Yellow Dragon Encompassing an area of about 620 square kilometers, Jiuzhaigou lies in Nanping County in northern Sichuan Province. It is a deep valley more than 40 kilometers long in which there are nine Tibetan villages. Secluded and uninhabited, it has a variety of natural attractions: lakes, waterfalls, mountains and forests. 
    In the valley, there are one hundred lakes of various sizes and shape. The water in Wuhua Hai (Five Flower Sea) appears in five colors, and people marvel at this natural wonder. The one-hundred-meter wide Nuorilong Waterfall drops 30-meters, and is spectacular. The water here is crystal clear and occasionally one can see birds swimming in the lake and fish flying through the blue sky. Primitive, simple and uninhabited, it is a natural haven. 
    Within Pansong County, on the border of the vast expanses of grasslands, there is a fascinating place: the Yellow Dragon. This area is a mystical and colorful world. Along the 7.5 kilometers canyon are 3,400 lakes, all linked together. The large ones are about 600 square meters; the smaller ones, like miniature ponds.The most intriguing aspect of this area is that, despite coming from the same source, each lake is a different color. There are a whole spectrum of colors that mix and mingle throughout the lakes and ponds, sometimes with extreme visibility and others without the slightest hint of change. Variations happen in unpredictable ways.
    From a distance, the golden-colored river bed, which was transformed from lava tens of thousands of years ago, can be seen climbing up from the bottom of the valley and disappearing far above Mount Xuebaoding, the main peak of the Minshan Mountains. This is considered the "Yellow Dragon". The yellow cliff at Xishen Cave, which looks as if it has been cut out of topaz, is the Dragon's head. Its back, the riverbed, is covered in scales, the colorful lakes and rocks. The Dragon's tail is hidden in the Yucui Peak of Mount Xuebaoding and appears as a gigantic golden dragon flying through the snowy mountains. 
    Legend has it that when King Yu, who started the reign of Xia Dynasty, controlled the river. His boat was carried by the Yellow Dragon so that he could proceed upstream from Maozhou to regulate the waterways. This gave rise to the beginning of the Min River. Later, a temple was built for worship. The rear was built during the Ming Dynasty and is still very well preserved. In the center of the temple is a statue of the incarnation of the Yellow Dragon sitting. Every year, on the sixteenth day of the sixth lunar month, many Tibetans, Huis, Qiangs and Hans, travel over mountains and down valleys on a pilgrimage and meet here. They arrive from distant places in Sichuan, Gansu and Qinghai. A three-day fair is held here, at which people enjoy singing and dancing.