Aba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture is located in northwest China's Sichuan Province at the upper reaches of the Yangtze River and the Yellow River with an area of 84,200 square kilometers. There are 13 counties under its jurisdiction.

Aba Prefecture boasts 3 of the 6 World Natural Heritage Sites all over China, making it the premier destination for nature-based ecotourism. There is also a great cultural diversity, with the majority Tibetan population, beautiful Tibetan Buddhist temples (e.g. Langmusi on the border with Gansu), picturesque grasslands and beautiful mountains. There is also a large population of Qiang ethnic group (particularly in Mao County)

Yellow Dragon National Park

Yellow Dragon Valley is a national park located in Songpan County northwest of Sichuan Province. It is indeed laced with a golden-hued calcium carbonate which, in the right light, certainly could lead one to conjure an altruistic mythical beast.

All the colors of the rainbow are here, actually, the landscape studded with waterfalls and terraced, colored limestone ponds of blue, yellow, white and green. Consequently, it has earned the nickname Wucaichi (Five-coloured Pool). To see the pools in their full rainbow glory, the best time of year to visit is September and October.

The most spectacular ponds are behind the Yellow Stone Temple, deep in the valley and 7.5 kilometers from the road. (The temple was built to honor the dragon). A round trip along a footpath takes about four hours, with the trail returning through dense (and dark) forest. If you do visit, there are no vendors, so bring some water and supplies.

A great time to visit it is during the annual Temple Fair. Held here around the middle of the sixth lunar month (usually July), it attracts large number of traders from the Qiang minority nationality.

No lodging is allowed in the park anymore, and outside you've got one super-pricey option.

Around 56 kilometers from Songpan, Huanglong is almost always included on the itinerary of the seven-day Jiuzhaigou tours that run out of Chengdu, as well as on the horse-trekking tours out of Songpan. Unfortunately, unless you've signed up on a tour, the valley can be difficult to reach. Currently, there is one bus a day from Jiuzhaigou (41 yuan, three hours, 7.10 am) but this would leave you hung up, as the bus returns the next day with nary a cheap pillow for your head.

However, as Jiuhuang Airport has been expanded, more buses may at least operate between the airport and the national park (though you'd still have to shell out 700 yuan just to save money on a bus!).

Admission fee: 200 yuan (Apr.1-Nov.15); 80 yuan (Nov.16- Mar. 31)

Mt. Siguniangshan (Four Maiden's Mountain) Park

The Mt. Siguniangshan Park is an unspoiled wilderness park located in western Sichuan Province, near the town of Rilong in Aba Autonomous Prefecture. Mt. Siguniangshan consists of four adjacent mountain peaks and got its unusual name from a local Tibetan legend that says the four peaks are the embodiments of four pretty girls. At 6,250 meters, (about 20,500 feet) the highest peak of Mt. Siguniangshan is known as "The Little Girl" or "Queen Peak".

Mt. Siguniangshan is famed for its steep and imposing peaks. The high meadows are wonderful throughout all four seasons, and hundreds of wildflowers burst forth in spring, giving way to lush green trees and grass in summer. In the autumn, the leaves on the trees blaze in color, heralding the coming snows of winter. Because of the clear blue sky, the thick forests, the verdant grassland, and the murmuring streams, Siguniangshan is sometimes known as the "Alps of the East". You may even think you are in southern Europe.

It is 220 kilometers (about 136 miles) from Chengdu, and will take you about five or six hours to reach by bus.

Admission fee: 80 yuan

Wolong National Natural Reserve

Wolong National Nature Reserve is a protected area located in Wenchuan County, Aba, Sichuan Province. Established in 1963, the reserve covers an area of about 200,000 hectares in the Qionglai Mountains region. There are over 4,000 different species recorded in the reserve. Wolong National Nature Reserve houses more than 150 highly endangered giant pandas. The reserve is also a home to many other endangered species including: red pandas, golden monkeys, white-lipped deer and many precious plants. Wolong gets up to 100,000 visitors every year.

In June 1980, the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda was established at Wolong with the efforts of both World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and the Chinese government. To date, researchers have conducted many breeding research projects on giant pandas and have successfully bred 66 panda cubs.