valley of Rize, adds to its grandeur. The spray from the falls drifts into the surrounding trees, keeping them lush and green, and the boardwalks of the park lead visitors right along the edge of the shoal and then down to the base of the falls, so the waterfall can be experienced from several angles, each one more dramatic than the last. The roar of the water, the coolness of the air, and the beauty of the surrounding forest combine into one of the most immersive and memorable experiences in Jiuzhaigou.

Pearl Shoal Waterfall is visited as part of the standard circuit of the Rize branch of Jiuzhaigou, and because it sits along the main boardwalk, it is an easy and essential stop on any day in the park. Allow time to walk both the shoal above and the viewpoint below, since the two perspectives reveal completely different aspects of the falls. For travelers in Jiuzhaigou, Pearl Shoal is one of the most powerful, most beautiful, and most unforgettable sights in the valley.