Jiuzhaigou reopens following earthquake

Jiuzhaigou, a scenic valley on the UNESCO World Natural Heritage list in Sichuan province, which was rocked by a magnitude-7.0 earthquake in August, wowed groups of tourists who were among the first to visit after a partial reopening on Thursday.

As heavy snow blanketed the scenic area before the opening, Jiuzhaigou became a wonderland for many who find snow a rarity.

Wu Fuwei, a 58-year-old woman, was one of 767 visitors entering the scenic area. More than 20 years ago, she and two sisters visited Jiuzhaigou for the first time.

"I have visited it many times since. But it's the first time I have seen snow," she said.

The snow was a great surprise and bonus to visitors from northern parts of the country who have not seen even a snowflake this year.

He Du, a 37-year-old from Beijing, was on business in Chengdu when she learned early this month that Jiuzhaigou would partially reopen.

"I entered my name for a tour group because I wasn't able to visit Jiuzhaigou last summer," said He, a magazine editor.

She and her husband and daughter were in Chengdu ready to head for the valley in their SUV on Aug 8 when a magnitude-7.0 earthquake shook the area.

Located in the Aba Tibetan and Qiang autonomous prefecture in Sichuan, Jiuzhaigou means "nine-village valley".

It is named after the nine Tibetan villages on the eastern edge of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Visitors are drawn by its 108 alpine lakes and by the Tibetan and Qiang culture.

Twenty-five people died in the earthquake, and 493 were injured. Some of Jiuzhaigou's scenic wonders were also damaged. Following the disaster, the scenic area was closed temporarily.

As it has not snowed meaningfully in Beijing for a full year, He considers her trip to the wintry wonderland in Jiuzhaigou a reward for the delay caused by the earthquake.

"I will ask my husband to bring our daughter to Jiuzhaigou during her summer vacation. But unlike last summer, they will have to join a tour group," He said.

For the remainder of this year, people can visit Jiuzhaigou only if they join a tour group. No individual visitors will be allowed to enter the scenic area because reconstruction of quake-damaged facilities is underway and will not be finished until 2020.

Before the earthquake, a visitor could get off a vehicle at any desired site to linger or take pictures. Another vehicle would then carry the person elsewhere.

In 2018, one must use a single vehicle to view all the open sites, and then leave, according to Jiuzhaigou's administrative bureau.