The Land of a Thousand Watchtowers: Danba Tibetan Village

1. Geographical location and basic overview

(1) Geographical location

Danba Tibetan Village is located in Danba County, Ganzi Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan Province. It is located in a deep mountain canyon on the Western Sichuan Plateau. It is the place where the Dadu River and its tributaries Dajinchuan, Xiaojinchuan, Geshzha, and Donggu Rivers meet. It is known as the “City on the Top of the Rock” and “The first City on the banks of the Dadu River.” It is known as the ‘City on the Top of the Rock’ and ‘The first City on the banks of the Dadu River’.

(2) Basic overview

The territory of Danba County is surrounded by high mountains, deep canyons, and the terrain is high in the southwest and low in the southeast, showing a remarkable three-dimensional landform. The altitude range is between 1700 meters and 5820 meters, and the relative height difference is huge. Therefore, there is a three-dimensional climate characteristic of “one mountain has four seasons and ten miles of different days”. The altitude of the county seat is about 1860 meters, while the main Tibetan villages (such as Jiaju Tibetan Villages and Zhonglu Tibetan Villages) are mostly 2000 meters above sea level.-About 2800 meters

Danba County is located in the eastern part of GanziTibetan Autonomous Prefecture. It borders Xiaojin County, Aba Prefecture to the east, Kangding County to the south and southeast, Daowu County to the west, and Jinchuan County, Aba Prefecture to the north and northeast. The distance from Chengdu to Danba County is about 348-368 kilometers

2. Core attractions

(1) Geological landscape

​Mordo Sacred Mountain: Mordo Sacred Mountain is a sacred mountain worshipped by the Jiarong Tibetans. It is about 5,000 meters above sea level. It is a significant religious and natural landmark in the region. The sacred Mountain brings together 108 sacred sights such as mountains, waters, forests, cliffs, and caves. It is an important local pilgrimage and hiking destination.The mountains are also distributed with high-altitude haizi such as Fairy Lake (Nam Lake), as well as natural landscapes such as male and female springs, which show the complex geological structure and hydrological characteristics of the area.

​Zhonglu Tibetan Village: Compared to Jiaju, Zhonglu Tibetan Village is more primitive and quiet. With the ancient pillowcases and the magnificent Murdo Sacred Mountain as the background, this is a great place to enjoy the sunrise and sunset.

​Ancient pillboxes and geological base of Suopo: Suopo Township has the most concentrated and complete group of ancient pillboxes in existence. These pillboxes are built of soil and stones, up to tens of meters high, and have a history of thousands of years. Their construction directly depends on local rock resources, and their sturdy structureAnd the unique forms (four corners, hexagonal and even thirteen corners) are closely integrated with the valley and mountain environment in which they are located. It is an outstanding example of humanistic architecture adapting to and cleverly using geological conditions.

Moska Village: Located in the hinterland of the Great Snowy Mountains, it is surrounded by snow-capped mountains, forests, grasslands, Haizi (alpine lakes) and rivers. The landscape is extremely rich. The village itself is a living museum of Tibetan culture in Jiarong. It was included in the list of Traditional Chinese villages in 2018.

3. Ticket information

(1) Ticket price

• ​Jiaju Tibetan Village 50 yuan/person (adult ticket) Students, the elderly, and children can enjoy a half-price discount (25 yuan)
  
  . Zhonglu Tibetan Village is free of charge. Currently, there is no need to purchase a large ticket to visit.
  ​The ancient pillboxes of Suopo are free of charge (observation deck and external visits). If you want to visit the inside of the pillboxes, you may need to pay a fee of about 20 yuan per person.

(2) Ticket purchase channels

1. Core channels: On-site ticket purchase method If you choose to purchase tickets on-site, there is a ticket point in Jiaju Tibetan Village Scenic Area.

The traditional manual ticket window is one of the main methods. The staff will go through the ticket purchase procedures for tourists through the ticket sales system.

In addition, some scenic spots are also equipped with self-service ticket vending machines. Visitors can choose their own ticket type and complete the payment, which is convenient and fast.

2. Alternative plan:Open apps such as Ctrip, Meituan, and Tongcheng Travel, and search for “Moshi Park” to enter the ticket purchase page.

Advantage: You can clearly see the fare of the day and the preferential prices of different groups of people. There are often platform subsidies or preferential activities, and the price may be lower than the store price. It can be purchased directly online, which is very convenient, and user comments can provide reference

4. Precautions for Touring

(1) Safety protection: responding to geological and weather characteristics

1. Pay attention to warning signs: When operating in scenic spots, pay special attention to observing safety warning signs and stay away from geological disaster-prone areas, such as steep slopes and both sides of rivers.

2. Choose safe accommodation: When choosing a homestay, priority can be given to regular homestay 3 that the local government has conducted a security check and organized training. Devices, etc. Please obtain consent before shooting local residents.

3. Prevention of altitude sickness: Mosca Village has a high altitude (3900 meters), so you need to pay attention to prevent altitude sickness, avoid strenuous exercise, keep warm, and prepare rhodiola rosea, portable oxygen cylinders, etc. in advance. 13

4. Pre-trip equipment: Ultraviolet rays are strong in the plateau area, so be sure to prepare sunscreen, sunglasses and sun hats. There is a large temperature difference between day and night, so you need to bring warm clothing (such as jackets and thin down jackets). Comfortable hiking shoes, power bank, and some cash are also essential

5. Respect for local culture: the sacred Mountain of Mordo is the sacred mountain of fellow Tibetans. You should maintain a sense of awe when visiting. To enter the temple, you need to take off your hat and do not touch Buddha statues and artifacts at will. Please obtain consent before shooting photos

(2) Tour planning: reasonable arrangement of time and route

1. Tour route and schedule

​Day 1: Visit the ancient pillboxes and Tibetan culture Depart from Danba County City, and first visit the ancient pillboxes of Suopo in the morning. You can overlook this magnificent landscape known as the “Country of a Thousand pillboxes” from the observation deck on the other side. If you have plenty of time, you can ask a local guide to lead you into the village and get up close and personal with the history of the ancient pillboxes (you may need to pay a small fee to enter the inside of the pillboxes). In the afternoon, I went to Zhonglu Tibetan Village. It is more peaceful and primitive than Jiaju Tibetan Village, with a large number of ancient pillboxes and cascading Tibetan-style houses. It is recommended to wait for the sunset at the observation deck of the Tibetan village to enjoy the beautiful picture of the sunset covering the Tibetan village, the pillowcase and the distant mountains with golden brilliance. That night, it is recommended to stay in Zhonglu Tibetan Village or return to Danba County City.

•Day 2: Go deep into the secret realm of Mosca and leave it to Mosca Village all day long. It is about 80 kilometers from Danba County City to Mosca, but the mountain road is rugged and narrow, and it takes an off-road vehicle to drive. The one-way journey takes about 2.5-3 hours. Moska is about 3900 meters above sea level. The biggest highlight is to interact with the marmot (marmot) that is not afraid of people. Please prepare non-added biscuits or bread for feeding and pay attention to maintaining a safe distance. 313. You can also stroll through the meadow in the village, visit Jinlong Temple, and feel the atmosphere of harmonious coexistence between man and nature. In the afternoon, return to Danba County City in time to stay.

•Day 3: Admire the sacred Mountain and return to the Sacred Mountain of Mordo in the morning. This important sacred mountain in Tibet is a free open attraction 10. You can choose to overlook its majestic mountains from several observation decks and feel its solemn atmosphere as the Tibetan cultural center of Jiarong. 10

Return trip

In the afternoon, according to the itinerary, you can embark on the return journey.