Spectacular Jiuzhaigou: roads from Chendgu blocked until October 1st

A recent post on Wild China reports that the Chengdu-Juizhaigou road is closed.

Though neither of the two popular tourist centers have been affected by the flooding or landslides that have ravaged parts of the region, the only access between the provincial capital and Sichuan's popular nature reserve is now by domestic flights to Jiuzhaigou airport.

Sichuan-based travel agents Dreams Travel informed us that the road is not expected to re-open until October 1st so anyone planning to travel to Sichuan in the next 6 weeks should take this into consideration. Dreams Travel confirmed that the road in to Juizhaigou from neighboring Gansu province is currently open as an alternative access route.

The remote town of Zhouqu in southern Gansu province was devastated by mudslides earlier this month but it seems that travel in the surrounding area remains relatively unaffected. The Lanzhou Hotel's Western Travel Service confirmed that with the exception of Tian Shui (described by the Lonely Planet as "one of the more attractive cities in Gansu") and Zhouqu itself, all tourist destinations, including Xiahe and the popular Labrang Monastery were still accessible. Roads around Zhouqu and Tian Shui remain blocked with no further information available about when they will re-open.

News of further landslides in China's southwestern Yunnan province has also just been announced with AFP reporting that more than 60 people are missing after a mudslide hit the remote township of Puladi, near the Myanmar border last night.

Even though travel remains possible in all these areas, caution is the order of the day and travelers should avoid taking any unnecessary risks as weather conditions remain unstable and more rain is forecast.