Shuzheng Waterfall (树正瀑布 [Shùzhēng Pùbù])

The Shuzheng Waterfall (树正瀑布 [Shùzhēng Pùbù]) may not have had the width and size of its more famous counterparts like Nuorilang Waterfall and Pearl Shoal Waterfall, but we thought it certainly had the grace and beauty that the others possessed. This one flowed on the Zechawa River which flowed from south to north in the park and was further downstream (north) of the Nuorilang Waterfall.

Julie and I were told that Shuzheng was actually derived from a Tibetan name. We were not quite sure what the meaning was about, but for sure it didn’t have to do with being “a proper or upright tree” or something like that, which from my limited ability to read Chinese was how I interpreted the literal word-for-word translation.

We did this waterfall as part of an enjoyable one-way walk that started from the Tiger Lake stop and ended up near the Shuzheng Lake stop where right across the road was a Tibetan village full of shops and exhibits. That boardwalk skirted the Zechawa River as it meandered through thick foliage leaving behind travertine formations amongst the foliage. Within a few minutes of the walk, we were face-to-face with parts of the waterfall.

Of the three major waterfalls we saw on our trip to Jiuzhaigou, we’d have to say this one was the easiest to photograph. That was because given its percolating characteristic with all the foliage checking the flow of the river, this waterfall was especially conducive to taking those long exposure photographs. However, setting up for such photographs was a different story.

That was because we had to contend with the crowds. The lesson learned from our visit was that instead of taking time setting up a tripod amidst a large group of impatient people itching to barge in and get their shots, we were better off using the railing to steady the camera and hold the breath. The crowds also further conspired to mess up long exposure photos because all that foot traffic resulted in the boardwalks constantly trembling. Thus, we had to exercise lots of patience in order to take a photo that wasn’t so blurry.

Further downstream was what appeared to be the main part of the waterfall. There was even a small pillar that was popular with the tourists for having that “I was there” photograph. It was a long and pressure-filled queue to hastily get our photograph and leave. Not exactly peaceful, and it was an excruciatingly long wait when the mega tours were here hijacking that spot.

Continuing downstream of the falls, the river widened and formed ponds in the middle of forests with majestic mountains flanking them, ultimately feeding Shuzheng Lake. It was as if the scenery here wouldn’t let us put the camera down because the hits just kept coming.