🏛️ 5A National Attractions
Last verified 26 Jul 2025
Jiuzhaigou County's pride is a single—but world-class—国家5A级景区: Jiuzhaigou Valley Scenic & Historic Interest Area. Cradled on the edge of the Tibetan Plateau, the park strings together kale-blue lakes, tiered travertine waterfalls and autumn forests that look Photoshopped in real life.
1 Quick Metrics
Total sites
1 (official list)
Source: wlt.jiuzhaigou.gov.cn
UNESCO share
1/1 (Jiuzhaigou, listed 1992)
World heritage sites
Entry-fee range
¥80 (Dec–Mar) · ¥190 (Apr–Nov) + ¥90 sightseeing-bus
Seasonal pricing with mandatory bus fee
Typical hours
07:00–18:00 (summer) · 08:00–17:00 (winter)
Seasonal operating hours
Real-name booking
Mandatory—WeChat mini-program "九寨沟智慧旅游" (opens 07:00, 14 days ahead)
Passport/ID mandatory
Altitude spread
2 000 m (Reed Lake) → 3 100 m (Long Lake)
Pack layers
Access
88 km shuttle from Jiuzhai-Huanglong Airport (JZH) • 6 h coach from Chengdu
Transportation options
2 Why It Matters
Prismatic water physics — dissolved calcium carbonate + algae turn lakes emerald-blue to peacock-green, shifting with sun angle—no filter required.
Triple Y-shaped valley — three forks (Shuzheng, Zechawa, Rize) knit 55 km of boardwalks into one one-way loop, so crowd flow stays tolerable even on 24 k daily cap days.
Cultural fringe — Tibetan & Qiang villages pepper the valley; prayer-flag bridges and yaks-in-the-meadow shots deliver Plateau vibes at bus-friendly altitude.
Post-quake resilience — after the 2017 Mw 7.0 quake, all major sights and buses reopened by 2022, with new debris-flow barriers adding safety.
3 Pro Tips
1
Snag the 07:30 bus – first shuttle from Visitor Center reaches Shuzheng Lakes before tour groups; best mirrored-water photos.
2
Plan by forks – do Zechawa (Long Lake → Five-Colour Lake) first for high-altitude light; descend to Rize waterfalls after 11:00 when crowds shift.
3
One-way boardwalks – obey arrows; U-turning risks a ¥200 fine from park rangers.
4
Altitude care – Long Lake sits > 3 000 m; pace hikes, hydrate, carry ginger candy for light vertigo.
5
Drone-free zone – complete UAV ban, confiscation + ¥1 000 fine. Tripods allowed, but avoid blocking plankways.
6
Off-season magic – mid-Oct larch gold & red maple peak; Dec-Jan snow-rimmed turquoise pools draw photographers and halve ticket cost.
4 The Full 5A List
🏔️
Karst Valley · Jiuzhaigou County
Jiuzhaigou Valley Scenic Area / 九寨沟风景名胜区
720 km² karst valley; 118 stepped lakes; 17 waterfalls; UNESCO World Heritage 1992; ticket + bus via mini-prog; open 07:00–18:00 (summer) / 08:00–17:00 (winter).
Pack layers, charge the camera, and let the water-colour valley do the heavy lifting—No Tourist Traps. No BS.