Jiuzhaigou Travel Guide - Brief Information on Jiuzhaigou

Jiuzhaigou County, formerly Nanping County, is part of the Aba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture of northwestern Sichuan province, bordering Gansu Province to the northeast. Occupying an area of 5,290 square km, Jiuzhaigou administrates 17 towns and has a population of 62,000. It is well known for the Jiuzhaigaou Valley Scenic and Historic Interest Area, which attracts numerous domestic and international visitors each year with its beautiful and inspiring scenery.

Jiuzhaigou Valley, located in the southwest of the County and about 41 km from the county center, is often considered the most beautiful national park in China. It enjoys superb landscapes with many multi-level waterfalls, gorgeous lakes, and pristine forests. As the Chinese saying goes: “If you have visited the Yellow Mountain, then no other mountain will be of interest. And there is no water worth visiting after seeing Jiuzhaigou.” Water is referred to as the soul of Jiuzhaigou Valley. If magical fairylands really exist in the world, then Jiuzhaigou is surely one of them. Jiuzhaigou Valley was listed as a UNESCO world natural heritage site in 1992.

Jiuzhaigou, which literally means “nine-village valley” in Chinese, got its name from a beautiful legend. Legend has it that the God of all living things had nine intelligent, brave, pretty and kindhearted daughters. One day, they found the snake-devil poisoning the water and killing many humans and animals when passing through the sky of the ten snow-clad peaks. So the nine kind fairies defeated the devil and stayed in this beautiful place. They married 9 Tibetan men and built their homes there. As time went by, their families formed 9 villages and the name Jiuzhaigou was born.

Jiuzhaigou has a monsoon climate, with a mean annual temperature of 7.2 degrees Centigrade. The scenery all year round is attractive and charming. However, when you visit Jiuzhaigou Valley for the first time autumn is the best choice.