Unsolved mysteries

Disappearances and deaths: Stories about the disappearance and deaths of humans and livestock have long abounded in the area. It is said that the remaining 30 Kuomintang (KMT) soldiers who once entered the valley when the People's Republic of China was first established in 1949 were never seen again. In 1976, three members from a Sichuan forest prospecting team also vanished in the valley. The whole county conducted an extensive search only to find three skeletons three months later. In 1995, two soldiers disappeared when they passed through the valley, and only their weapons were found some time afterwards. The media have also reported many unsolved stories about the "horrifying dead valley".

The forefather of the Yi ethnic minority: The ancestors of the Yi people once lived in the most perilous section of the valley, Shimenguan. Although there is much contention about whether this was the cradle of the Yi people, according to an ancient Yi teaching, entrance to Shimenguan was strictly forbidden, and anyone who dared attempt it would be severely punished. In any case, the perilous topography of the region made the feat almost impossible. Located in the deep hinterland of the valley, many expeditions were unsuccessful in penetrating the region, making the research about the forefathers of the Yi ethnic minority even more difficult.

The "dead latitude": Some experts believe that it is no accident that the mysterious Bermuda Triangle, pyramids in Egypt and Heizhu Valley in China are all located on the same "dead" latitude. What's more, deep in Heizhu Valley is a peak that towers 3,998 meters above sea level, which is triangular in shape -- just like the pyramids in Egypt. The peak is also the watershed of the two major rivers in the valley. Standing on the top of the "pyramid", one can spot not only the traces of the ancient glaciers, but also the beautiful sunrise, boundless sea of clouds and a general view of the entire valley.

Mysteries of the ape men: It is said that in October 1974, a farmer called Ran Qianbu, who lived near the valley, allegedly spotted a two-meter-tall ape man with human-like features and yellowish hair that covered his entire body. Local people, who have also found other traces of so-called ape men, refer to them as the "grandfathers of the god of the mountain." Although the existence of ape men is still in question, the general region is known today as "Ape-men Gully".

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