Located in the northern part of Sichuan, Songpan is a small minority town and a stopover place to/from Huanglong, Jiuzhaigou or Zoige. but worth exploring. With the ethnic minorities people of Hui, Tibetan and Qiang inhabiting there, Songpan itself is so very lively. The style and atmosphere senses quite special there. Apart from the scenic attraction of Huanglong which is located in the county, Songpan with its strategic location also acts as the gateway to Jiuzhaigou Valley at the north. Songpan is a worldwide-known place to do horse treking.
Ancient city of Songpan was built during Tang Dynasty and it was later rebuilt during Ming Dynasty. Songpan was an important military post. It was also an important economic and trading center for horse and tea exchange between Sichuan, Gansu, Qinghai and Tibet. In 1935, led by Mao Zedong and Zhou Enlai, the retreating Chinese Communist Army marched through the plateau of Songpan to advance to the north western province.
While Songpan can be a charming city in its own right, the countryside surrounding the city offers a variety of tourist attractions. The hills surrounding the city are visual delights of Tibetan cattle herders leading their livestock over rolling grasses, endless valleys, and generally beautiful landscape. All of this can be seen through affordable horseback riding outlets on the outskirts of the city.
Panda-tour,net notebook:
Best time to visit:
Apr.-Oct. While Jun -Aug. is the perfect time to visit its neighboring Zoige Grant Grassland
2 - 4 days,depends where you want the horse trek to.
Getting there & away
From Chengdu: take the bus from Chadianzai Bus Station. The travelling hours depends on the road condition, which is not good because of the "5.12" Sichuan Earthquake.
From Jiuzhaigou: take Jiuzhaigou-Chengdu bus at 7:30am in Jiutong Bus Station (Y27 / 3hrs) and get off at Songpan.
For moving on, comfortable touristy buses are available from Songpan to other destinations. Departure between 6:00~8:00am to Chengdu (Y75 / 8hrs) , Jiuzhaigou(Y30~40 / 3hrs) , Zoige(Y78 / 7hrs) , Hongyuan (5hrs), Maerkang(Y81 / 9hrs).
2 days trek to Kuangquanshui
Day1: Ride to Jadeite Spring (KuangQuanShui) (4-5 hours). On the way you will pass Muni Town, Sanlian Town and Mallard Lake. Your guide will prepare lunch, and in the afternoon you can go to see the spring. Camping
Day2: return (along the same route) to Songpan.
2 day trek to Erdaohai
Day1: After breakfast, ride for 4-5hours to ErDaoHai Lake (36 km from Songpan town). The region is famous for having many lakes; you will see Toudao Lake, Swan Lake and Feicui Lake, and many others. Camping
Day2: After breakfast, you will return (along the same route) to Songpan.
3 day trek to Munigou vally
Day1: ride for 4-5hours to ErDaoHai Lake (36 km from Songpan town). The region is famous for having many lakes; you will see Toudao Lake, Swan Lake and Feicui Lake, and many others. The guide will choose good places to break for lunch and dinner. Camping near ErDaoHai Lake.
Day2: After breakfast, leave ErDaoHai Lake and head for Jadeite Spring (KuangQuanShui). On the way you will pass Rensen (Ginseng) Lake, Flower Lake, Stone Forests, Moon Lake and many other scenic spots. The guide will choose suitable places to break for lunch and dinner. Camping near Jadeite Spring.
Day3: Return to Songpan after breakfast. En route you will see Mallard Lake and pass through SanLian and MuNi towns.
4 day trek to the foot of Ice Mountain.
Day1: After breakfast, ride for around 3-4 hours to a place named SanJianKou. On the way, you will see some Tibetan villages and the "ShangNiBa" Temple. The trek will take you through some beautiful scenery. camping
Day2: you will trek through some of the best scenery of the Songpan grasslands to a place named ShangNaMi. It is possible to visit ShangNami Temple. Camping
Day3: In the morning you will visit MaFeng Village, where you can learn a little of the local culture. Afterwards, you will finally arrive at your destination, the foot of holy XueBaoDing (5588m). The views here are wonderful on a clear day.
Day4: After breakfast, return to SongPan.