West Sichuan Loop Tour with Mt. Siguniang – Sichuan Travel Experience

The West Sichuan Loop is a tour that takes in six major sites in the Kham area of Sichuan Province of south-western China. Sichuan is a province that can boast of rich tourism resources, and which has been gaining in popularity with foreign tourists in recent years. Also known as Szechwan or Szechuan, the province is famous for its scorching, spicy cuisine and the endangered giant pandas. It is the home to a wide range of unique, natural and cultural attractions, and has become one of the most popular places in China to visit.

Sichuan is famous for the endangered giant pandas.

Chengdu is the capital of Sichuan Province, and is the fifth largest city in China. However, the city retains a very relaxed and bucolic atmosphere, in contrast to China’s smog-shrouded super-cities. With small, bustling side streets you can get a glimpse of ancient China in the old city, indulge in the legendary restaurants, or immerse yourself in the unique Sichuan culture at the Wuhou Shrine Museum and the Kuan-Zhai Alley district.

Bustling Side Streets

With a host of other attractions in the area, from the Panda Reserve to Mt. Siguniang, there is so much to do in Sichuan Province, that you will need to keep coming back time after time to explore it all.

West Sichuan Loop Tour Travel Route

Day 1: Chengdu - Hailuogou

The road from Chengdu to Hailuogou follows the Chengdu-Ya’an Highway, which connects Sichuan Province with Tibet Autonomous region, and passes through the Mt. Erlang Tunnel. The tunnel was built to reduce the number of accidents on a dangerous stretch of road due to landslides, heavy rain, and foggy weather. The road follows the Dadu River, which is part of the tributary feed for the great Yangtze River.

Hailuogou

Day 2: Hailuogou - Kangding

One of the major attractions of Moxi Town is the sunrise on Gongga Mountain, as long as the weather is clear. Mt. Gongga is the highest mountain in Sichuan Province, and stands at an elevation of 7,556 meters. Nearby lies the Hailuogou Glacier Park, the location of the most stunning glaciers in China. Yo ucan walk through the forest to the viewing platform, or take a cable car to the higher No. 4 Camp to see the stunning glaciers, ice caves, giant icefalls, and hidden ice ponds and arches.

Late in the afternoon, you will travel to Kangding, where you can relax for the evening and enjoy the hot springs.

Kangding

Day 3: Kangding-Tagong-Danba

The first visit is made early, to Anjue Monastery, to see the rare sight of their morning ceremony. You then travel out to the Tagong Grasslands to visit Tagong Monastery. This small Tibetan settlement is known for its Buddhist monasteries and scenic grasslands, with snow-capped mountains looming in the distance. En-route to Tagong, you pass through Xinduqiao, a picturesque Tibetan town that is famous for its pasture scenery, and is called the “Paradise of Photographers” for the natural light and spectacular landscapes.

The afternoon is spent in Danba, at the Yala Holy Mountain, with its year-round snow covered peaks rising high above the plains and low foothills like a jagged tooth, and Donggu Nature reserve.

Tagong

Day 4: Danba Day Tour

Danba is a small town in Sichuan that has spectacular scenery of beautiful valleys, amazing stone block towers, and pretty Jiarong Tibetan women. The ancient Danba Block towers, in the Dadu River valley at Suopu Township are watchtowers made from wood and stone. Rising to heights of up to 60 meters, these ancient monolithic towers were built to keep watch for attacks from outside, and have survived through wind and rain, earthquakes, and wars. Later in the afternoon you will travel to Rilong Town to prepare for your visit to the famous Mt. Siguniang.

Danba

Day 5: Visit Mt. Siguniang

Mt. Siguniang is also known as “Four Maidens Mountain”, and is the highest peak in the Qionglai Mountains of Western China. The mountain includes four peaks, Daguniang Feng, Erguniang Feng, Sangungiang Feng, and Yaomei Feng. Yaomei is the highest point of the peaks, and is 6,250 meters tall. Trekking or horse riding are both popular activities at the Mt. Siguniangshan Scenic Area, and is the best way to enjoy the spectacular sights on the Four Maidens.

Sunset on the Hill of Mt. Siguniang

Day 6: Rilong-Wolong-Chengdu

On the drive back to Chengdu from Rilong, you will get chance to stop and visit the famous Wolong Panda Reserve, where you can see many of China’s giant pandas. The reserve is home to around 30% of China’s giant panda population, and was the largest panda base in the world prior to the Wenchuan Earthquake in 2008, which devastated the park. The new park base opened in 2016, and has become an important center for the breeding, reproduction, wilderness training, and scientific study of the amazing giant pandas. The final leg of the trip takes you along the Min River, as you head back to Chengdu.

Rilong Town

Major attractions along the way

Mount Siguniang

Mount Siguniang is the highest peak in the Eastern Hengduan range, and is located on the border of Xiaojin County and Wenchuan County, in Ngawa Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture. The range has a similar look to that of the Swiss Alps, and is often referred to as the “Chinese Alps”.

Mount Siguniang known as the Four Maidens.

The mountain is composed of four peaks, known as the Four Maidens, that line up from north to south and are covered with ice all year round. The four peaks – Da Feng, Er feng, San Feng, and Yaomei Feng – reach a height of 6,250 meters at the highest peak, Yaomei Feng, which is also known as the “Queen of Sichuan’s peaks”.

Hailuogou

Hailuogou is a glacier national park with hanging glaciers, hundreds of ice caves, spectacular giant icefalls, and extensive deciduous alpine forests. The largest icefall is the Great Icefall, which is 1,000 meters long and 1,100 meters wide. Majority of the glaciers are located at around 2,800 meters above sea level, and the park is the core area of the Hengduan Mountain Range.

Hailuogou is a glacier national park.

The glacier park lies in the Daxue Mountain Range, also known as Minya Konka, and its highest peak, Mt. Gongga, stands 7,556 meters above sea level. One of the most photographed features of the park is the golden glow on the mountains as the sun rises and the light hits the tips of the peaks. The glacier park is often referred to as a wonderland, mainly due to the prevailing fog that is everywhere in these mountains, and clings to the slopes as the sun crests the peaks.

Tagong Grassland

Tagong, or Lhagang in Tibetan, is a small settlement in the Tagong Grasslands, known for its Tibetan Buddhist monasteries and the vast expanse of scenic grasslands. The rolling prairies go on for as far as the eye can see in all directions, with the snow-covered mountains that surround it standing tall in the far distance. A perfect place for hiking and horse riding, these grasslands have a wealth of wildlife, and many other attractions.

Tagong Grassland

From the Ani Gompa Nunnery two hours hike from Tagong village to the beautiful high-altitude lake that makes a great place to stop and relax in its tranquil surroundings. It is well worth hiring a few horses to travel the distances to these sights, and they can be arranged in the local Khampa Café. Or you could really immerse yourself in Tibetan culture with an overnight stay with a real Tibetan nomad family in a yert out on the grasslands.

Jiaju Tibetan Village in Danba

Also known as the “Tibetan Fairyland, Jiaju Tibetan Village is an excellent location for unique photographs. This ancient village is a beautiful place full of old Tibetan culture, where the people still live in the traditional ways. The village consists of around 140 Tibetan-style houses with distinctive, red, crown-shaped roofs, and white walls.

Jiaju Tibetan Village in Danba

Around the village are dozens of terraced fields where crops are grown. These ideally proportioned terraces are filled with greenery, and set against the beautiful, old houses and the pure white peaks, makes the whole picture look like something out of a fairytale.

Best Time to Do West Sichuan Tour

For many people visiting Tibet and western China, there is no best time, as every season has its own unique attractions. The West Sichuan Loop tour is no different, and can be visited at any time of the year, except for the months of February and March, when visitors to Tibet are not permitted.

Spring in the region 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 Mount Siguniang to see the early spring blooms in the valley, and get a good view of the snow-covered mountains and colorful ice walls as the spring sun hits them. 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.

The Early Spring Blooms in the Valley.

Summer is a time to visit the region for the blooming flowers and warmth of the sun. The oxygen content is also higher during summer, which is better for those who may suffer from altitude sickness, although there is still the possibility if you over-exert yourself. The Tagong Grasslands are particularly beautiful in summer, as the whole prairie is covered with a blanket of wildflowers, giving it the look of a colorful, undulating sea.

The Most Amazing Scenery of Daocheng Yading in Summer

Summer is also the rainy months, and the monsoon rains in the region can make day trips a little wet. With around 160mm of rain on average every month, you will definitely need some wet-weather gear. Temperatures in summer are warm, averaging around 12 degrees, but can drop drastically at night to almost freezing, so down jackets are a must if you are going out at night.

Autumn - The Most Beautiful Season in Jiuzhaigou

Autumn, or fall, is the most beautiful season in the area, and is the peak season for tourists. 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. The weather is mild, and the rainy season has passed, leaving clear skies and lush green valleys, full of migrating herds and wild animals. Autumn is a great time for photography, as the scenery is in constant change, and the color combinations are dramatically beautiful.

In winter, the mountains are covered in white snow.

Winter is the coldest time of year, and the mountains are covered in pristine, white snow, and sometimes even the roads get covered for a while. Lakes quickly cover with ice, and the whole landscape changes to one of a white blanket that covers the world. 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.