China : The South-West

Highlights

Siguniang Mountains ( north Sichuan )
Siguniang Shan ( Four Girl Mountain ) is a cluster of four peaks which stand side by side like four sisters at the end of the Qionglai Mountain Range and marks a steep jump in the transition zone between the high Tibetan plateau and the lowland Sichuan basin. Yaomei Feng ( peak of the youngest girl ) the main peak, rises to 6250-m. The Siguniang Mountain is honored as the "Queen of Sichuan's mountains", enjoying the fame with the king of Sichuan's mountains - Gongga Mountain which stands at 7556-m.

Jiuzhaigou ( north Sichuan )
Jiuzhaigou ( 'Nine Village Valley' for the 9 Tibetan villages here) is a 700 sq km national park and a UNESCO world heritage site. It is located on the upper reaches of the Min River on the edge of the Tibetan plateau in northern Sichuan, and extends for over 30 km. The beauty and diversity of Jiuzhaigou has long been extolled within China. From lush, unspoilt forests reminiscent of Northern Europe carpeted by lush flora, to pristine snow-covered peaks; over 100 plateau lakes, waterfalls and streams and marshes. If you're one for hiking, you'll have ample opportunity for it here. There are facilities in the park for sleeping and eating. Within the park boundaries are a handful of small settlements, many of whose residents are followers of the ancient Bon religion. The Bon monastery Dartse Gompa has 90+ monks residing there.

Wolong Nature Reserve ( northern Sichuan )
Wolong Nature Reserve was established in 1975 and is the largest of the 16 reserves set aside for panda conservation.

Tagong Grasslands ( western Sichuan )
The Tagong Grasslands is a vast expanse of green meadow surrounded by snow-capped peaks and dotted with Tibetan herdsmen and tents. The Tagong village is a vibrant Tibetan community that lies in the midst of this. Here, you can see prayer wheels in constant motion, monks chanting in the corners of temples, and old women circumambulating the monastery walls. A visit to the stunning collection of over 100 chortens behind the Tagong Gompa is a must and one can finish off a visit with a clockwise kora ( circuit ) of the site. There are great views of the rolling grasslands and stunning 5820m pyramid peak of Haizi Shan from the prayer-flags and chortens-topped velvety hills around the town. Tagong is also the stage for an annual Horse-Racing Festival held at the beginning of the 8th lunar month and attended by thousands of local Tibetan herdsmen. This is a perfect stop to get the flavour of Sichuan's wild west.

Litang ( western Sichuan )
This is Sichuan's wild west. The highest town in Sichuan at 4000-m with a relaxed feel, Litang sits at the edge of a wide expanse of grassland, with green rolling hills and the vivid blue of the sky and snow-capped peaks as a backdrop. Clear days offer dazzling views of majestic snow-capped mountains, the 5064-m Maoge Shan covered year-round in snow seemingly within arm's reach. Tibetan culture abounds here and 'Tashi Delek', the Tibetan greeting is more commonly used than 'Ni Hao'. Litang is also host to one of the big Horse Racing Festivals in early August when thousands of Khampans come from all over the plateau, from Qinghai, Sichuan and Tibet, for a week of horsemanship displays, trading and the local version of fiesta. The local economy is based on pastoralism, nomads grazing yaks, goats, sheep and horses on Lithang ’s high plateau grasslands as they have for generations.

Daocheng ( south-west Sichuan )
Daocheng is a 2-street Tibetan town surrounded by wild country, where the hills and mountains all have a religious connection in the eyes of the local Tibetan residents. The county is dotted with high mountain lakes and lunar-like rock formations. Long isolated from the outside world, the locals here ( 96% Tibetan ) are still adapting to the exotic sight of foreign faces who are part of a small trickle of visitors passing through Daocheng on their way to Yading National Park and its 3 sacred mountains. Daocheng has a long history of culture - attested by its 14 monasteries. The most important monastery in the county is Yangteng Gompa ( Xiongden Lamasery ), built in the Ming Dynasty which houses tens of thousands of Buddhist scriptures, as well as many Buddha figures, including a sandalwood statue of Sakyamuni. Gonggaling Lamasery, in a village on the way to Yading, contains an exquisite bronze statue of Maitreya ( the Future Buddha ) presented by Dalai Lama V. Rubachaka Hot Spring village, which was built up around natural hot springs, and now boasts private bathhouses at which visitors can soak. Mount Haizi ( Mountain of Lakes ), paralleling the Daocheng River on the way into town, also known as 'old ice cap of Daocheng', is a beautiful high plateau dotted with 1145 mountain lakes and freak geological formations caused by glacial erosion.

Yading Nature Reserve ( Daocheng County, south-west Sichuan )
This stunning nature reserve is located in the southern part of Dabpa ( Chinese: Daocheng ) County in south-western Sichuan and a strong contender for the 'Shangri-La' title. Within the park are unspoilt vegetation and native forests, very isolated Tibetan villages, a small monastery, and sacred lakes. There are three sacred mountains here: Chenresig (Avalokitesvara, 6032 meters), Jambeyang (Manjusri, 5958 m), and Chanadorje (Vajrapani, 5958 m). These three mountains have never been climbed and their technical difficulty have so far defeated all those who have tried - primarily western climbers. They are sacred to Tibetan Buddhists for they are the representation of the compassion, wisdom, and energy that are essential to reaching enlightenment and the end of suffering. Buddhists believe that it would be a sacrilege to climb them and a kora or pilgrimage around one or all of the mountains brings great merit. The scenery here easily rivals that of national parks of the west such as Yellowstone and Yosemite in terms of spectacular, pristine mountain scenery. The trek around the mountains which follow the path of the kora will be one of the main highlights of any trip to this part of SW China.

Zhongdian ( north-west Yunnan )
Zhongdian is just one town away from the Tibetan border. The town has a mix of lots of different ethnic groups with Han and Tibetan being the predominate ones. Zhongdian town proper has been almost entirely rebuilt - it's a challenge to find a building older than 3 years. A slow-paced atmosphere, where one can amble about, check out the wares at the markets ( Tibetan knives, wooden bowls, fur hats ) and sip Yunnan coffee. The surrounding pastoral scenery ( golden hills, lakes ) is beautiful. The sprawling restored Songzanlin Monastery ( Gelugpa sect ) originally built in 1679 under the guidance of the 5th Dalai Lama is one of the major Tibetan monastery complexes with about 600 resident monks. The village houses are Tibetan-style - heavy timber, stone and decorative painted finishing. Popular excursions from Zhongdian includes Bita Hai and Baishui Tai.

Lijiang ( north-west Yunnan )
The wonderful old town of Lijiang is a delightful place to hang around for a few days. This intimate mountain town of stone and tile, laced with swift canals has traditionally been a gathering place of rugged mountain people from various ethnic groups of Naxi Lisu, Pumi, Nuosu Yi, and Tibetan. There are countless interesting excusions to be made around Lijiang and Zhongdian such as Yulong XueShan ( Jade Dragon Snow Mountain ), Hutiao Xia ( Tiger Leaping Gorge ), Lugu Lake, and more.

Tiger Leaping Gorge ( Lijiang county, north-west Yunnan )
One of the world's deepest gorges, it also makes for a fantastic 2-day hike. Formed by the Upper Yangtze about 35 kilometre north of Lijiang, cutting through the 5396-m Haba Mountains to the north and the 5500-m Jade Dragon Snow Mountain to the south, creating a natural gorge measuring 16 kilometre in length and a height of 3900 metres. Considering the grand dimensions of the gorge, it is not an overly arduous hike. A bit rough on the knees, and the path is often very narrow, requiring caution and a healthy dose of respect. Life is quiet and simple here, the surroundings beautiful, and the silence almost deafening. Life in the nearby villages goes on as it has for hundreds of years, unaffected by the visitors who arrive almost daily just a stone’s throw away to view the spectacle of the gorge.