A popular stop on the backpacker circuit thanks to its proximity to the natural splendor of Jiuzhaigou, Songpan is a relaxed little town of ornate gates and bridges that serves as a gateway to the heavily Tibetan regions of Northern Sichuan.
The focal activity here is horse-trekking. Popular trips include three to four day treks around Ice Mountain, two or three day rides through the Muni Valley with its lakes and waterfalls, or longer treks of up to ten days out to scenic Huanglong National Park. Considering the abundance of both territory and guides to choose from, check with other travelers locally before making any decisions if you can; there have been a number of complaints about the quality of treks and behavior of guides/managers in the past.
Within Songpan proper activities include checking out the Tibetan wares and souvenirs for sale along Shunjiang Road, checking out views of the city from Guanyin Ge (Guanyin Pavilion) and admiring the city's impressive North Gate —impressive not for only its size, but also for having survived six earthquakes, Japanese bombs and a fraught history as the final line of defense for the fortified city when it was known as Songzhou.
Sichuan guide | Songpan Guide | Songpan Attractions | Songpan Activities
Sichuan On the Blog
History
The characters above Songpan's North Gate mean "Songzhou," the name given to the city by Ming Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang (1368-98), back when it was an important trade hub at the juncture of Sichuan, Gansu and Qinghai provinces. The city's imposing 10 meter high walls kept theives and brigands out, while keeping merchants and all their goods safely inside.
China's Republican Period (1912-1949) would see Songpan's strategic value greatly enhanced by the discovery of the Zhangla goldmine. Locals love to tell the story of how the Kuomintang, while fleeing the advancing Communists, overloaded a plane with gold and crashed into a nearby mountain, a tale of lost booty still inspiring treasure hunting expeditions to this day.
During the Second Sino-Japanese War, a Japanese bombing run intending to knock out production at the mine and thereby weaken China's economy went awry, the planes dropping their payloads on the unfortunate citizens of Songpan itself, 20 kilometers from the mine.
Nowadays, Songpan owes much of its development to surging tourism, providing local Hui, Qiang, Tibetan and Han Chinese with economic opportunities that were few and far between just a decade ago.
Climate
Situated at an elevation of 2,800 meters, travelers planning on visiting or coming through should be mindful of the possibility of altitude sickness if ascension occurs too rapidly. Altitude also means increased exposure to UV rays, so pack sunscreen. Some horse treks take you to altitudes of over 4,000 meters.
The region is humid and can get uncomfortably sticky during summer days, though nights cool enough to warrant layers, long sleeves and sweaters. Winters see snowfall and plummeting temperatures. Winter clothing, including mittens and hats, is an absolute must. The best time to visit is April through late October.
When considering budget options in Songpan, keep in mind that few of the establishments have heating, so if it is a little chilly outside, you may want to inquire into the possibility of extra blankets.
If the ability to jump out of bed and into a bus is a priority for you, the Jiaotong Bingguang, attached to the bus station, has single rooms (no bathroom) for RMB 25.
The Good Luck Guesthouse is also near the bus station. Dorm rooms range from RMB 12 to 20. Beware of the home made baijiu (rice wine, 40-60% alcohol content) you may be offered here, it's way too strong.
The Ice Mountain Hostel's friendly staff can supply you with electric blankets and clean rooms for RMB 20-30 a bed. It's just to the left of Emma's Kitchen, if you can't find it just ask Emma herself.
For additional luxuries, you might want to consider one of the hotels just north of the train station. The Sun River International Hotel on Shunjiang Bei Lu (North Shunjiang Road) is another option, relatively clean, but not really worth the RMB 280-plus rate they'll charge you. Still, if you don't want to share a bathroom and want a heated room you'll at least want to check it out.
Songpan's Hui, Tibetan, and Qiang influences yield a surprising variety of foods for a town this size. You'll be in heaven if you like bread, between the Hui pancakes and nan, Tibetan flatbreads and the assorted loaves available, you could be on a bread-tasting tour of the city for a good couple of days.
A stroll down Songpan's main street, Shunjiang Lu (there are north, middle and south sections, the middle is the best), offers a wealth of Tibetan, Hui, and Chinese restaurants to choose from. The Hui are well known for their pulled-noodle dishes, you can try these at Lanzhou Lamian on the north end of Shunjiang Lu.
Songpan's most famous restaurant, if it can be called that, is certainly Emma's Kitchen. Emma's extremely friendly and helpful and cooks up some pretty mean Western fare (including pizza). You'll also find her restaurant at the north end of Shunjiang Lu.
Air
You can fly in to within a half-hour cab ride of Songpan (RMB 70 day, RMB 90 night). The Jiuhuang Airport is a small airport between Songpan and Jiuzhaigou with frequent flights arriving from Chengdu (approx RMB 980, 45 minutes).
Bus
Buses run to Chengdu three times daily. Buses leave early in the morning (6:00, 6:30 and 7:00am) and take 11-12 hours. You can also catch buses to Jiuzhaigou (2.5 hours) and Huanglong National Park (1.5 hours), as well as north to Zoige (6 hours) where you can change buses and go on to Langmusi on the border of Gansu province.
Bus schedules change so be sure to check ahead. The bus station can be found at the north end of town.
With the rise of tourism has come a proliferation of little shops selling locally made crafts including colorful textiles, silver jewelry, Tibetan hats and fake antiques, especially on Songpan's main strip. Don't forget to bargain a little!
For the best price on silver goods head to the south end of Shunjiang Lu to the silver smiths. Prices there tend to be much lower than in the shops. If you're lucky, you might see them working on new pieces.
You should be aware that many of the furs on sale here belong to endangered animals or come from otherwise illegal sources. It's a market partially responsible for a wave of extinctions that have hit Asia as development and incomes have increased.
Travelers with a conscience will want to avoid contributing to this ecological catastrophe. Do not purchase furs or other animal products of questionable origin.
Apart from seasonal Hui, Tibetan and Chinese festivals and holidays, there isn't much to speak of in Songpan proper. However, if you've come across something worth writing about, do let your fellow travelers know by writing a post in the Chinatravel.net forum or by clicking "Add a Review" on the Songpan destination page.