Jiuzhaigou Valley of China

Posted by Meg on 12:51 PM No comments

 Jiuzhaigou is located at the southern end of the Minshan mountain range, in Jiuzhaigou County (formerly Nanping County) in the Aba Tibetan Qiang Autonomous Prefecture of northwestern Sichuan province, near the Gansu border. The provincial capital, Chengdu, is 330-460km south. The Jiuzhaigou area covers 600 to 720sq km, of which at least 240sq km is the valley, and the remainder are buffer zones.
It is said that if there should be wonderlands on the earth, Jiuzhaigou Valley must be one of them. There is no equal elsewhere that has sceneries and fables of dreamlike eloquence, or natural purities like a fairyland as Jiuzhaigou Valley.
Jiuzhaigou, which means "Valley of Nine Villages", is regarded as one of the most beautiful place in China. This nature reserve is located on the north of Sichuan province in central China, bordering on Tibet. Jiuzhaigou has become China's biggest landscape destinations, this despite having one of the highest entrance fees of any parks in China.
It is a nature reserve in the north of Sichuan, a province in south western China. It is known for its many multi-level waterfalls and colorful lakes. Stretching over the northern part of Sichuan as a jagged alpine valley, Jiuzhaigou offers a spectacular landscape with the composition of turquoise waters, bouncing streams, flying waterfalls and lush forest surrounded by snow-capped peaks. Its nickname is "Jiuzhai Paradise". The remoteness doesn't prevent it from becoming a hot tourist destination.

History
The remote region was inhabited by various Tibetan and Qiang peoples for centuries, but was not officially discovered by the government until 1972. Extensive logging took place until 1979, when the Chinese government banned such activity and made the area a national park in 1982. An Administration Bureau was established and the site officially opened to tourism in 1984; layout of facilities and regulations were completed in 1987. The site was inscribed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site in 1992 and a World Biosphere Reserve in 1997.

Getting there
The Jiuzhaigou-Huanglong Airport is some 11 kilometers northeast of Chuanzhusi Town, Songpan County of the Aba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture and 88 kilometers from the entrance of the Jiuzhaigou Valley. Tourists in Chengdu can reach the valley directly by air. The Xinnanmen Bus Station and the Chadianzi Bus Station in Chengdu both provide direct daily services to the scenic area. There are also environmentally-friendly buses within the scenic area.
Opening hours
May, 1st – November, 15th 7:00am to 6:30pm
November, 16th – April, 30th 7:00am to 6:00pm