This story appears in the March 2009 issue of National Geographic magazine. Jiuzhaigou means "valley of nine villages," because it once harbored nine, but other numbers are more significant now.

the jagged Jiuzhaigou valley reaches a height of more than 4,800 m, thus comprising a series of diverse forest ecosystems. Its superb landscapes are particularly interesting for their series of narrow ...

the jagged Jiuzhaigou valley reaches a height of more than 4,800 m, thus comprising a series of diverse forest ecosystems. Its superb landscapes are particularly interesting for their series of narrow ...

Jiuzhaigou is a narrow strip of lowland ... As the valley is of a terraced topography, waterfalls are created between lakes on different levels, the biggest drop being over twenty meters.

Jiuzhaigou, which translates to “Nine Settlement ... Amidst approximately 280 square miles (725 sq km) of forest, it hosts many waterfalls, caves, lakes and snow-topped mountain peaks.