The Jiuzhaigou Valley is located in the Nanping County of Aba Prefecture, upstream of the Minjiang River. It is 450 kilometers south from Chengdu, the capital city of Sichuan Province. The valley is named after the nine Tibetan villages it contains: Panshen, Pengbu, Guowa, Panya, Zecha, Wa, Shuzheng, Heye and Zaruyu. According to the records in the Nanping County Annals: "Inside the Yangtong tribal area, there is a strait several li long. The water shines emerald green, and reflects the forested mountains." Therefore, this place is also called Zhongyangdong, or Chuihai.