Jiuzhaigou is the most famous valley of water in China: a Y-shaped canyon in the Aba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture where more than a hundred alpine lakes — haizi, "sons of the sea" — stack terraced colors of teal, jade and cobalt beneath snow peaks and layered forest. A 2017 earthquake closed the park, and its careful reopening brought something new: strict daily visitor caps and real-name reservation. Plan it like a ticketed event, and it remains one of the great days of walking anywhere.
