National Parks of ChinaOverview
| Designation | UNESCO World Heritage (natural, 1992) National Park of China (first batch) AAAAA tourist attraction |
| Province | Sichuan |
| Location | Northern Sichuan |
| Latitude, longitude | 33.1, 103.9 |
| Highlights | Multicoloured lakes, waterfalls, high mountains |
| Top sights | Nuorilang Waterfall |
| Wildlife | Giant panda |
| Highest point | 5,588 m |
| Nearby cities | Sichuan, Chengdu, Gansu, Lanzhou, Chongqing, Xi’an, Xining |
| Nearby sites | Jianmen Pass and the Shu Road, Mount Qingcheng and the Dujiangyan Irrigation System, Mount Siguniang and the Sichuan Giant Panda Sanctuaries, White Dragon Lake, Mount Longmen |
| Themes | Mountains, Snow mountains, Valleys, Waterfalls, Lakes, Streams, Forests, Animals, Stamps, Scams to avoid |
Jiuzhaigou
Jiuzhaigou (“Nine Village Valley”) lies in Nanping County of the Aba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture in northern Sichuan and covers about 720 km². It is named after the nine Tibetan villages that stood in the valley: Heye, Panya, Yala, Jianpan, Heiguo, Shuzheng, Zechawa, Rexi and Guodu. The valley is dotted with brilliantly coloured lakes, groups of waterfalls and travertine shoals.
The main valley is Y-shaped and more than 50 km long; its three branches are the Rize, Shuzheng and Zechawa valleys, with six scenic zones: Shuzheng, Nuorilang, Jianyan, Long Lake, Zharu and Tianhai. The best-known sights are the Shuzheng lakes, Nuorilang Waterfall, Pearl Shoal Waterfall, Panda Lake Waterfall, the primeval forest, Five-Colour Pond and Long Lake.
More than half of the valley is primeval forest, nearly 30,000 hectares with over 2,000 plant species. It is home to 170 vertebrate and 141 bird species, 17 of them under national protection.
Huanglong
Huanglong (“Yellow Dragon”), in Songpan County of the same prefecture, covers 700 km² and is known for its high-altitude coloured pools and terraced travertine cascades. The main gorge runs 3.7 km from Fuyuan Bridge at the mouth to the Zhuanhua Jade Pool by Huanglong Temple, covering about 1 km², with the Huanglong Temple, Danyun Gorge, Xueshanliang and Mount Xuebaoding areas and the Dani Valley. Sights include the Welcoming Pools, the Flying Waterfall, the Body-Washing Cave, the Bonsai Pools, the Mirror Pools, the Azalea Pools, the Contending Pools, the Golden Dragon’s Back cascade, the Jade Tree cascade, the Middle Temple, Horseshoe Lake, Huanglong Cave, Huanglong Temple, the Stone Pagoda Pool, the Five-Colour Pools and the Zhuanhua Jade Pool.
Outside the main area is the Dani Valley, with the Erdaohai lakes and Zhaga Waterfall among primeval forest. Xueshanliang is an important stop on the road to Huanglong.
Mount Xuebaoding, 5,588 m, is the highest peak of the region, with four alpine lakes and climbing and skiing; Danyun Gorge is a well-forested canyon.
Tourist scams
Some tour groups are led after Jiuzhaigou to temples nearby where guides urge visitors to burn incense and make wishes, each step costing 50 to 100 yuan; some guides sell jade amulets to be “blessed” for several hundred yuan more, and a single stick of incense can cost 100 yuan.
Travel information
Admission to Jiuzhaigou: 220 yuan in high season, 80 yuan in low season (2007).
Other sights near Jiuzhaigou and Huanglong: Kalong Valley, Muni Valley, Bipeng Valley and Gu’er Valley.
Stamps
On 26 March 1998 China Post issued 1998-6T “Jiuzhaigou”, four stamps: Fangcao Lake (50 fen), Wuhua Lake (50 fen), Shuzheng Waterfall (150 fen) and Nuorilang Waterfall (150 fen), with a souvenir sheet 1998-6M of Long Lake (800 fen).
News
At 14:28 on 12 May 2008 a magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck Wenchuan County, Sichuan, with its epicentre near 31°N 103.4°E; it was felt across many provinces and by that evening 8,533 deaths had been reported in Sichuan alone. Dujiangyan was badly hit with many landslides.