Yanzigou Scenic Spot

Chinese Name:  燕子沟 (Yan Zi Gou)
Location: Xinxing Township, Luding County, Ganzi Tibetan Prefecture, Sichuan Province 
Ticket: CNY110.00 include entrance ticket and sightseeing bus
Estimated tour time: 3-4hours
Recommended time to visit: all year round.
Nearby attractions: Hailuogou Scenic Spot, Moxi Old Town, Yajigeng Scenic Spot, Luding Bridge, etc.

Yanzigou Scenic Spot is located on the eastern slope of Mt. Konggar(Gongga), one of the world's highest mountains in Xinxing Township in southwest Luding County, Ganzi Tibetan Prefecture, Sichuan Province. Scenery in Mt. Gongga is very beautiful, especially the Yanzigou on the eastern slope, scenery is the most beautiful. It is also known as "Konggar Red Stone Valley", stretches for nearly 40 kilometers on the eastern edge of the main peak of Mt. Konggar. The scenic spot covers an area of 143 square kilometers, 76 kilometers from Kangding City, 59 kilometers from Luding County and 300 kilometers from Chengdu City.

Modern glaciers, forests, mountain peaks, warm springs, cold springs, rare plants and animals gather at low altitude in the scenic spot. Red stones stretch for more than 20 kilometers. There are eight plant belts with nearly 6,000 kinds of plants. There are more than 400 kinds of wild animals living in the scenic spot, 39 of which are under national protection. The primitive and beautiful natural ecological landscape forms the unique charm.

In 1933, James Hilton, a British author, wrote the book Lost Horizon, describing an exotic wonderland called "Shangri-La". Shangri-La is actually the western impression of the pure land of the eastern snow region. The core of Shangri-La is the Yanzigou Valley in Mt. Konggar.

Yanzigou has many natural and cultural wonders, glaciers, snow peaks, colorful forests, springs etc., the most amazing of them all is the red stones. From the Yaowangmiao (2,200 meters above sea level) to the Ice-pit mouth (3,771 meters above sea level), nearly 30 kilometers long river valley on both sides. The red stones reflect the dazzling snow peak, the magnificent scenery is breathtaking and intoxicating. They can only grow in the main river in Yanzigou. There is not any where the sunshine does not reaches, in the forest far from the main river and lower altitude below 2100 meters. Red stones brought out of the valley would die and turn into black.

International mountaineering enthusiasts have challenged the main peak of Mt. Konggar for more than ten times through Yanzigou but failed. Yanzigou has become the mountaineering base for the warriors who try to conquer Mt. Konggar.

Yanzigou is not only for mountaineering, exploration, scientific investigation, alpine skiing and skating, but also a good place for tourism, leisure vacation, recuperation and return to nature. It is attracting thousands of tourists at home and abroad with her unique magical charm, and has become a new tourist attraction on the ecological tourism circuit in western Sichuan Province.