Chenyu Vale
Last updated 2026-08-11
"Tea grows upon the rocks, where jade springs endlessly flow." The faint perfume and ancient song of jade drift together along the rivers past Qiaoying Village to the bustling port of Yilong Wharf. Just what adventures and fortune await, concealed among the fog-robed peaks of the south...?
Chenyu Vale is a subregion located in Liyue.
Areas and Subareas
There are 3 areas in Chenyu Vale:
| Area | Subareas |
|---|---|
 Chenyu Vale: Southern Mountain |
|
 Chenyu Vale: Upper Vale |
|
 Mt. Laixin |
Quests
World Quests
Anecdotes
Hidden Exploration Objectives
Soundtracks
Lore
Chenyu Vale refers to the area surrounding Mt. Yaojun,[1] a sacred mountain which was once under the dominion of an adeptus known as the "Herblord," who once took the form of a young lady.[2] While Chenyu Vale is described as having "many mountains [and] rivers" in Flowing Rings' description, Jade Leaf's description only mentions a single river; regardless, this water source is likely the reason why Chenyu Vale's climate is "relatively humid" compared to the Hills of Barsom.[3]
In distant times, Chenyu Vale was ruled by the unnamed mistress of Chenyu Vale, who once presided over all animals and spirits of "wild mountain nature," mediated between mortals and the wilderness, and controlled the ebb and flow of the Bishui River.[4] She was attended by wild spirits and many Adepti, of which the Herblord, a snake spirit, is one. The Herblord's friends were Fujin, a golden carp spirit, who was fond of humans; and Lingyuan, a suanni who preferred to dwell in the wilderness.
When The Chasm was created some 6000 years ago, the surviving tribes evacuated and moved to Chenyu Vale, founding the first human settlements in this area.[5] Fujin guided these early civilizations, teaching them rituals, including jade offerings; and modified the environment to be more hospitable to humans. She was also the first to plant a tea tree in Chenyu Vale, in the Herblord's territory. When the tree was still a sapling, someone tied a jade ornament to it[1] Many years after, the tree's branches were grafted to the "other side of the river" by people who lived on the mountain, and its tea leaves became famous in Liyue Harbor and other areas. However, this type of tea tree is said to only grow well in Chenyu Vale because it remembers the promise between two friends.[6] This marked the origin of the prosperous tea industry that Chenyu Vale is now known for today.
During the Archon War, the mistress of Chenyu Vale was at war with Morax; the Herblord and the other adeptus, known as Fujin, served under her. The people who lived there at the time did not participate in the war, so to protect them, Fujin and the Herblord created sanctuaries to protect them from the god's other followers. Near the end of the war, in a final attempt to defeat Morax, the goddess unleashed a tremendous flood coursing the Bishui River, which would have also destroyed the vale and its people. Seeing this, the Adepti trio rebelled against her: Herblord fought the mistress, Lingyuan evacuated the people and Fujin threw the Votive Rainjade into the waters, creating the Jademouth in the process. The Herblord was greatly diminished after fighting the mistress, while Fujin lost many of her powers and "sank into the sea," losing much of her strength; as for the mistress, it was said that she had been sealed deep underneath Chenyu Vale, slumbering by the ruins of the lunar chariot, for eternity[4].
Various interpretations and stories exist regarding a famous Chenyu Vale legend involving a slab of jade located on a sacred mountain, which was capable of summoning "sweet rains" and became coveted by demons, after which it was thrown into the river and sank underwater[7] — which likely led to the name "Chenyu," meaning "Jade-Sinking." In other tales, the Herblord split the jade into several ornaments and hid them in various places, including underwater, in the mountains, and in shrines. These ornaments are believed to carry the blessings from a pact with a deity, and a particular priest inherited a jade loop which had been passed down from their ancestors who had made that pact; artisans at Yilong Port also make jade ornaments to this day because of these legends.[8]
Many present-day inhabitants of Chenyu Vale are the descendants of refugees who fled the Chasm during the events of the cataclysm. Yelan and Lan Yan's ancestors are among them.[9]
In the present, Lingyuan, yearning for the days of old, began to tamper with the vale's spirit lines, causing the soil and water to become "tainted", contaminating Qiaoying Village's tea supply with an inferior quality. This also caused miasma to erupt across several places around the vale, which was an unintended consequence. Fujin, learning of the taint, discovers the Traveler when they stepped foot in the vale and asks them to assist in restoring the balance. During the investigation, they discover Lingyuan is responsible for the damage, having wanted to bring back the more natural conditions the vale had when the tea tree was first planted, and the taste of the tea those conditions produced. The Traveler manages to bring her back to her senses after a short fight. Fujin then expends more of her power to undo the damage dealt, though she is unable to revert any remaining miasma in the vale. This causes her to revert to her original form as a carp and unable to return to her human form, but the vale is saved.[10]
Other Languages
| Language | Official Name | Literal Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| English | Chenyu Vale | — |
| Chinese (Simplified) | 沉玉谷 Chényù-gǔ | Sunken Jade Valley |
| Chinese (Traditional) | 沉玉谷 Chényù-gǔ | |
| Japanese | 沈玉の谷 Chingyoku no Tani | Sunken Jade Valley |
| Korean | 침옥 협곡 Chim'ok Hyeopgok | Sunken Jade Canyon |
| Spanish | Valle Chenyu | Chenyu Valley |
| French | Vallon Chenyu | Chenyu Vale |
| Russian | Долина Чэньюй Dolina Chen'yuy | Chenyu Vale |
| Thai | Chenyu Vale | — |
| Vietnamese | Trầm Ngọc Cốc | Jade-Sinking Valley[※] |
| German | Chenyu-Tal | Chenyu Vale |
| Indonesian | Lembah Chenyu | Chenyu Valley |
| Portuguese | Vale Chenyu | Chenyu Valley |
| Turkish | Chenyu Vadisi | Chenyu Valley |
| Italian | Vallata Chenyu | Chenyu Valley |
Change History
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Baizhu's Character Story: Character Story 5
- ↑ Artifact Set: Echoes of an Offering
Soulscent Bloom: This one left behind the ambiguous name of "Herblord," as well as many foggy and fragmented legends. [...]
There is even a story that goes like this—
The young lady grasped at the hooded hat on the ground as she struggled ashore, placing it on her head haphazardly.
Jade Leaf: But though the young lady who was master of this mountain complained, she too could imagine the tea's fragrance. - ↑ World Quest: An Artist Adrift
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Book: Mt. Lingmeng Gossip, Vol. 3
- ↑ Weapon: Jadefall's Splendor
- ↑ Artifact, Echoes of an Offering: Jade Leaf
- ↑ Artifact, Echoes of an Offering: Flowing Rings
- ↑ Artifact, Echoes of an Offering: Symbol of Felicitation
- ↑ Event Springtime Charms Quest: Third Stanza: Qimen Arts and the Rite of Homa, the Spirits are Calmed and Life Restored
- ↑ World Quest, Chenyu's Blessings of Sunken Jade, Part 3: An Ancient Sacrifice of Sacred Brocade
