China's Jiuzhai Valley

Blue and green lakes as well as waterfalls dot Jiuzhai Valley National Park in southwestern China north of Chengdu. The area was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1992, in part for the natural beauty and in part for its endangered plant and animal species, such as giant pandas and the Sichuan takin, a type of antelope.

Richard Janecki

There's a legend, according to the park's website, that a goddess broke a mirror, and the resulting 114 lakes are the shards that scattered.

Lake Wuhuahai

Lake Huohuahai

Waterfall

Lake Shuanglonghai

Gem-colored water

Fish

Snow

Winter