"Nine valleys" is located in the beautiful "Nine valleys County", Sichuan Province. Lanping Country is 400 km north of Sichuan's capital, Chengdu. The name "Jiuzhai Valley" originates from the nine valleys, in former times home of Tibetan people. "Nine valleys" is a combination of highland lakes, magnificent waterfalls, small streams winding through narrow valleys. "Nine Valleys" stretches in a distance of more than 720 km². Most of the lake is located in an altitude between 2, 000m and 3, 100m. It consists of 108 highland Lakes, 17 waterfalls and plenty of small streams. The water is gleaming in the sunshine and the forest majestically shows its whole beauty in late autumn. The Chinese call it the hidden paradise of the world. It is regarded due to its enormous beauty as an own world within China a fairy tale world. "King of water scenery" is another commonly used expression to describe "Nine valleys" beauty. The genesis of "Nine valleys" dates 3 million years back.

52 percent of which is covered by virgin forests. There are quite a few mountain peaks, gullies, lakes, waterfalls and streams in it. Its 50 km long main scenic area consists of three gullies-Shuzheng Gully, Rize Gully and Zechawa Gully which are in the shape of English letter Y. Nine valleys means "Valley of Nine Villages". It is so named because there are nine Tibetan villages there.

The mountains and lakes of Nine valleys was formed in the Fourth Glacial Period, so there are many relics of that period. The ground water is affluent in calcium carbonate, the milk white crystal of which can be seen on the bottoms of the lakes and by the lake shores. The water of streamy founts coming from the top of the mountains and through the forests is so undefiled. Because it has been filtrated along the way while flowing through the layered trapezi form lakes, that it has the fine visibility of 20 meters. Limpid lakes, terraced waterfalls, colorful forests, snow capped mountains and Tibetan local customs are five wonders in Nine valleys. An old saying goes that "there are no mountains better than Mount Huangshan and there is no water better than that of Nine valleys. "Indeed, water is the spirit of Nine valleys. Along the valleys, peaceful lakes are connected to flowing brooks and flowing brooks are connected to still ponds. And there are steepy waterfalls falling down the cliffs. When the sun shines. The green woods, motley flowers and white snow¡capped peaks surrounded the water are reflected in it and the inverted images form a splendid colorful world. Sometimes people are so fascinated by it that they just can't tell if the reflected world is real or just image. No wonder it is called "the best water scape of China".

After million years' sleeping in the vast jungle, the fairyland of Nine valleys was discovered accidentally by a group of lumber¡men in the 1970s. In 1987, it became one of the most significant national scenic places of the first group. In 1987, it became the nation's natural reserve focusing on zoology protection. In 1990, it was ranked first in the list of forty new natural landscapes. In 1992, it was in the list of world's natural and cultural heritage of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization and then in 1997, it was brought into the world's "Human and Biosphere"Protection Network. Actually there is no other places in the world that is so honored by UNESCO.

Resourses Nine valleys sits at the east edge of the Qinghai Tibetan Plateau which is in the north of subtropics in China and at the transitional zone of different vegetation. There are many kinds of conifer and broadleaf such as Korean pine, Chinese pine, spruce, fir and maple in this area, especially in the area 2, 000 to 3, 000 meters above sea level. And many rare kinds of flowers and grass such as fritillaria, Chinese caterpillar fungus, musk and notoptery gium grow there. Nine valleys is also a natural paradise for wild animals. Panda known as "living fossil", golden monkey and takin, all of which are the nation's protected animals on the edge of extinction, inhabit in this area. So we can call it "the natural zoo and botanical garden"of northwest Sichuan highland.