‘Oh my god! This water is photoshopped, right?’ Kevin, an American travel blogger, blurted out as he held up his GoPro and pointed the camera at the Sea of Five Flowers in Jiuzhaigou. Like him, more than five million tourists a year make the same exclamation here – a secret place tucked away in the mountains of southwestern China that boasts some of the most incredible blue waters on the planet. But what exactly creates this surreal colour? Let’s lift the veil on this natural wonder.
I. The Scientist’s Microscope: Deciphering the Triple Recipe for Blue Magic
1. A ‘natural filter’ for calcareous sediments.
Jiuzhaigou’s underwater is home to a geological miracle that has lasted for 10,000 years. Running water rich in calcium carbonate has been deposited to form a milky-white layer of calcareous bloom. This natural mineral acts as a giant filter, absorbing the red and yellow wavelengths of sunlight and reflecting the blue light in the water. Scientists using spectrometers have found that this filtering effect can increase the intensity of blue light in a body of water by up to 40 per cent.
2. The ‘diamond clarity’ of alpine snow water.
The snowmelt water from the 5,588-metre Xuebao Peak is filtered through multiple layers of sandstone, and its purity is comparable to that of laboratory-distilled water. According to the US Geological Survey, Jiuzhaigou’s water has a visibility of 30 metres, 10 times that of an ordinary lake. This extreme clarity allows light to penetrate deeper into the water, creating a layered sapphire effect.
3. The ‘colour palette magic’ of algal organisms
In certain waters at an altitude of 2,000-3,000 metres, diatoms and cyanobacteria form a unique symbiotic system. Research at the University of Colorado has shown that the carotenoids secreted by these micro-organisms react chemically with calcium to produce a gradation from peacock blue to turquoise green. It’s like nature’s Prussian blue pigment factory.
2: Tales of the Tibetan Elderly: An Alternative Interpretation of the Fairy Dresser
‘That’s the rouge box that the celestial maiden Gajan Tso knocked over.’ Sitting in front of his wooden hut, 78-year-old Zhaxi tells visitors the story passed down from generation to generation. In local legend, Jiuzhaigou’s 108 seas correspond to the 108 pieces of jewellery on the fairy’s dressing table. The greenish water of the lake in spring is the emerald hairpin dipped into the water, while the blue of late autumn is the reflection of the sapphire earrings.
This poetic explanation is an unexpected allusion to scientific principles: changes in mineral deposition and algae activity between seasons can indeed cause fluctuations in the colour of the water. This April, for example, the Long Sea’s blue hue deepened by 15 per cent compared to winter due to the increased amount of water from snowmelt.
3. Colour calendar: the best way to open the palette of the seasons
1. Spring mint blue (April-June)
The snowmelt season brings a lot of minerals and the lake takes on a fresh minty hue. It is recommended to shoot early in the morning from 8-10am, as the morning mist enhances the saturation of the colours.
2. Summer Peacock Blue (July-August)
Algae blooms are at their peak, and with plenty of sunshine, the Sea of Five Flowers will show seven gradations of blue at midday. Remember to wear polarised glasses to eliminate reflections on the water surface.
3. Autumn Jewel Blue (September-October)
Golden autumn leaves are reflected in the cobalt blue water, creating the famous ‘underwater forest’. The backlight from 3-5pm is perfect for capturing this magical effect.
4. Ice Blue in Winter (November-March)
When some of the lakes freeze, the water under the ice layer shows a mysterious electric blue colour. Professional photographers will use underwater equipment to capture this ‘frozen starry sky’ effect.
Defending the Blue: The Guardian Alliance of Technology and Tradition
After the 2017 earthquake, the Jiuzhaigou Administration introduced a NASA satellite monitoring system to track more than 2,000 water quality parameters in real time. The ‘ecological patrols’ formed by aboriginal people follow the traditional method of using yak dung as natural fertiliser to avoid the flow of chemical substances into the water body. This combination of ‘high technology + local methods’ has had a remarkable effect – the latest tests show that the pH value of the water in the core scenic area remains at the perfect range of 6.8-7.2.
V. Ultimate Experience Guide: Play like this without regrets
- Photography Tips: Panda Sea North Shore Observation Deck is the best camera position to shoot the blue water panorama, and it is recommended to use CPL filter to enhance the contrast.
- Avoid the crowds: The number of tourists is reduced by 30% on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, and 8:00-9:30 is the prime time when the scenic spot is just opened.
- Depth Experience: Participate in the ‘Water Protection Volunteer’ programme and clean the underwater calcareous layer of trace impurities under the guidance of experts.
- Cultural Eggs: Visit the craftsmen of Shuzheng Zhai and learn the thousand-year-old secret recipe for reproducing the blue colour of Jiuzhai with natural mineral pigments.
As the setting sun gilds the mountains, you’ll find that the blue of Jiuzhaigou is not just in the water – the sky, the shadows of the mountains, and even the pupils of tourists pulsate with this mysterious colour. As a UN Environment Programme expert puts it, ‘This is not a simple optical phenomenon, but a three-dimensional picture created by the earth over ten thousand years.’ Now you finally know that those breath-taking blues are both rigorous geological equations and poems of ecological wisdom that have lasted for millennia.
Tip: Planning to visit? Remember to book 30 days in advance on the official website (jzg.com), which has a daily limit of 41,000 people in peak season. What’s the most incredible natural colour you’ve ever seen? Share your story in the comments section, and the reader with the most likes will win a limited edition Jiuzhaigou mineral pigment set!
