Jiuzhaigou Valley is located in the Min Shan mountain range, 330 km north of the provincial capital of Chengdu.  This is a fantastic mountainous area with series of lakes and waterfalls containing clear, mineral-rich water, and was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1992.

The valley covers at least 240 km2, with some protection organizations giving the area as 600 to 720 km2, with buffer zones covering an additional 400 to 600 km2. The climate is cool with a mean annual temperature of 7.2 °C, with means of -1 °C in January and 17 °C in July.

More than 100 lakes of different sizes are scattered in the valley. These lakes with brilliant colors are called “haizi” (seas) by the local people. The lakes are always connected with waterfalls. Between the primeval forests and the lakes, there are nine villages of Tibetan people, and the name Jiuzhaigou means Nine Village Valley.