Wender·Vista
Jiuzhaigou Valley
shown on ceramic, 12-inch tilePeople's Republic of China
in the Min Mountains of northern Sichuan

Jiuzhaigou Valley

— — stepped pools the colour of glass.

— Where it lives

Not only on a wall.

A small tile on the nightstand catching the morning. A larger one above the fire. Yours, wherever you spend the slow hours.
— On the nightstand, a 6-inch on a walnut stand
— Among the books, a 6-inch leaning into the spines
— Beside the kettle, a 12-inch propped
— Down a quiet hall, an 18-inch floating off the wall
— Above the fire, the 24-inch in a walnut surround
— a note from the studio

“A long Y-shaped valley in the Min Mountains, holding more than a hundred lakes set into terraced limestone. The water carries a high load of dissolved calcium carbonate and reads turquoise, jade, and cobalt by turns, with submerged trees still visible on the bottom of the older pools. Nine Tibetan villages share the valley, and the name carries them: Jiuzhai, nine villages, gou, valley. from the studio

from the studio
Jiuzhaigou Valley
— bring it home

Jiuzhaigou Valley, on ceramic.

Each tile is finished by hand in our Knoxville studio. Artwork is slowly infused into the ceramic surface under high heat and pressure, and rests beneath a thin glossy finish. The colour lives in the surface, not on top of it.

What kind of piece?
One tile — square or rectangle.
How big?
the popular one — counter, shelf, nightstand
6 × 6 in · 15 cm · 1.6 lb
Surface finish
A clear glossy finish — the artwork reads as if under resin. Ideal for show-pieces and framed wall art.
How it sits
A hidden cleat — sits ¼″ proud of the wall.
$58
Hand-finished and shipped from our studio at the foot of the Smokies. On your wall in about ten days.
— size
6 × 6 in
15 cm
— weighs
1.6 lb
solid in the hand
— surface
ceramic, hand-finished
art rests beneath a thin glossy finish
— from
Knoxville, TN
our family studio, at the foot of the Smokies
— start a Coaster Set

Pick any four 4-inch tiles — National Parks you've been to, a Smokies set, the four seasons of one place. $ for a set of , cork-backed, ready to live on the table.

— about Jiuzhaigou Valley

The place, in three passes.

A little of what's known, in case you fall down the rabbit hole — or want to go see it yourself.
— the place

Jiuzhaigou is a Y-shaped valley in the Min Mountains of northern Sichuan, in the Ngawa Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture. The reserve covers roughly 720 square kilometres at elevations from about 2,000 to 4,500 metres, with the floor of the main valley near Nuorilang at 2,400 metres. The valley holds more than a hundred terraced lakes, a series of travertine waterfalls, and stretches of old-growth forest. UNESCO inscribed the site as a World Heritage property in 1992 and a Biosphere Reserve in 1997.

— the water

The lakes draw their colour from dissolved calcium carbonate leached out of the surrounding karst. Calcite slowly precipitates onto submerged trees, branches, and the lake floor, forming travertine dams and rims. Light passing through the clear water reflects back off these pale carbonate surfaces, scattering shorter wavelengths and reading as turquoise, jade, or deep cobalt depending on depth. Five Flower Lake and Nuorilang Falls are the most-photographed expressions of the same chemistry that built Plitvice and Pamukkale.

— the visit

Most visitors enter through the main gate near Zhangzha and ride the park's shuttle-bus loop up the two arms of the valley, with boardwalks linking the lakes and waterfalls. The 2017 Jiuzhaigou earthquake closed the park for two years; it reopened in stages and resumed full operation in 2020. Autumn — late September through October — is the best-known season, when the larch and birch turn against the turquoise water. Jiuhuang Airport sits about 88 kilometres west.

— where
People's Republic of China · Jiuzhaigou County, Ngawa Prefecture, Sichuan
— within
Jiuzhaigou National Park
— elevation
2,000 m · 6,562 ft
— position
33.2606° N · 103.9244° E
— the neighborhood

What's nearby.

A handful of named places within an hour's walk or short drive. Some we've already painted; some we will.
60 km S
Huanglong
travertine terraces
14 km S
Nuorilang Falls
travertine waterfall
18 km S
Five Flower Lake
travertine lake
N
Jiuzhaigou Valley
Huanglong
Nuorilang Falls
Five Flower Lake
— common questions

What people ask.

A few questions we get about Jiuzhaigou Valley — and about bringing the piece home.
— about the place

In the Min Mountains of northern Sichuan, China, within Jiuzhaigou County of the Ngawa Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture. The nearest airport is Jiuhuang, about 88 kilometres west.

The lakes carry a high load of dissolved calcium carbonate from the surrounding karst. Calcite coats submerged surfaces, which scatter shorter wavelengths of light back as turquoise, jade, and cobalt.

Jiuzhaigou translates roughly as Nine Village Valley. Nine Tibetan villages have historically lived in the valley; several remain inhabited within the park boundary today.

Late September through October, when the broadleaf and larch foliage turns against the turquoise lakes. May and June offer fuller waterfalls; winter brings ice along the travertine edges.

Yes. UNESCO inscribed Jiuzhaigou Valley as a World Heritage property in 1992 for its outstanding natural features and added a Biosphere Reserve designation in 1997.

Yes. The August 2017 magnitude-7.0 quake damaged trails, lakes, and Nuorilang Falls. The park reopened in stages and resumed full visitor operations in 2020.

— about the piece in your home

Yes. Jiuzhaigou is among the most beloved landscapes in western China. A Small or Medium with a handwritten studio note travels well to family in Chengdu or the wider Sichuan diaspora.

The turquoise-and-forest palette sits well in biophilic, jewel-tone, and modern-Asian interiors. It also lifts a quiet neutral palette in a study or reading corner.

Yes. Biophilic design favours real natural water and forest imagery over abstract greenery. The piece reads as a named place rather than as decoration.

A single Large is the right scale above most sofas. A 4-tile Mural reads as a wider lake-and-falls panel; a 9-tile Mural anchors a large room.

Yes. Order the Dura Satin or Matte finish for vertical installations in humid rooms. The colour lives in the ceramic surface and is unaffected by steam.

A soft microfibre cloth and water. No solvents, no abrasive pads. The thin glossy finish wipes clean and does not need polish or sealant.

Yes. Every WenderVista piece is original to the studio, curated by Reid Wender, and not licensed from any third party. Each tile is hand-finished in Knoxville, Tennessee.

— if this one stayed with you

A few you might also love.

Hand-picked by the eye that found Sorapis. Same air, same kind of quiet.