Yanzigou Scenic Area

Nestled in Xinxing Township, southwestern Luding County, Garzê Prefecture, Sichuan Province, Yanzigou Scenic Area lies on the eastern slope of Mount Gongga, one of the world’s ultra-high mountains. It is merely a 10-minute drive from Moxi Town, a nearby tourism hub.

Mount Gongga boasts breathtakingly beautiful scenery, and Yanzigou on its eastern slope stands out as a true feast for the eyes. Also known as the "Valley of Red Stones at Gongga" and the "Global Red Stone Park", Yanzigou stretches nearly 40 kilometers along the eastern edge of the main peak of Mount Gongga, covering a total area of 143 square kilometers. It is 76 kilometers away from Kangding, 59 kilometers from Luding, and 283 kilometers from Chengdu. The scenic area is home to a host of captivating attractions, including Tianyao Shuiping (Heavenly Medicine Flatland), Mount Gongga Main Peak Observation Deck, Red Stone Beach, Cha Glacier, Yulin (Fish Scale) Glacier, Gongga Glaciers No.1, No.2 and No.3, Yanziyan (Swallow Rock), Bingjiaokou (Ice Pit Mouth), Shili Fairyland, Heishijiao (Black Stone Pit), and Haizidang (Lake Hollow).

Yanzigou Valley extends 40 kilometers in length, with the scenic area spanning 143 square kilometers. It receives an annual rainfall of 1,200 millimeters and has an average temperature of 8.5℃. The area features 8 distinct vegetation zones, harboring nearly 6,000 plant species, including hundreds of ornamental plants and over 200 varieties of flowers—such as Kangding magnolia, azaleas, lilies, orchids, as well as rare and precious Chinese medicinal herbs like cordyceps sinensis, fritillaria, and gastrodia elata. The scenic area also provides a habitat for more than 400 species of wild animals, 39 of which are national protected species, including red pandas, antelopes, takins, and rhesus macaques. Among them, the three-tailed swallowtail butterflies and tiger butterflies of Yanzigou are renowned as world-class rarities. The primitive and exquisite natural ecological landscapes endow Yanzigou Scenic Area with a unique charm.

In 1933, British author James Hilton depicted a mythical paradise called "Shangri-La" in his novel Lost Horizon. Shangri-La, in fact, embodies Westerners’ imagination of a pure land in the Oriental snow-capped regions, and its very heart is Yanzigou of Mount Gongga.

Yanzigou abounds with numerous natural and cultural wonders—glaciers, snow-capped peaks, colorful forests, hot springs, and more. Among these marvels, the red stones are truly the most extraordinary. From Yaowang Temple at an altitude of 2,200 meters up to Bingjiaokou at 3,771 meters, the red-hued stones lining both banks of the nearly 30-kilometer-long river valley shimmer against the dazzling snow-capped peaks, creating a magnificent and soul-stirring vista that leaves visitors utterly enchanted.

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