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Exploring Yosemite's Sister Parks in China
A special Yosemite journey
Yosemite National Park is blessed with two remarkable sister national parks in China: Huangshan and Jiuzhaigou. Yosemite Conservancy is pleased to be leading an exploration of these two World Heritage Sites in September-October 2010.
Located inland of Shanghai, Huangshan (Yellow Mountain) has been a beloved mountain range, famous in art and literature for over a thousand years. Granite pinnacles, swirling clouds, fantastical trees and spectacular sunrises make this a renowned destination for travelers.
Far to the west, in Sichuan province, the hidden valleys of Jiuzhaigou conceal an astonishing display of aquatic wonders. Tibetan villagers have protected the startling blue waters and unusual waterfalls for the world to see.
We'll stay in comfortable hotels, travel in a small group, and focus on a deeper experience of these parks than most visitors get. Few Americans visit these remote places and no one sees these parks the way we will.
Here's an article written by 2009 traveler Jeannie Tasker.
For more information call Pete at YC: 209/379-2321 or email pdevine@yosemite.org.
Condensed Itinerary for 2010
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| Day 1, Thursday September 23 |
Arrive in Hangzhou |
| Arrive in Hangzhou in the afternoon, rest up or take a stroll along West Lake. We will have our welcome dinner and trip orientation at a local restaurant. |
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| Day 2, Friday September 24 |
Hangzhou to Huangshan |
| After breakfast, we drive to the foot of Yellow Mountain. A long stairway ascent (or cablecar and shorter hike) brings us to our comfortable hotel on the top of the range. |
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| Day 3, Saturday September 25 |
Huangshan |
| Sunrise is a reason for staying on the summit, as is our all-day walk to the dramatic but little-visited Xihai Grand Canyon. |
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| Day 4, Sunday September 26 |
Huangshan |
| Another sunrise view, then we descend the Western Steps, picnicking on the way down. We overnight near the base of the mountains. |
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| Day 5, Monday September 27 |
Huangshan to Hangzhou |
| The morning includes a visit to an ancient village, which is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We return to Hangzhou in the afternoon and enjoy some down time. |
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| Day 6, Tuesday September 28 |
Hangzhou to Jiuzhaigou |
| In the morning we fly west to Sichuan province and to our hotel at the entrance to Jiuzhaigou NP high in the Min Mountains. |
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| Day 7, Wednesday September 29 |
Jiuzhaigou |
| Bus into the park and up to Long Lake's famed waters. From there we descend on boardwalks past and endless display of aquatic phenomena. |
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| Day 8, Thursday September 30 |
Jiuzhaigou |
| A quick morning look at Nourilang Falls then into the just-opened Zharu Valley where we'll visit with local Tibetans and camp in an isolated part of the upper valley. |
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| Day 9, Friday October 1 |
Jiuzhaigou to Huanglong |
| We leave Zharu and travel to another nearby World Heritage Site: Huanglong NP, home to yet more remarkable running water effects. |
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| Day 10, Saturday October 2 |
Huanglong to Ya'an |
| We fly to Chengdu and travel to the Bifengxia Panda Center, overnighting near the preserve. |
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| Day 11, Sunday October 3 |
Ya'an to Chengdu |
| A short hike in Bifeng Gorge, a lunch stop at a Silk Road settlement and back into Sichuan's capital city for the night |
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| Day 12, Monday October 4 |
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| Depart Chengdu In the morning, we transfer to airport for your flights to the US or to trip extensions that WildChina can arrange for you to explore more of Asia. |
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