One of the most stunningly beautiful destinations in Sichuan is Jiuzhaigou (also known as The Valley of the Nine Villages), covering roughly 720 sq km it has a plethora of stunning vistas including: multi-colored lakes, roaring waterfalls, vibrant forests and in winter snow covered peaks; it is arguably a must see destination on any trip to Sichuan or even China. Before the 1970's Jiuzhaigou was extremely isolated and in 1982 the Chinese government declared the valley as a national park and in 1992 Jiuzhaigou became a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

        Despite the huge influx of tourism since its opening to the world, the locals around Jiuzhaigou have maintained much of their traditions and way of living. The area is home to both the Tibetan and the Qiang minority groups and mini buses can be taken to many of the settlements. Jiuzhaogou is the starting point for one of the longest pilgrimages to Lhasa for devout Buddhists and has been an important cultural center for the Qiang people.

        Jiuzhaigou offers a vast amount of things to see and should not be looked at as a day trip. Instead you should take a couple days to be able to take the time to truly take in the breathtaking beauty that is Jiuzhaigou.