Mt. Siguniang (Four Girls Mountain)
Mt. Siguniang, also called Four Girls Mountain or Four Sisters Mountain, which is located in the bordering area of Xiaojin County and Wenchuan County in Aba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan Province, about 220 km away from Chengdu. It is the highest mountain of Qionglai Mountains in Western China. And with a similar outline and surroundings, Mt. Siguniang got another title “Chinese Alps” (or “Eastward Alps”), which is preferred by a multitude of climbers.
Brief Introduction of Mt. Four Girls
With the exploring of this sacred mountain, more and more visitors are indulged in its beauty. The steep singular peaks, breathtaking natural scenery, abundant various species, perfect trekking routes... make Mt. Siguniang a holy land for climbers, a labyrinth for hikers and a fairyland for photographers.
Besides, Mt. Siguniang is like a huge natural oxygen bar and a colorful paradise of animals. The natural ecology is protected well here. There are more than 1200 kinds of plants and 31 kinds of animals living in Mt. Siguniang. If you are lucky, you will find some rare medicinal herbs like gastrodia elata (天麻), fritillaria (贝母) and cordyceps sinensis (冬虫夏草), and lively cute wild animals like pandas (熊猫), snub-nosed monkeys (金丝猴), snow leopards (雪豹), Bbearded vultures (胡兀鹫) and red deer (马鹿) , etc.
What to See
Mt. Siguniang is well-known by its four main scenic spots, i.e. four endless peaks, Shuangqiao Valley, Changping Valley and Haizi Valley.
Four Peaks
Mt. Daguniang (The Elder Girl’s Peak 大姑娘山) – Located in the southernmost of Mt. Siguniang Scenic Spot, it is 5355 meters high above the sea level. 4000 meters or below of the mountain altitude zone is high mountain meadow, and you can see shrubberies and wild flowers everywhere, and yaks and horses graze on the hillsides leisurely, you may even find a kind of wild fungus as huge as a bowl. But 4000 meters or above of the mountain altitude zone is barren and rocky, nearly on life on it. Even in summer, there is a small amount of snow on the top of the mountain, and while during the October to the April of the following year, there will be knee-deep snow.
Mt. Erguniang (The Second Girl’s Peak 二姑娘山) – Located in the south of Mt. Siguniang Scenic Spot, next to the Mt. Daguniang, it is 5454 meters high above the sea level. Every summer, the mountain is covered with green trees and grasses, and if you keep exploring the mountain, you can not only find many rare animals which live in the canyons of Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, but also amount of precious Chinese medical herbs hidden in the Tibetan region. Besides, Mt. Erguniang has a sharp and narrow peak, and it is covered with snow all the year round, which is so beautiful.
Mt. Sanguniang (The Third Girl’s Peak 三姑娘山) – Located in the middle of Mt. Siguniang Scenic Spot, it is 5664 meters high above the sea level, and about 200 kilometers away from Chengdu. The landscape here is so beautiful, the complex landforms, abundant animal and plant resources (among which the giant panda is the most famous) make it a charming place to visit. In addition, you will have a chance to experience the unique Tibetan & Qiang ethnic culture. The Mt. Sanguniang’s peak is steep and narrow as well, and covered with snow throughout the year. What is worth mentioning is that, the China Giant Panda Protection and Research Center – Wolong Nature Reservation is just seated in Mt. Sanguniang Scenic Spot.
Yaomei Peak (The Youngest Girl’s Peak 幺妹峰) - Located in the northernmost of Mt. Siguniang Scenic Spot, it is 6250 meters high above the sea level, which is the highest of the 4 peaks. Praised as the “Queen Peak of Mt. Shushan” (alongside another famous mountain called the “King of Sichuan” – the Mt. Gongga, which is 7556 meters above the sea level), Yaomei Peak is the toughest trekking peak of Mt. Siguniang.
Shuangqiao Valley (双桥沟)
Also called Double-bridge Valley, it is located in the northwest of Mt. Siguniang Scenic Spot. Shuangqiao Valley has a total length of 34.8 kilometers, covers an area of 216.6 square kilometers. Great and high mountains are on both sides. In this valley of an elevation of 400 meters, birch forest (桦木林) of low mountain area, spruces (云杉), firs (冷杉), red woods (红杉), and a large group of sea-buckthorns (沙棘), shrubs (灌木) and larches (落叶松) of high mountain area can be seen commonly.
Changping Valley (长坪沟)
Located in the northeast of Mt. Siguniang Scenic Spot, Changping Valley is 29 km in all, occupies a land of 100 sq. km., which is well-known for its beautiful natural landscape and unique-particular Gyalrong Tibetan folk customs. It is a perfect place for you to enjoy the nature and experience the colorful folk culture at the same time. There’re some characteristic spots I would like to recommend to you: Zhangmu Tebetan Village (樟木藏寨), Gelug Sect Lama Temple (格鲁派喇嘛寺), Ancient Cypress Path (古柏幽道), Dead Tree Beach (枯树滩), Pure Heart Cave (净心洞), Drum Stone (擂鼓石), Golden Rooster Ridge (金鸡岭) and so on.
Haizi Valley (海子沟)
Haizi Valley (Lake Valley) lies in the east of Mt. Siguniang Scenic Spot, and gets its name due to the large amount of lakes (The local people call the lakes there “Haizi”.). The valley is 19.2 km long and covers an area of 126.48 sq. km. It has flat terrain and native meadows. The Haizi Valley is also the birthplace of Zanla River, and the ancient fish from the quaternary are in good survival so that people can learn more about the land from these living fossils. And the main attractions of the valley include Guozhuangping (锅庄坪), Big Lake (大海子), Flower Lake (花海子), Couple Lake (夫妻海), etc.
What to Do
Trekking
A trekking trip to Mt. Siguniang is very popular among hikers from all over the world. As one of the top 10 mountaineering bases of China, Mt. Siguniang has perfect mountain landscape, and the difficulty of trekking varies from different style, which can be saying that it is a family-friendly outdoor activity.
There’re various trekking routes provided for you, such as One-day Leisure Hiking (Shuangqiao Valley, Changping Valley & Haizi Valley are all good places for one-day leisure walking, because all these valleys are one way in and the same way out.), Camping Trek from Changping to Bipeng (It takes 4-5 days.), Camping Trek to Mt. Daguniang Summit (You will need 3 days & 2 nights to do the trek.), Camping Trek to Mt. Daguniang and Mt. Erguniang Summit (You need 3 nights probably.), etc.
Or, if you want to try something exciting, then ice climbing and rock climbing are your perfect choices.
Photography
Different sceneries vary from different altitudes of the peaks, just like a pure young girl in an exquisite costume. What a splendid visual feast! With clouds and mists floating in the blue sky, eminent snow-covered peaks are partly hidden and partly visible. And the ancient forests, sapphire-like lakes, roaring waterfalls, vigorous blossoms and beautiful alpine meadows make this area a nature-photography lovers’ paradise.
Enjoy the Local Cuisine
Travel to Mt. Siguniang, you shouldn’t miss the serious of tasteful local delicacies. For example, the Tibetan Hotpot (with yak meat & wild mushrooms & other local precious materials in it 藏式火锅), Stewed Chicken with Fritillaria (贝母炖鸡), Stewed Duck with Cordyceps Sinensis (虫草炖鸭子), Preserved Ham Fried with Fungus (老腊肉炒木耳), Roast Whole Lamb (烤全羊) are worthy to try. Moreover, tasting some special snacks like Dried Yak Meat (It is crisp and palatable.干牦牛肉), Yak Butter (酥油), etc. are also good choices to know the food culture here.
Watch the Featured Local Activities
Mt. Siguniang is full of Tibetan and Qiang ethnic cultures atmosphere, so you can enjoy the rich and wonderful featured local activities in your tour here.
Chaoshanhui (朝山会) – People dress up in religious costumes and gather together to worship the goddess of mountain for a better harvest next year on lunar May 4th, and dance enjoyably and have a big feast.
Tibetan Guozhuang Dance (锅庄舞) – A kind of circle dance with Tibetan style. The dance movement can be classified into 2 categories roughly: one kind is graceful posture with slow rhythm, and the other kind is enthusiastic and passionate dancing with rapid rhythm. The movements are mostly simulating animal forms. The best time to enjoy this great performance is at night, when people dance around a bonfire merrily.
How to Get Here
External Transportation
Upon arriving at the Chengdu Shuangliu Airport (成都双流机场the nearest airport to Mt. Siguniang), you can take the airport bus to Minshan Hotel, and then switch to Bus No. 82 to Chadianzi Passenger Station (茶店子客运站), where to take a bus to Mt. Siguniang. If you don’t want to change buses, you can take a taxi from the airport to Chadianzi Passenger Station directly.
Tips:
There’s no direct shuttle bus to Mt. Siguniang in Chengdu, so you can only take a bus from Chadianzi Passenger Station and arrive at Xiaojin County firstly, and then head for Mt. Siguniang by bus.
Internal Transportation
In Shuangqiao Valley and Changping Valley, there’re sightseeing buses. In Shuangqiao Valley, you need to visit from Tourist Reception Center to the last stop Changhe Dam by sightseeing bus all the way; in Changping Valley, you can take a sightseeing bus from Tourist Reception Center to the Lama Temple (about 7 kilometers), and then choose to continue your trip on foot or riding a horse.
When to Visit
Mt. Siguniang can be visited all the year round, but the best travel time is July and August, when the scenery is the most beautiful and the climate is the most comfortable.
Opening Hours
Open all year round.
Peak Season (April to November): 07:00-17:00
Off Season (December to Next Year March): 08:00-17:00
Ticket Price
Peak Season (April to November):
Shuangqiao Valley
Entrance Fee: CNY 80 per person
Sightseeing Bus Ticket: CNY 70 per person
Changping Valley
Entrance Fee: CNY 70 per person
Sightseeing Bus Ticket: CNY 20 per person
Haizi Valley
Entrance Fee: CNY 60 per person
Off Season (December to Next Year March):
Shuangqiao Valley
Entrance Fee: CNY 50 per person
Sightseeing Bus Ticket: CNY 70 per person
Changping Valley
Entrance Fee: CNY 50 per person
Sightseeing Bus Ticket: CNY 20 per person
Haizi Valley
Entrance Fee: CNY 40 per person
Outdoor Activities Fee: CNY 150 per person (including camping & climbing, etc.)
Horse Riding Fee: CNY 320 per person
Travel Tips
1. Accommodation: Various hotels and special inns are alternative. And they are all very cozy and clean with reasonable prices and good services.
2. Clothing: There is a saying in Mt. Siguniang “Climb one mountain in a day, you will experience four season; different weather varies in each ten miles.” So you should prepare different clothes properly.
3. Different Seasons to Visit:
[Spring]
In spring, the average temperature in Mt. Siguniang may reach -10℃. Even in a sunny day, it is just -2℃. Besides, there will be a large temperature difference between day and night, so you must prepare warm clothes in advance. Furthermore, the light will be dazzling after snow, so be sure to wear sunglasses.
[Summer]
The climate is mild and small day & night temperature difference in summer. You can travel light. But, you need to pay attention to the strong sunlight in the daytime and the rain season. So I recommend you to bring wind-proof and warm clothes, water-proof shoes and an umbrella or a raincoat. And don’t forget the sun block!
[Autumn]
The weather in autumn is changeable. It is necessary to bring different thickness of clothes. And you should always be aware of the weather conditions to put on or take off clothes accordingly.
[Winter]
Winter is the harshest season in Mt. Siguniang. It is cold and dry. Although there’re many sunny days, it is not warm at all. So if you travel to Mt. Siguniang in winter, you should prepare adequate supplies to keep warm and retain moisture. Most importantly, remember to wear sun cream. And even it won’t be too snowy and windy, but you’d better not to go out too early in winter.
4. Other Top Attractions Not Very Far from Mt. Siguniang: Jiuzhaigou Valley, Leshan Giant Buddha, Daocheng Yading, etc. If you have more time, these popular scenic spots will let you experience the endless charm of Sichuan Province of China!
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