We arrived at the scenic area entrance at 9:00 AM. The crowds were thronging, and tourists were speaking all sorts of languages—English, French, Japanese, Korean, and Russian were all I could hear. However, the entrance process was incredibly smooth. The admission limit for the day was 41,000. I have to say the scenic area management is excellent.
We took the scenic area bus into the gorge, first visiting Rize Valley and then walking through the primeval forest. Each lake offered a different view. If you don't want to continue, you can take the bus down to the next stop. A tip: if you have plenty of time when entering the gorge in the morning, get off at Jinghai Lake first. The wind is light in the morning, and Jinghai Lake is like a mirror. It was past 11 AM when we emerged from the primeval forest, and the breezy Jinghai Lake was no longer reflective. After exploring the right section, we boarded the scenic area bus at Nuorilang to explore the left section of Zechawa Valley. The left section only includes two attractions: Changhai Lake and Wucai Pool. After twenty years, the water in Wucai Pool has diminished significantly. I doubt it will last another twenty years. Finally, we visited Shuzhenggou. Nuorilang Waterfall is still beautiful, but don't compare it to Huangguoshu Waterfall; it's not the same aesthetic. We leisurely walked to the gully entrance. We rushed through many attractions that day, and only saw two lakes from the scenic bus. I was really lazy, and my teammates weren't very good, but I still managed over 30,000 steps. In short, the trip was worth it.