Destination: Sichuan
Tour type: Trekking

Introduction
Tagong Grassland, appraised as the paradise of photography, is pretty closed to Kangding and just one day driving from Chengdu. The snow-mountains,the alpine lakes, the grassland, the nomads, the monastery and the dense forest compose one of the most beautiful areas in China. The Tibetan culture is another sparkling attraction of this trip.

Besides, you also get close to the glacier of Minya Konka in Hailuogou where you can enjoy the hot spring down the magnificent Minya Konka.

Duration: 8 days

Difficulty: moderate

Best Time to Go: May to November

Day 1 Chengdu
Travel from somewhere to Chengdu, the capital city of Sichuan which is appraised as the Kingdom of Abundance and the best city to live in China. Time permits, spend some time to walk around to explore the city, or take a ride out of the town to visit the Panda Breeding Center. Try the authentic Sichuan hotpot.

Overnight in one of the thousands of Hotel in Chengdu. More...

Day 2 Chengdu to Kangding

Depart for Kangding in the early morning from Chengdu Xinnanmen Bus Station. The bus will ferry you through the west Sichuan plain dotted with villages and fertile green fields then pass through Erlangshan tunnel. Or, if you are keen for Chinese history, you can buy the Chengdu-Luding ticket and get off in Luding for a short visit to the Iron Chain Bridge,which was built originally in the year of 1706 in Qing Dynasty for its transportation importance to western Sichuan and Tibet. On the Long March, the Red Army won a battle here which was regarded as a turning point of the Chinese history.

Kangding was once the capital of the powerful Chakla kingdom and has been an important stop on the trade route to Lhasa.

More of Kangding

Day 3 Kangding to Tagong

Kangding->Danba bus pass by Tagong en route over the Tsedo Mountain pass(4,296m/14,090ft). Or, you can charter a van to arrive. A short lunch break in Xinduqiao will offer you the fantastic view of the "paradise of the photographers". Moving on and get off at Tongong Town. There are Tagong Grassland, Tagong Monastery (Lhagong temple), Tagong Pagoda Stupa, Yala Snow-capped Mountain, Tagong Buddhism College etc around.

The Tagong Grasslands is a vast expanse of green meadow surrounded by snow-capped peaks and dotted with Tibetan herdsmen and tents. The Tagong village is a vibrant Tibetan community where you can get a taste of Sichuan`s Tibetan Wild West. In the village, Tagong Lamasery blends Han Chinese and Tibetan styles and dates back to the Qing Dynasty (17th century).
 
Tagong Monastery - a famous Nyingmapz monastery, miraculously escaped destruction during the Culture Revolution. The ancient frescos are still in good condition. Around the monastery is a vast grassland. The white towers with scripture flags and the Yala Mountain in the back forms a fabulous scenery. 

Day 4 Tagong
Trekking over the Tagong grassland, which is dotted with colorful wild flowers, flocks of yaks and sheeps. Walk for about 25km and overnight in Camp.

Day 5 Tagong to Mugetso
Continue trekking on the grassland to Mugetso Lake, one of the highest lakes in northwestern Sichuan, at 3700m. Local also boast that it's one of the most beautiful lakes. Enjoy the sunset if weather permits. Camp in the forest for another night.

Day 6 Mugetso to Hailuogou
Trails around the Mugetso lake lead to some other smaller lakes such as the Red Sea and Seven Color Lake. Mogetso Lake is such a popular destination that they have made the area into a park, complete with ticket sellers at the entrance, it's still worth it. The diversified vegetation on the different latitude presents another type of landscape.

Hitchhike on the road to Hailuogou. Located on the eastern side of Minya Konka, Hailuogou National Glacier Forest Park is the biggest glacier park in China, famous for its low altitude modern glaciers, which are rarely found either in low-latitude places or at low altitude. Its lowest point is only 2,850 meters above sea level. The park boasts many geographic attractions, including glaciers, grand glacier cascade, virgin forests, wild animals and hot springs, etc.

Witness the spectacular glaciers. Enjoy the Hot spring at night. Lodging in the Hailuogou Base Camp.

Day 7 Hailuogou
Weather permits, get up early to welcome the sunrise over Minya Konka, the highest mountain in Sichuan. Spend more time to explore the park and Moxi Town. Overnight at Moxi.

Moxi is the gateway to Hailuogou Glacier Park. 50km southwest of Luding, the one street town is peacefully nestled in the mountains. The most distinctive local building is the Catholic church that dates back to 1920 and is easy to spot with its cross and blue and yellow bell tower.

Day 8 Hailuogou(Moxi) to Chengdu
There is usually only one direct bus per day back to Chengdu from Hailuogou, departing in early morning. If you miss the direct bus, you can get on a private vehicle running from Moxi Township to Gan'gudi (Y20.-), then change to a bus for Chengdu. There are scores of buses to Chengdu from Gan'gudi.