Jiuzhaigou County (Chinese Pinyin: Jiǔzhàigōu Xiàn) is administrated by Aba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture, situated in the northwestern of Sichuan Province, about 450 km away from Chengdu, the capital city of the province.
Administrative Divisions
Covering an area of 5,290 square kilometers, Jiuzhaigou County is divided into 2 towns, 15 townships, 120 administrative villages and 10 neighborhood communities. The county seat is located in the Yongle Town.
History Evolution
By the archaeological survey, a number of towns in Jiuzhaigou County have found Neolithic sites, which make the history of Jiuzhaigou County can be traced back to five thousand years ago. Jiuzhaigou County was originally known as Yangtong and belonged to Diqiang from prior Shang Dynasty (1765 BC – 1122BC) to Qin (248 BC-207 BC). After the establishment of West Han Dynasty (202 BC - 9 AD), Dian Di Dao was set, which was the earliest administrative bodies can test of Jiuzhaigou County. In 566 AD, the Northern Zhou Dynasty (557-581 AD) set Fuzhou Manager Mansion in Huanglong Township, and then in 587 AD, Emperor Wen in Sui Dynasty (581-618) moved Fuzhou from Huanglong Township to Anle Township (one township in today’s Jiuzhaigou County). When in Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), Nanping Camp was set instead of Fuzhou, which later became Nanping County and was renamed Jiuzhaigou County in 1998.
Geomorphology
Jiuzhaigou is located in the transition zone of the Tibetan Plateau to the Sichuan Basin, where geological background is complex and at an altitude from 1，900 to 3，100 meters. In the territory of Jiuzhaigou County, valleys exist vertical and horizontal. Higher in northwest and lower in southeast, its topography showing the order changes from the mountains to the Pingba, with an elevation drop of 2,000 meters.
Under the interaction of the fourth quarter glaciers, plate movement, karst topography, flow and calcification beach stream, the region had developed unique landforms. There are numerous valleys in Jiuzhaigou County, has many lakes, waterfall group and calcified Beach Streams distribute in the valleys, which constituting the peculiar landscape of Jiuzhaigou. The original forests cover more than half the area of Jiuzhaigou.
Climate
Jiuzhaigou County is a plateau humid climate, whose peaks of high mountains are covered with snow all year round. With an average temperature of 12.7 ℃ and annual average rainfall of 550 mm.
The temperatures is low and changed greatly in spring, the average temperature is between 9 - 18 ℃. In summer, the average temperature is 19 - 22 ℃, which is cooler at nights. When in fall, the weather is pleasant, but the temperature is great difference between day and night. Jiuzhaigou’s winter is cold, which temperatures will bellow 0 ℃.
Resources
- Mineral Resources
Jiuzhaigou has been proven has gold, ferromanganese, hematite, arsenic, antimony and other 14 kinds of mineral resources, located in one of six China's major gold metallogenic belt - the Golden Triangle region of northwestern Sichuan.
- Water Resources
Within the Jiuzhaigou County, water system is developed and water resources are abundant, which can be developed is 642,000 KW, is the ideal base for hydropower construction.
Species
-Animals
Jiuzhaigou has 619 kinds of terrestrial wild animals, including the giant panda, golden monkey, pheasant quail, lophophorus ihuysii, takin, musk deer, snow leopards and other rare animals.
-Plants
Jiuzhaigou County forest vegetation coverage rate reached 69.75 percent, is the second largest forest in Sichuan Province. And there are 1240 square kilometers of natural grassland. There are Codonopsis, Angelica, Chinese caterpillar fungus, Fritillaria, Tianma, Polyporus and other natural Chinese herbal medicines 290 kinds, has Cordyceps, Fritillaria and other medicinal plants 467 kinds as well as 2,033 kinds of wild plants and Ginkgo biloba, Yew, Uniflora etc. 33 kinds of rare plants.
Population and Ethnic Groups
The county has a population of 67,039 (2012). The main ethnic group in the county is Han, while the second being Tibetan. There are Yi, Tibetan, Qiang, Miao, Hui, Mongolian, Tujia, Lisu, Manchu, Yao, Dong, Naxi, Buyi, Bai, Zhuang, Dai and other ethnic.
Tourism
Jiuzhaigou County has unique landscape and riches in tourism resources. It has set up a beautiful Jiuzhaigou Valley Nature Reserve; there are Rize Valley, Zechawa Gully, Shuzheng Valley, Zharu Valley 4 travel scenery lines contain the Primeval Forest, Baojing Rock, Bonsai Beach, Reed Sea, Five Flower Lake, Long Lake, Five-Color Pond, Nuorilang Falls, Sleeping Dragon Lake and other landscape. In December, 1992, Jiuzhaigou Valley was included in the "World Natural Heritage List" by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee.