Jiuzhaigou

Jiuzhaigou National Park is a nature reserve in the north of Sichuan province in central China. It is officially known as Jiuzhai Valley in English. Its name means "Valley of Nine Villages", derived from the 9 ancient Tibetan villages that call it home. Jiuzhaigou Valley is part of the Min Mountains on the edge of the Tibetan Plateau and stretches over 72,000 hectares in the Aba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture. The main scenic area stretches 80 km long in the form of a letter Y comprising of three main valleys - Shuzheng, Rize and Zechawa covering 720 km² and is known for its stunning views of many multi-level waterfalls, colorful lakes, and snow-capped peaks. Its elevation ranges from 2,000 to 4,500 metres.

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 activities. The area was made into a national park in 1982. Jiuzhaigou Valley was inscribed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site in 1992 and a World Biosphere Reserve in 1997. It belongs to the category V Protected Landscape in the IUCN system of protected area categorization.

The desire to balance environmental protection and mass tourism has become an increasingly acute challenge for park management. Exploitation of natural resources for financial gain in the form of mass tourism is the utmost priority.