Not only is Songpan the best place that I travelled to in China, but it’s also the most beautiful place that I’ve ever been to. I mean wow. The scenery is simply next level, I’ve never seen water so blue and clear, surrounded by miles and miles of forest and cloud breaking mountains. It is the perfect place to get lost in nature, and is totally unsurprising that its woodland is home to the last wild pandas on this earth- the lovable animals really have good taste. Even though it can get fuck-off cold, its totally worth it.
Songpan country exists in Northwest of Sichuan province, in the West of China. It’s known by many Chinese as a stop-off for Mao and the People’s Liberation Army during their long march escaping the Kuomintang in 1935 as well as its long-time historical position for disputes between Tang China and Tibet during the seventh century. Not only that but its nearby countryside has is equally well-known , particularly the sites of Jiuzhaigou and Huanglong- which totally blew my mind.
The town itself consists of an inner and outer city, with a Tang style (but rebuilt in the Ming dynasty) city wall. The inner city is traditional style, with old school shops and restaurants, perfect for tourists. It is also home to Tibetan, Hui, Qiang and Han peoples, making it a mixing pot of culture and taditions. Its surrounding hills and mountains also make it super scenic.
Although a railway route from Chengdu is under construction, the current and only way that you can get into town is via bus. Right now this is causing some issues due to the earthquake last year Jiuzhaigou- our guesthouse in Chengdu told us we couldn’t even get to the area! Don’t believe anyone, they lie. Buses from Chiangzi Bus Station in Chengdu arrive in the only bus station in Songpan (the town is small and you can easily get to your guesthouse from there, or there’ll always be some taxi guys milling about if you need them). The bus from Chengdu takes seven and a half hours- hefty, I know, but it takes regular bathroom and food stops (if you can bare the fun trough-style countryside toilets that is!). The scenery outside the window also makes it a super enjoyable journey.
My Accommodation
We stayed in Emma’s Guesthouse and couldn’t reccommend it enough. Emma, the owner, and her family are super friendly and helpful, and give all the information that you need to know about exploring the area. They also have some really sweet kids! The hostel itself is cosy and rustic feeling, and the bedrooms are even kitted out with electric blankets which made us feel super cosy. It’s perfectly located on the edge of the inner city, but if you’re feeling lazy or too cold, there is an onsite restaurant with a mixture of eastern and western foods. It is delicious!
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Day One
Our day started with a really fun early start for our long bus at 7:30am from Chengdu. The journey took around 7 hours with some rest stops in between. The journey was easier than we anticipated- lots of naps and pretty scenery made it totally manageable. Definitely don’t let this long ass journey put you off coming- trust me, it is worth it.
After reaching our guesthouse, the staff recommended we go on a hike up the hills that surrounded the town. The trail wasn’t well-maintained, but the scenery hushed our complaints and sweatiness. At the top of the house there’s an abandoned temple kind of building. There’s some trash inside (lovely China) but the view is really amazing! You can see all of the city walls and beyond.
In the evening we had a stroll through the inner city, and it was so pretty! Really beautifully lit with some interesting shops and snacks. There’s also a bridge that goes over the river that is particularly nice. Who am I? I get excited about bridges now. I guess travelling really does change you.
Day Two
We were in for an early start with the first bus to Huanglong Scenic Area– what we came here for. The buses are super infrequent so definitely plan ahead with this! Or if you’re a big group you can hire a driver for a reasonable price, your call.
Huanglong is known for its beautiful blue pools of calcite deposits, which snake up the moutainside like dragonscales. It’s a seriously mystical spot to explore, as well as being another UNESCO heritage site to check off your bucket list.
We are lazy hikers, and headed up via the cable car to the top, where the first pools are, and then hiked down. The trail itself is beautifully well kept, there’s isn’t even a twig or leaf on the walkway. Maintenance here is absolutely crazy! The entire hike down the mountain is full of beautiful scenery including not only the stunning blue pools, but the waterfalls and forest area too. Honestly I can’t even put the beauty here into words. It really is just amazing.
Day Three
Our lives were about to get even more scenic when we decided to head to Muni Valley. The place is a geographer’s wet dream, full of waterfalls, calcium carbonate lakes, meadows, forests and the odd Tibetan temple. It is much more scenically diverse compared to Huanglong, and in a hike up the mountains you can see a tonne of different geographical features that the area has to offer.
My favourite were by far the lakes. The colour of the water was the most vibrant blue I’ve seen, and it was so clear that you could perfectly see to the bottom. This was all made better by the fact that there was zero tourists there, meaning that during the majority of our hike we didn’t’ see a single soul- perfect for when you’re getting all deep and at one with nature in this place.
Sadly there are no buses that run there- you have to charter a driver. We split the cost of our charter and it came to around 400 RMB- but it was worth it. We could run on our own time and go to multiple spots with ease. It was perfect. Our guesthouse organised this for us!
We took a final walk around the town the next morning, soaking in the remains of rural Chinese mountain life. And buying our body weight in baked goods for our long bus back to Chengdu and night train to Xi’an. We left feeling blissful, relaxed and totally at one in nature. GO HERE. You simply won’t regret it.
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