China Travel

The Lhagang Grassland (Tagong Caoyuan) area is located just over 100km (60 mi) from Kangding and will probably take the best part of a morning to get the by bus.  During the wetter months, July to September, grasses are lush and green and create a striking contrast with the purplish-gray thunder clouds overhead and snow-capped mountains in the distance. Optimal visiting time is the wet season, grasses tend to become brown and somewhat less attractive during winter. more »

The Erdao Hot Springs (Erdao Qiao Wenquan) are situated about 5km (3 mi) from downtown Kangding. The grounds are quite expansive and encompass many different bathing areas—a great place to soak away the aches and pains of a day's hiking or horse trekking.   Baths vary in temperature, from 38°C, 40°C, 42°C, up to 50°C (100 ~ 122°F) and if that's still not hot enough, there's also a sauna. more »

Despite what you see in the news, China isn't all ultra-modern architecture, crazy foods, tall buildings, mega-projects, temples, museums, world-record breaking shopping malls and the Great Wall. The world's oldest civiliazation also plays host to some of the world's youngest tourist destinations, and the virtually unknown Hailuogou National Glacier Forest Park is exactly that. Hailuogou's unusually low-lying, 16,000,000 year old glaciers crown a landscape that is as endowed with beauty as it is touristic riches. You'll find some of the country's most renowned hot springs here in the form of the Conch Gully Hot Spring, a nice place to soak up therapeutic microelements while catching snowflakes on your tongue. You'll definitely want to hike trails through the Gully's beautiful forests which reach all the way to the east slope of Gongga Shan (Mt. Gonggar). They reputed to be on... more »

Mogetso Lake (Mugecuo Hu) is an alpine lake and the feature attraction of the Mogetso Scenic Area which covers a land area of 500 km². The lake has crystal clear waters colored a striking shade of pale blue which have earned it the nickname "Little Jiuzhaigou".   Mogetso Lake and surrounding attractions are situated at 3700 meters (12139 ft.) above sea, so while the crystalline waters may seem inviting, the urge to take a dip will probably be quelled by the chilly alpine weather. But, the scenic area does have a number of hot springs.   A trip to Mogetso Scenic Area is not recommended in winter, frozen roads make transportation hazardous. more »

Located on the county borders of Shimian, Luding, Jiulong and Kangding, Gongga Shan (Mt. Gongga) is the highest peak in Sichuan province standing an imposing 7,556 meters above sea level. It also the 15th highest mountain in the world and earning it the title of "Mountain King" in Sichuan Province.   In Tibetan, Gongga means snow white, a fitting title as this mountain is covered with snow all the year round. There are more than 50 other snow-capped mountains surrounding Gongga Shan. They form a magnificent snowy mountain range.   Gongga Shan is an ambitious goal for climbers from all over the world. The mountain has not been summited since 1957, when the Chinese National Climbing Team made the hike to the top. They reported facing difficulties akin to those one might encounter when climbing Everest. more »

Paoma Shan (Mt. Paoma) is located to the south of Kangding city. This particular mountain is well known throughout China due to a mention in a famous folk tune about Sichuan province.   In Tibetan, the mountain is called Lamuze, meaning Fairy Mountain. Tibetans regard it as one of their holy mountains. Every year the locals will hold a great ceremony involving horse racing to commemorate the birthday of Sakyamuni, supreme Buddha (the founder of Buddhism), on the eighth day of the forth lunar month according to Chinese lunar calendar.   It might take a couple of hours to summit the mountain, but those not keen on hiking can take the ropeway which takes about 15 minutes each way. The peak of the mountain offers a fantastic view of the whole of Kangding city. more »

This particular lamasery is Kangding's largest and most famous. It is home to 80 practicing lamas-Tibetan teachers of Dharma. The lamasery belongs to the Gelug sect (sometimes refered to as the Yellow Hat sect).   Construction on the lamasery originally began the the 11th century AD, it was later destroyed by fires and rebuilt. The oldest parts still remaining today date back to the 16th century.   Nanwu Lamasery (Nanwu Si) is located about 2.5km (1.5 mi) south of the downtown area. Although technically a temple in China, it is very different in style and construction from other temples throughout mainland China.     more »

Anjue Lamasery (Anjue Si), as with other local Nanwu Lamasery, belongs to the Gelug sect (Yellow Hat sect) of Buddhism. This lamasery features several peaceful courtyards populated by monks quitely going about their business. The monks are very tolerant of inquisitive tourists and, while they may not engage you in conversation, are pleasant and happy to help (provided a common language can be found). Anjue Lamasery was built in 1654. more »