Valley of the Yellow Dragon "Fairyland on Earth''

Huanglong or Yellow Dragon Valley, in the Songpan County of Sichuan Province is a world Heritage Site which is so  beautiful that it is known as "Fairyland on Earth''. This valley resembles a yellow dragon winding its way out of the forest, when seen from an aerial view. 

When we were in Huanglong it was mid Autumn, but it might as well have been mid winter! From the plane, we could see the snow-capped mountains piercing through the clouds.That was a spectacular sight, and many of the passengers had their cameras out. There was excitement in the air!







The beauty of the mountains, the brilliant colours of the ponds and the splendour of the luxuriant forests are the inspiration for the songwriters in this region, we are told. Most of the songs they write are not love songs, but are tributes to the scenic beauty.

This is Flying Waterfall on Lotus Platform.

It was a winter wonderland that greeted us as we climbed higher up. Huanglong Valley is 3,000 metres above sea level, you see. The mountains are 5,000 metres!

 

The wooden walkways were covered with frozen ice...

Despite the snow on the ground, the sky was blue, the sun was shining.



It was all in all, a lovely place to visit. We were riding on the back of the Yellow Dragon...how much better could it get?

A Fairyland

from the forests dark
Yellow dragon surges forth
creates the River Min
to stop the disastrous floods
for this gracious deed
Emperor is beholden
the valley is blessed
a fairyland that dazzles  
 ponds' shimmering hues 
beckon and bewitch our minds
what sorcery is this 
that led my wanderings here 
what alchemy seeks 
to overwhelm my senses
I gazed, succumbed to its spell

(a choka form of the waka)




Travel-inspired-Tales

tales of legends, myths
from places where I travel
 I resolve to tell

the tales manifest
the secrets of ancient times
of beings mystic

smell the ambience
taste the local colour
sense the history

(haiku set)

Linking to:
Outdoor Wednesday
Watery Wednesday
Share The Joy Thursday
Skywatch Friday
Sensational Haiku Wednesday (Prompt : Resolve)
Poetry Picnic (Week 20)
Poets Rally (Week 59)
Weekend Reflections
Haiku Heights (Prompt: Travel)
Haiku My Heart
Scenic Sunday
Shadow Shot

Jiuzhaigou Paradise

I had long heard of Jiuzhaigou, and many have extolled the scenic beauty of this famous World Heritage Site in China. The best time to visit, they say, is in autumn, so we chose to go in autumn, of course. I personally had a hankering for taking photographs of autumn scenery, after seeing all the fabulous photographs of autumn in the photoblogs. I found that I couldn't have chosen a better time, or place...


The series of mountains here at Jiuzhaigou reach a height of  4,800 metres and they form a scenic backdrop for the one hundred or so lakes there. This lake reflects the mountains beautifully.



This is part of the Five Flower Lake which is remarkable not only for its beautiful turqouise-blue colour, but also for its mystery. When all the other lakes freeze in winter, this lake remains as it is, all year round! No wonder the locals there refer to this lake as the "soul of Jiuzhaigou". It has a mystical allure that adds to its physical charm.















The virgin forests here are truly impressive in autumn!




The Pearl Shoal Station is a series of shallow rapids that glisten in the sunlight like beads of pearls.







The Pearl Shoal Waterfall, also known as Pearl Beach Waterfall, is one of the more spectacular of the waterfalls found here. I find the upper reaches of this waterfall a delight to photograph. Many people forget to look out for the beauty to be discovered here and they make a beeline for the lower part of the falls to hear the thunderous sound and see the voluminous outpouring of the falls.This view is what they miss.

Surrounded by the delicate beauty of the lakes and the magnificence of the mountains and forests, how could we not be thankful for Nature's gift to us in this paradise called Jiuzhaigou?

For Donna's Words for Wednesday:

Pattern and Texture

there's pattern in paradise 

i declare

the mighty mountains align

in a v-shape design

there are ink-blot patterns so enchanting

i see

the mirror lakes reflect

the mighty mountains that project

patchwork patterns of interest

i observe

in the foliage of green and gold repetitious

on the canopies of lush virgin forests

there's contrast in texture too

i note

when the soft water falls 

down the hard cliff walls

the soft blend with the hard 

i discover

when the soft cottony clouds that float in the sky

blanket the tough rugged peaks as they sail by

yes, there's pattern in paradise

and the wind and the water

harmonize well together

humankind just can't compete with Nature's design

For Poetry Picnic, Haiku Heights and Sensational Haiku Wednesday:

quiet meditation

in Nature's loving embrace

dreamy obsession

Linking to:
W4W
Sensational Haiku Wednesday
Poets Rally
Watery Wednesday
Outdoor Wednesday
Share The Joy Thursday
Skywatch Friday
Haiku Heights
Haiku My Heart
Poetry Picnic

Nov 20, 2011
My thanks to Poetry Picnic for this award for my submission entitled "Pattern and Texture"

appreciation

award humbly acknowledged 

happy heart flaps wings 

I nominate Leo for his poem, Against All Odds

Haiku Shot #1

Rosie's Haiku Shots

Thought I'd take a shot at it...at this fascinating Japanese verse form that is succinct, yet juicy and tender, and rich yet not opulent.

At first what I wrote was rhyme, not haiku at all...but I thought it was haiku. I liked my first attempt. However, after reading up a little about the form, I try to adhere to certain traditions, but again, a novice makes all kinds of blunders. So excuse me if what I'm passing off as Haiku  might not quite fit the bill. That is why I call these my Haiku Shots.

My first 'haiku' was actually a set. Each haiku fitted the basic 5-7-5 syllable pattern. I sought inspiration from my travels, and the title gives you a notion of the place which sparked the idea for my haiku. If curiosity gets the better of you, and you want to see the actual posts of these places, just click on the title.

Alugu Caves

Caverns echo loud

Immortals' celestial tales

Thrilling, tragic, tense!

Elixirs of Life,

legends and myths abiding

in spectral rivers.

Battling dragons' fire

Tales of  victories sublime

Fantasies live on...

Alugu Caves

The Alugu Caves, (Alufu Dong) is situated 165km from Kunming, in Luxi County in Southeastern Yunnan. It is a network of karst caves made up of 18 magnificent chambers and a surreal underground river. The caves were actually part of the ocean beds during  prehistoric times. Seismic action caused the caves to be pushed upwards to dry land. These limestone caves had provided shelter to the Alu tribesmen during the Song and Yuan Dynasties.


Today, the huge caves are a major tourist attraction in Yunnan. More interestingly, it is a source of inspiration to poets, as the rock formations of stalactites, stalagmites, stone pillars and karst grottoes play on the imagination of poets and visitors alike. These landforms have been given imaginative names. There were of course dragons, celestial immortals and other shapes with mythological references. The underground river is called Yusun River. The still,dark waters there are populated by a species of fish the locals call 'Blind Fish'.


These photographs below are accompanied by my own attempts at  haiku , inspired by my magical, mystical journey in the Alugu caves.

Caverns echo loud

Immortals' celestial tales

Thrilling, tragic, tense!

Elixirs of Life,

legends and myths abiding

in spectral rivers.

Battling dragons' fire

Tales of  victories sublime

Fantasies live on...

Click on the link to savour more haiku.

http://youknowthatblog.com

White Water River

Inspired by the scenic beauty of Lijiang in Yunnan, I offer more photographs of this part of China for your viewing pleasure.

If you want to sea a river with pure, unpolluted water from the mountain, this is the river that will amaze you.The water in White Water River (Baishuihe) is actually the melted ice cascading down from the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. As the water finds its way down the slopes of the mountain, the stones and pebbles act as a filtration system that makes the spring water so clean and sparkling. The riverbed is covered with pure white limestone and marbles which makes the crystal-clear water sparkle in the sun. Priceless.Don't you just wish you have this in your backyard?


Surrounded by mountains,you get that feeling of being secluded in a pristine world. The river terraces are indeed a magnificent sight.This place is a delight for  nature-lovers and photographers alike. Even amateur photographers like me can produce stunning shots, thanks to the unspoilt beauty all around us.We just can't go wrong...every angle offers a fabulous photo opportunity.










 




































Click on this link for more fantastic Watery Wednesday images:
      
 http://waterywednesday.blogspot.com/