Discover Nine Villages Valley (Jiuzhaigou) on China holiday
One of China's most beautiful secrets and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Nine Villages Valley (or Jiuzhaigou) is a natural wonderland, stumbled upon by a lumberjack in 1972. Covering over 700 square kilometres of magnificent mountain valleys, the area is dotted with nine traditional Tibetan villages (after which it is named) with plenty of striking alpine scenery and a number of protected species.
Settled in the 1300s by a group of Tibetan pilgrims who came to the area seeking refuge, the towering mountain range kept them, and the area, hidden for six centuries. Even today it is still wonderfully remote and pristine due to conservation efforts. Beneath these snow-capped peaks, the valley floors are dotted with turquoise, green and pink lakes – legend tells that they are the broken slivers of the Tibetan goddess Semo’s mirror, and rich, diverse forests. As you explore you’ll come across much natural beauty, including waterfalls, whilst some of the lakes have crystal clear waters through which you can see tree trunks, sunk to the lake bed in times gone by.
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