Yanzigou Scenic Resort – Swallow Gully in Mount Gongga

Yanzigou Scenic Resort is part of the Gongga Mountain Range in China’s Sichuan Province. As one of several scenic areas in the region, it is one of the best locations for trekking and climbing in Sichuan Province, with many of the peaks being very challenging. Full of amazing landscapes and beautiful scenery, including the wonder of the multi-colored leaves in autumn, Yanzi Valley Scenic Area is a unique part of Tibet that you can see in Sichuan.

Yanzigou Scenic Area – Swallow Gully in Mount Gongga

Where is Swallow Gully

Swallow Gully, another name for Yanzi Valley, or Yanzigou, is located in the Ganzi Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan Province. Part of the eastern slope of the sacred Mount Gongga, or Minya Konka, the valley itself is around 40km long, and rises from around 1,800 meters to the main sightseeing stage for the peak of Minya Konka, at around 4,000 meters. Known now as the Yanzigou Scenic Area, this beautiful part of the Minya Konka area is now listed as a Phase I tourism project that has been developed as an “international Leisure and tourism Resort” by the Sichuan Gongga Tianyu Development Co. Ltd.

Yanzigou Scenic Area has many unique landscapes.

The natural beauty of the valley is impressive, and is a great location for mountain climbing enthusiasts. For those who are planning to climb Minya Konka, it makes a good training ground, as it has similar challenges to that of the sacred mountain. Yanzigou is not a big tourist spot, and is mostly unspoilt and virgin in its landscapes. This means that it is a natural ecological tourist center, with many unique landscapes and sceneries. Scary cliffs, steep mountains, and strange-shaped rocks make the valley a spectacular place to visit.

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Highlights of Yanzigou Scenic Area

Red Rock

The red rocks in Yanzigou Scenic Area are unique only to a very few places in the world. These lichen-coated rocks cover the entire valley floor, along the course of the river, and from a distance it looks like the river is flowing with blood. The red lichen that sticks to the rocks is something of a mystery still, and the color changes with the seasons, from bright red to a deep, rusty brown. One strange fact about the rocks here is that, if you take the rock out of the valley and away from the water, it turns brown, and the lichen dies. No one knows why, but to remain red, the stones must remain inside the valley, under the uniquely peculiar ecological conditions that created them.

Red Rock - Unique Only to a Very Few Places in the World

Glacier

The area around Mount Gongga is one that full of glaciers, some of them over ten thousand years old. The hundreds of glaciers cover an area of around three hundred square kilometers, and the longest reaches 14.7 kilometers long, with a face area of around 16 square meters. Many of these glaciers are at a relatively low altitude, and there are even areas where icy glaciers co-exist with steaming hot springs. With the beautiful ice falls that are also spread across the area, a result of the cracking of ice blocks from the face of the glaciers, there is no better place in the world to see this picture of wonderful, natural beauty.

Glacier - Picture of Wonderful and Natural Beauty

Peak of Mount Gongga

Standing 7,556 meters above sea level, Mount Gongga is the highest peak in Sichuan, and can be seen from Yanzi valley easily on a clear day. Even with light clouds, the snow-capped peak can be seen poking above the wispy clouds, and it makes for a beautiful photograph. Also known as Minya Konka in Tibetan, the mountain is considered to be sacred, and is a popular place for Tibetan Buddhist pilgrims. Located on the eastern edge of the Tibetan Plateau, the mountain has been nicknamed “King of the Mountains in Sichuan Province”.

Mount Gongga - The Highest Peak in Sichuan

Sea of Azalea Flowers in Spring

Spring in the area is the best time to view the amazing sight of the azalea blossoms. Throughout the area, the azalea flourishes, growing wild and covering the ground with a sea of azalea flowers. The spring blooms are one of the most beautiful sights to photograph, with the stunning flowers coloring the landscape in a variety of pink shades, dotted with the rarer white blossoms.

Sea of Azalea Flowers in Spring

Colorful Red Leaves in Autumn

Across the region, you can see the change of the seasons, from Summer to Autumn, as the leaves on the hundreds of varieties of deciduous trees changing color. These ancient, primeval forests produce a multi-colored carpet of leaves on the forest floors, as they first turn yellow, then gold, and finally amber and various shades of brown, before falling to the ground to cover the area with a deep carpet of rustic color. From October through November, this is the perfect time to photograph this spectacular fall, and see the valleys and mountainsides change from lush green to a plethora of reds, golds, yellows, and browns.

Colorful Red Leaves in Autumn

Recommended Things to Do in Yanzigou Scenic Area

Casual Hiking

Yanzigou is one of the bigger valleys in the area around Minya Konka, and is a national park full of icy glaciers, snow-capped mountains, red rock slides, and primeval forests. At around 40 kilometers long, it has some stunning hiking trails that allow you to explore the varied landscapes and climates that extend through the valley.

Casual Hiking

Before venturing into the valley, you need to make sure you have all the essential items you need, especially food as there are no restaurants or food houses in the valley. A guide is highly recommended, but not essential, and horses are available to hire to make your trekking easier.

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Mountain Climbing

There are more than a dozen mountains in the Gonggan Massif that are over 6,000 meters, including the mighty Mount Gongga itself. The most popular of the many peaks are Mount Jiazi, Mount Edgar, Mount Leddomain, Mount Doddmain, and Mount Grosvenor. The Haizihan in Yanzigou Valley is one of the base camps for Mount Gongga climbing. You can see the peak of Mount Gongga from Haizihan, and along the way to climbing up to the platform, you can enjoy the peculiar alpine rhododendron forest, the meadow formed by millions years, the glaciers and the beautiful lakes.

Mountain Climbing

Stay One Night in the Bubble Hotel

One of the most interesting points of Yanzigou is the Swallow’s Gully bubble hotel. Designed by a French architect, these bubble tents are a unique way to spend the night. Coated with a UV-resistant layer to prevent sunburn, and regulated for temperature, a stay in these bubble rooms is ideal for stargazing, or for a warm, romantic break. Each bubble is independent, giving residents an isolated, beautiful view of the valley, the forests, and the night sky.

Best Time to Visit Yanzigou Scenic Area

Weather in Spring

Spring in Yanzigou Valley runs from March to May, and the average temperature is around 7 degrees centigrade. With low average rainfall, spring is the perfect time to tour the area around Minya Konka to see the early spring blooms in the valley, especially the sea of azalea flowers, and get a good view of the snow-covered mountains. The air can be fairly dry, and there is a good chance of clear skies with few clouds. Sunscreen and sunhats are a good idea, although down jackets and thermal clothing are a necessity as it can still get quite cold.

Spring - The Perfect Time to Tour the Area Around Minya Konka

Weather in Summer

From June to August are the summer months, and the valley is rich with lush vegetation, although the monsoon rains can be a nuisance. Rock slides and mud slides can happen, but they are not common. For many who want a nice summer break, Yanzigou Scenic Area is a beautiful summer resort, with plenty to see and do. The relative warmth of the summer sun can be a nice change from the colder spring and autumn seasons, and the lush vegetation, green forests, and wispy clouds across the peaks of the mountains make for some spectacular scenery.

Summer - Enjoy the Spectacular Scenery

Weather in Autumn

Autumn, or fall, is the most beautiful season in the area, and is the best season to visit. The hills and valleys of the whole region are covered in golden yellows, sunburnt oranges and deep reds, as the leaves of the forest trees change color ready to fall. Trekking through the valley in fall, which includes September, October, and November, you will get a visual feast with the colorful vegetation, and it is a great time for those perfect, autumn photos. For the reddest colors of the leaves, the best time is from mid-October, and once they fall, the ground is like a colorful carpet along the hiking trails.

Autumn - The Most Beautiful Season in Yanzigou Scenic Area

Weather in Winter

Winter is the coldest time of year, and the one where a lot of fun can be had. Mountains are covered in pristine, white snow, and sometimes even the roads in the area get covered for a while. Temperatures are around -2oC during the day, and can drop dramatically at night to under minus ten. Visitors in the winter need to pack thick down jackets, warm pants, strong, sturdy boots, and plenty of thermals. Sunscreen is essential, as the sun can still be strong, and sunglasses are needed to prevent snow-blindness.

Winter - A Lot of Fun Can Be Had in Yanzigou Scenic Area

How to Get there

From Chengdu by Flight

One of the easiest ways to get to the valley is by flight from Chengdu to Kangding. Flights run every day, and the trip takes around an hour. Prices range from 700 CNY to over 1000 CNY, depending on the availability.

From Kangding you can take a bus from Kangding that will take you to Moxi Town, and you can rest there before entering the valley. There are no buses into the valley, so you need to walk or hire a horse in Moxi town before you leave.

From Chengdu by Car

Traveling from Chengdu by car is convenient and cheaper. The best route is to travel along the Chengping Highway, through Pengzhou, to the Hailuogou Scenic Area.