Jiuzhaigou
Jiuzhaigou County (九寨沟县; Jiǔzhàigōu Xiàn), formerly called Nanping County (南坪县; Nánpíng Xiàn), is a county of Sichuan Province, China. It is under the administration of the Ngawa Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture.
The county consists of nine villages in a valley in Si'Chuan (四川） province. The main nationality or race in the county is Han(汉）and second of being Zang.
Located in Nanping County, Aba Tibetan-Qiang Autonomous Prefecture, Jiuzhaigou Ravine stretches 80 kilometers in one direction and takes up an area of more than 60,000 hectares. The area consists of six scenic spots -- Changhai, Jianyan, Nuorilang, Shuzheng, Zharu and Heihai. It becomes a world renowned scenic spot because of its diversity in natural scenery which includes snowy peaks, double waterfalls, colorful forests and green sea. Furthermore, Tibetan customs are another attraction. It was listed as a world heritage site in 1992.
Jiuzhaigou National Park (simplified Chinese: 九寨沟; traditional Chinese: 九寨溝; pinyin: Jiǔzhàigōu; lit. "Valley of Nine Villages"; Tibetan: Zitsa Degu (gzi rtsa sde dgu)) 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, and was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1992. It belongs to the category V (Protected Landscape) in the IUCN system of protected area categorization.
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.
Since opening, tourist activity has increased every year: from 5,000 in 1984 to 170,000 in 1991, 160,000 in 1995, to 200,000 in 1997, including about 3,000 foreigners. Visitors numbered 1,190,000 in 2002. As of 2004[update], the site averages 7,000 visits per day, with a quota of 12,000 being reportedly enforced during high season. The Town of Zhangzha at the exit of the valley and the nearby Songpan County feature an ever-increasing number of hotels, including several polished five-stars, such as Sheraton.
