Summary:

● Eight days of actual travel record

● Sharing real scenes you see along the way

● Practical tips for self-driving on plateau

Text:

Have you ever heard of a saying? The most beautiful Sichuan is western Sichuan, and the most beautiful western Sichuan is Ganzi. If you don't go to Xizang, go here.

Hailuogou, Siguniang Mountain, Danba Ancient Block Group, Kangding Ancient City, Daocheng Yading, Seda Buddhist Academy and other places in Ganzi Prefecture in western Sichuan have original ecological environments, ancient houses with preserved original appearance, original ancient customs, and the worship of Tibetan Buddhism is increasingly attracting people's attention and making people forget to leave.

In the early autumn season, I finally waited for the opportunity to travel on a road to western Sichuan with my friends. Before, I had long considered visiting western Sichuan: first, time. Subject to the leave limit, it cannot exceed 9 days; second, you must drive yourself. Not only is most of western Sichuan a plateau and mountainous area with little public transportation, self-driving saves time, but also because self-driving is flexible and convenient, allowing you to see more and better beautiful scenery; third, since you are in Chengdu, you must also bring the surrounding attractions. In general, you can enjoy the most beautiful and well-known attractions in Sichuan in the shortest possible time.

The self-driving tour route for the Western Sichuan Small Ring Road is: Chengdu-Leshan-Emei Mountain-Luding-Hailuogou-Kangding-Danba-Siguniang Mountain-Dujiangyan-Chengdu. Here is our eight-day itinerary (the attached photos are all taken on mobile phones during the itinerary):

After leaving work late the day before, I flew to Chengdu on a late flight (take one less day off, and the ticket is cheaper).

D1。Chengdu-Leshan-Emei Mountain

Sleep until you wake up naturally in the morning. Take the high-speed train at 9:06 and arrive at Leshan Station before 10 o'clock. Because it is not a rest day, there are not many tourists on the amusement mountain. After worshiping the Buddha, I took a taxi to Mount Emei in the afternoon. Although it takes as fast as 15 minutes to get to Emeishan Station by high-speed train from Leshan, there are not many flights and you have to go back and forth to the station. Time is also money! After visiting Baoguo Temple, stay at the Shanxia Hotel.

D2。Emeishan

It takes nearly 2 hours to drive up the mountain to Leidongping by taking the scenic area bus. If you go up to Jinding, you will have to walk or take a cableway (now private cars can no longer drive up the mountain by themselves and can only park outside the gate of the scenic area). After lunch, I took a bus to visit Wannian Temple and stayed at Qingyingge B & B in the mountains.

If you are in a hurry, you can stay at the foot of the mountain on the day you are in a hurry, but it is worth staying on the mountain for one night. Now the basic sanitary conditions of B & Bs on the mountain are guaranteed. The dingling water, fresh air, early morning mist, and sumptuous farm dinners on the mountain are all unseen at the foot of the mountain.

Mount Emei Wannian Temple Brick Hall without Beam

D3。Emei Mountain-Luding Bridge-Hailuogou

Get up early and finish eating the noodles from the B & B, and take the scenic area bus down the mountain. Considering that it takes a long time to pick up a car and leave the city in Chengdu and pay an extra two days for the car rental fee, we parked the car rental and pick up in Mount Emei. I made an appointment with the car rental company to deliver the car to the foot of the mountain at 10 o'clock, but Yixiantian and Hong Chunping near Qingyin Pavilion had no time to go. At the end of July, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism issued a notice criticizing six 5A-level scenic spots, including Mount Emei. This time, I saw that the management of the entire scenic spot is still good. All goods are priced at a uniform price, there is no forced purchase or sale, tour bus drivers work well, and the hygiene of the scenic spot is also quite good. However, the fees in this Buddhist holy place are not Buddhist. The cost of one person's ticket, scenic area transportation and cableway per visit exceeds 450 yuan!

Get the car down the mountain and start a self-driving tour. The first destination is Luding County. When visiting Luding County, you must visit Luding Bridge. It is both a historic site and a red attraction. Then drove straight to Hailuogou.

Luding County-The Gate to Tibetan Areas

D4。Hailuogou-Kangding

It feels that Luding is the only way to truly enter the western Sichuan region when you reach Hailuogou. Last night, we stayed at a B & B near Hailuogou Camp No. 1. It was very quiet because we were the only ones in the whole building and no other tourists. In the morning, the boss had helped us buy tickets for the scenic spot and bus tickets, and drove us to Camp No. 1, where we could take the scenic spot bus to Ganheba Cableway Station. From here on, our luck comes. The rare Gongga Snow Mountain unveils its mysterious veil and reveals its true appearance. Blue skies, white clouds, snowy mountains, and glaciers make people invisible. Because there are few people, you can slowly choose the scenery on the observation deck.

Half a day is actually enough to tour Hailuogou. The key is that God needs help and there are not many people.

Hailuogou Glacier and Gongga Snow Mountain

Moxi Ancient Town under Hailuogou is worth a visit and must not miss it. Antique buildings are lined on both sides of the ancient stone road, and the Catholic Church was built by the French in 1918 (more than 100 years old!) It stands out among the surrounding ancient buildings. It was introduced that the Red Army passed through here during the Long March in 1935, and Mao Zedong held the famous Moxi Conference here. Only then did the Red Army seize the Luding Bridge have a history.

Moxi Ancient Town

Catholic Church

There are many restaurants in the town. When the owner, who was "waiting", saw that some customers were finally coming, he hurriedly greeted them. The food was served quickly and we liked the taste frequently. I bought Liu Ji highland barley cakes in the town. They are soft, delicious and storage-resistant. They cost 15 yuan each. Unfortunately, it was off-season, and at noon we could only see a few of us wandering on a street in Nuoda, the ancient town. After lunch, we set off for Kangding. We took Yumo Road, which passed through Yanzigou, Hongshi Park, and Yajiageng to Kangding. This road was newly built and had a smooth pavement. There were many scenic spots along the way, but it was at a high altitude. We had to cross a mountain pass of 3948 meters. It is a winding mountain road. The road is full of fog, and the lowest visibility is only a few meters. It is difficult to see the attractions you want to see.

Tibetans drive yaks away on Yumo Road

Yajiageng overlooks Hongshi Park

Visiting the ancient city of Kangding at night, the rushing Zhuduo River passes through the city with a huge roar, making people feel that it is different from other cities. The happy people in the square danced national dances to the music, which seemed to remind people. This is the hometown of love songs. Behind the traffic and happy songs and dances are the dark shadows of high mountains standing in the night sky, which look full of mystery and awe.

D5。Kangding-Danba

Via Wasigou and take S211 Provincial Highway to Danba County. Recently, this road has been repaired and restricted. We were lucky and had little delay. We passed through a series of tunnel groups along the Dadu River and arrived at the ancient blockhouses of Suopo Zangzhai in Danba County in three and a half hours. The ancient blockhouse of Suopo originated in the Tang Dynasty and was the latest in the Qing Dynasty. It has not been included in the management and opened to the public now. There are no tickets or parking lots. They are all original ecology. We drove directly into Suopo Township. The watchtower is privately owned by our ancestors. If you want to have close contact, you can ask the owner of the watchtower to open the door and visit it. The owner also serves as a tour guide to explain it. The introduction is detailed and thoughtful, and the charge is 20 yuan/person. It is worth it.

Suopo ancient watchou

Looking up in the ancient watchtower

Tibetan murals more than 600 years ago in ancient blockhouses and houses

Danba's Jiaju Tibetan Village is also famous. Tibetan-style buildings are scattered on the hillside with a relative height difference of nearly a thousand meters. They have been selected as the top of the six most beautiful rural towns in China by National Geographic of China. We want to have a deeper experience. We don't stay in the county town at night, but stay in a B & B run by Tibetans on the mountain. Although the B & B is a bit crude, it has basic conditions. Each room at 200 yuan also includes dinner and breakfast the next day. For dinner, bacon and green pepper, mixed cucumber, bacon sausage, steamed eggplant and rice; for breakfast, kimchi, fried peanuts, boiled eggs and porridge steamed buns, it is completely Sichuan-style. The vegetables in the field in front of the door, sweet corn and our own bacon are the ingredients. Get up early in the morning and stand in the small courtyard of the Tibetan family. Opposite it is the high mountain filled with fairy fog. The deep valley below is the rushing Dajinchuan River. Everything you can see is the scenery. Driving the car from a steep slope path to the B & B yard is a test of driving skills.

Jiajuzangzhai

Tibetan B & B

D6。Danba-Siguniang Mountain

I bid farewell to the Tibetan masters in the morning, and today's destination is Siguniang Mountain. After passing Danba County and taking China Panda Avenue (the name is so resounding, it is National Highway G350). Along the way, Xiaojin County produces apples with blue peel, small in size, good taste, sweet and sour, only 2 yuan per catty. We stopped and bought a big bag. Three hours later, we arrived at Rilong Town, which is now called Siguniangshan Town. Siguniang Mountain has become a tourist hotspot in recent years. Unexpectedly, when we arrived, there were hardly any tourists in the town, and we were the only ones staying in the hotel. The off-season and road construction have blocked passenger flow. Merchants complain that they can't do business this year.

Panda Avenue

We went to Shuangqiaogou in the afternoon. We were the only ones on the bus in the scenic area. Walking in the beautiful scenery where there was almost no one, it seemed to have entered a legendary fairyland. The seemingly unattended yaks under the blue sky and white clouds are leisurely eating tender grass, or lying comfortably on the grass, licking their noses with their long tongues, looking at us lazily, with the clear river formed by melting snow water flowing next to them. This is the happiest cow in the world.

In the evening, I tried the local Matsutake Stewed Chicken for 260 yuan, but the taste seemed to be nothing more than that.

Tourists are hard to see in Siguniangshan Town

Shuangqiaogou yaks are so happy

D7。Changpinggou-Dujiangyan City

Get up early and go to Changping Gully. The average altitude of Changping Gully is 3500 meters. The test is your strength. The tour bus will only take you to the Lama Temple at the mouth of the ditch, and you will be on your own. We entered the ditch at 9 o'clock, walked until the end of the plank road, got off the dry sea, and then returned. The footsteps back were a little heavy, but don't expect help, because there are few tourists, and the horses for tourists to ride have long been on the way home. We cheer ourselves up and sing along the way, as if we have entered a land where no one is.

Quiet Changping Gully

It's about walking from this Lama Temple

Quiet Changping Gully

At the end of Changpinggou plank road

At 4 p.m., we finally walked out of the ditch. Upon inquiry, the road to Chengdu was cleared that day, so he promptly carried forward the spirit of continuing the revolution and immediately rushed out of the mountain to Dujiangyan.

The road to Dujiangyan is challenging. Because the Balang Mountain Tunnel is closed for maintenance, we have to climb the mountain, cross the Balang Mountain Pass at an altitude of 4523 meters, and travel at night in the dark. Maybe it's due to the high altitude. Just like the Fanyajiageng Pass a few days ago, the top of the mountain was filled with fog, and we walked through the clouds and mist. Then, passing through the towns of Wolong, Gengda and Yingxiu surrounded by mountains, they passed through the sections hit by mountain torrents and mudslides in August this year, and saw houses destroyed by mudslides still standing on the roadside. It was dark and rainy, and warning signs saying "Falling rocks, pay attention to safety" kept flashing across the roadside. The tall peaks standing on both sides of the night seemed to be pressed down at any time. We dared not stop and rushed past and headed straight for Dujiangyan City.

Crossing the Balang Mountains

Balang Mountain Pass at an altitude of 4523 meters

D8。Dujiangyan City-Chengdu City

The original plan was to visit Dujiangyan in the morning and Chengdu in the afternoon. Unexpectedly, it was raining heavily in the early morning and it was difficult to get out. I had no choice but to give up the originally planned tour of Dujiangyan and return to Chengdu in advance, leaving the extra time for Chengdu snacks and Chunxi Road Pedestrian Street. Looking at the endless stream of traffic and the bustling crowd, we felt as if we had returned from a paradise outside the world.

At noon, I checked the Internet and decided to go to a popular restaurant to taste Internet celebrity cuisine. The appearance of the restaurant is not conspicuous. Despite the rain, the street in front of it is still full of diners waiting for dinner. The dishes ordered are all authentic Chengdu flavors. One of them is called "Intangible Cultural Heritage White Pork". The slices of meat as thin as cicada wings are hung on a wooden shelf like cloth and eaten with cucumber slices mixed with dipping ingredients. The fat meat looks scary, but it is not tired of eating.

This dish is called "intangible cultural heritage white meat"

Return the car on time in the afternoon, and the eight-day trip came to a successful conclusion.

Due to careful planning in advance and good luck, I visited most of the well-known attractions around western Sichuan and Chengdu in a short period of time, which was very efficient. Especially during the off-season, you enjoy similar "VIP" treatment. The only thing I am impressed is that due to time constraints, Daocheng Yading and Seda Buddhist College were not included in the itinerary. In addition, Dujiangyan was abandoned due to heavy rain, which is also a great pity.

Looking back on this self-driving in western Sichuan, its pure natural beauty is unmatched in other places. As transportation and economic conditions improve, more and more people will set foot on this magical land. Therefore, those who want to play and those who want to play well must be early!

Finally, let me talk about my personal experience in preparing for a self-driving tour on the plateau:

1. Assess the body

Plateau reaction will gradually occur above 3000 meters. Generally speaking, there is no major problem for people to move below 4000 meters or stay below 4500 meters for a short time. Slight head swelling on the first and second days is a normal altitude reaction, and it will get better in two days. However, self-driving travel requires not only sightseeing but also driving. It requires both physical strength and energy. People with high sensitivity must evaluate their adaptability.

2. Select a good vehicle

The roads in major scenic spots in western Sichuan have been transformed into paved roads, and normal driving is no problem, so some people say that as long as they have wheels, they can go to the plateau. However, that refers to the general situation. The climate on the plateau changes rapidly. If you encounter freezing rain, snow, dark ice on the road, sharp corners, or steep slopes, it is obvious that a car with abundant power is safer. Try to choose a four-wheel drive if conditions permit. Maybe you won't need it, but it can help a lot if you need it, and even save your life in an emergency.

3. Study road conditions

There are many beautiful scenery in western Sichuan, but the road conditions are changeable. Some are prone to landslides in the rainy season and are building roads half the time. Some are building tunnels. Some are building power stations. Traffic restrictions or even interruptions are often encountered. Although some road sections are not many kilometers long, the altitude difference is large, and they have to cross high mountain passes with an altitude of several kilometers in the middle, which is greatly affected by the weather. Therefore, you cannot rely entirely on map navigation. Navigation is always slow. You must always keep abreast of the situation and do your homework. Otherwise, the original plan could easily fall through.

4. Choose a good day

Choose a time period where most people will not go. Avoid holidays and summer vacations and try to travel on non-public holidays. In that way, maybe the scenic spot tour bus will wait for you on the roadside, you can have a cableway car for two people, you can take photos as you want without anyone blocking it, and you can finish the scenic spot that others can queue up for a day to finish.

5. Bring ready supplies

Including mineral water, food, warm clothing, and filling up oil in time. The driving environment on plateau is complex, which is necessary to prevent getting trapped. Be prepared and not be afraid of trouble.

With the above preparations, you can enjoy the beautiful scenery of western Sichuan, and you will definitely have a worthwhile trip.

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