Jiuzhaigou Valley, a national 5A scenic attraction located in Southwest China's Sichuan province. [Photo/VCG]

Residents from Huzhou, East China's Zhejiang province will be offered a free tour annually to 11 major scenic attractions in Aba Tibetan and Qiang autonomous prefecture in Southwest China's Sichuan province starting from June 12.

The policy will be valid for five years until June 11, 2026, according to a press conference recently held in Hangzhou, capital city of Zhejiang.

In addition to Huzhou, residents from six other cities in the province, namely Hangzhou, Wenzhou, Shaoxing, Jiaxing, Jinhua, and Taizhou, will be entitled to the same treatment.

The move comes as a result of Aba being the prefecture that has been paired with the aforementioned cities in Zhejiang under the east-west cooperation program launched by the central government, which sees more prosperous provinces and municipalities in East China lend support to underdeveloped regions in the country.

The 11 scenic spots include two national 5A scenic attractions, Jiuzhaigou Valley and Huanglong, as well as seven national 4A scenic attractions. 5A is the highest level in the nation's grading system for scenic spots.

Free tickets can be applied for via Aba's official tourism website or WeChat account after the applicant registers their personal information. 

Jiuzhaigou Valley is known for its many multi-level waterfalls, colorful lakes, and snow-capped peaks. It was inscribed by UNESCO as a World Natural Heritage Site in 1992.

Huanglong is noted for its mountain landscape, diverse forest ecosystems, spectacular limestone formations, waterfalls, and hot springs. It was also declared a World Natural Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1992.