Jiuzhaigou - The Journey Up

Late April 2006

If you have heard horror stories about bus rides up the mountainous route to Jiuzhaigou, you’d probably wonder how much of it is actually true. Well, wonder no more because I can now assure you that most of what you’ve heard… is probably 99.9% true.

Roller Coaster From Hell

The Jiuzhaigou Scenic Area is situated in northwest Sichuan, approximately 40 minutes by flight and 10-12 hours by bus from the capital of Chengdu. My entourage opted for the cheap and thrilling experience of the 10-hour bus ride. The advantages of this option? A saving of RMB600 and a chance to witness the amazing scenery of snow-capped mountains and small Tibetan villages right outside our windows.

As for the bus drivers from hell who speed, honk and overtake vehicles along narrow paths that plunge into the ravine on one side, my advice for future passengers would be to sit back (as far back into the bus, away from the honking driver, as you can) and relax (try really hard) because it is definitely one priceless journey. And of course, just ignore the sight of wrecked vehicles below the cliff. They must have plunged down a long time ago. Nothing to worry about.

Our bus departed at 8.30am from Chengdu’s Chadianzi bus station. It was impossible to sleep during the entire journey because the devil’s driver kept honking and stepping on the brakes as he cut corners and overtook a vehicle every five minutes. Some of my friends eventually found a way to entertain themselves by betting on how long it would take before the driver overtook another vehicle. 30 seconds was probably the shortest interval that they came upon.

But guess when all the excitement began? There are nine hairpin turns towards the top of the mountain, with sharp bends and steep slopes. Yes, sounds like the Initial D movie, right? Try doing it on a bus. That's what I call adrenaline rush.

Hairy Cows and Rabbit Stew

Midway up the mountains, the scenery outside our windows revealed clusters of Tibetan villages with conspicuous satellite dishes outside each little hut. Along the roadside, natives charge 10RMB for a photograph with their hairy, white yaks. The ‘hairy cow’ or mao niu (毛牛), as they call it, can be seen along the roadside from mid mountain onwards. However, the only form of mao niu that can be seen at the small Jiuzhaigou township came in packets of beef jerky.

We reached the small town of Jiuzhaigou at about 8pm. Journey completed in just “12 relatively painless hours” (quote: Lonely Planet Guide to China). Dinner that evening consisted of mala (麻辣) rabbit stew, preserved mao niu slices, free range chicken soup, and 10 other vegetable dishes.

We had a choice of 2 to 3 live rabbits to choose from. The boys immediately trooped out of the restaurant, pointed at the fattest rabbit they could see and watched in amusement as the restaurant owner weighed it on the scales. “A little bit more than 2 kilos. Should be alright for 11 people, yes?” We nodded. And in went the rabbit.

For the next 3 days, breakfast was a staple of fresh soy bean milk, youtiao (油条), boiled eggs (scrambled, fried or poached can also be requested depending on your ability to describe them), porridge and assortment of steamed buns. Eat to your heart’s content for less than 10RMB per person.

More pictures available on my flickr page. Rabbit photo courtesy of Wayne Wong. And Wayne, respect for eating that rabbit head!