Northern Sìchuān

Introducing Northern Sìchuān

Plopping aboard a pony for a trek around Sōngpān and hiking in the stunning – this is not hyperbole – nature preserve of Jiǔzhàigōu are how most travellers experience the carpets of alpine forest, swaths of grasslands, primevally icy lakes and breathtaking (literally and figuratively) mountains of Northern Sìchuān. None will ever forget it.

Northern Sìchuān is home to the Ābà, Tibetan and Qiāng Autonomous Prefectures. In the extreme northwest, the region around Zöigê and Lǎngmùsì is the territory of the Goloks, nomads who speak their own dialect of Tibetan, distinct from the local Amdo dialect. While these Tibetan destinations are less visited, you can incorporate them into an alternative route into Gānsù.

Most of northern Sìchuān is between 2000m and 4000m in altitude so make sure you take warm clothing. The grassland plateau in the northwest averages more than 4000m and even in summer, temperatures can dip to 15°C at night. The rainy season lasts from June to August.

Beyond the Sōngpān–Jiǔzhàigōu route, roads in the region aren’t always in the best condition. (Buses aren’t much better.) Roads are particularly hazardous in summer when heavy rains prompt frequent landslides. You might want to think about planning this trip for the spring or autumn, when the weather is likely to be better.

The beauty comes at a cost: one thing you are bound to see in the north are the countless logging trucks that shuttle up and down the Minjiang Valley (near Huánglóng), stripping the area of its forest. Some sources estimate that up to 40% of the region’s forests have been logged in the last half decade, causing erosion, landslides and increased levels of silt heading downstream, eventually flowing into the Yangzi River (Cháng Jiāng).

One more time, bear in mind that there is nowhere to change money in this region, so bring sufficient Renminbi.

Last updated: Feb 17, 2009