Amazing west Sichuan – travel journal – day 1
This is my 10 day travel journal to West Sichuan in this mid of autumn, I have travelled to Kangding, Daocheng and Yading, Xinduqiao, Danba and Mountain Siguniang.
Day 1 – Oct 16 : Chengdu -(144km)- Ya’an -(110km) – Er’lang mountain -(28km)- Luding -(35km)- Kangding -(90km) Xinduqiao -(69km)- Yajiang
Early morning at 6:40, after meeting with everyone in the hotel, putting tons of our laggages in the minivan, our west Sichuan trip was officially started!
From Chengdu to Ya’an it’s like 1 hours and 40 min drive, all well built highway without any scenery along the way, it’s all peaceful in the minivan and I couldn’t help taking a nap to cover my poor sleep last night due to the incoming trip!
We arrived Duoying county, Ya’an city at 8:20, where we could already see the body of Mt.Er’lang clearly, we had a very nice brerakfast including noodles and some pieces of cold mutton, a good start of nice meals during the following trip.
Breakfast took half hour and then cames all mountain road ride, at 11:25 we arrived Er’lang mountain tunnel, the highest and longest road tunnel in China.
Entrance of Mt.Er’langshan
From Er’lang mountain to Luding
Dadu river from a distance
12:50 at noon we arrived Luding town, where is a historical spot in China especially during the war of leberation, 19 soldiers of red army risked their lives and successfully crossed the bridge of only 5 chains over dadu river, and distroy the enemy’s pillboxes on the other side of the river, so that the majority of red army could get through.
Famous Luding bridge
After lunch at Luding town, we headed to Kangding, which is about an hour away, we moved cross Zheduo mountain, and rushed to Xinduqiao. Enjoying a reputation of ‘ the paradise of photographer ‘, Xinduqiao was always filled of photography fans everywhere when we arrived, the blus sky, yellow woods, open hills, streams, everything was awesome not only for those camera guys, but for all people with love to the nature.
Top of Zheduo mountain
Xinduqiao
After taking photos at Xinduqiao, instead of staying around for overnight, we drove to Ya’jiang for overnight in order to save time for next day’s activities.
Road condition & scenery along the way:
- Chengdu – Ya’an, all hightway, very good, no scenery
- Ya’an – Luding, mountain road, not very well, many cars at first at Er’lang mountain, afterwards road condition is getting better to Luding. Mountain view, some good spot for photography.
- Luding – Kangding, good, mountain road, less cars, mountain view, river.
- Kangding – Xinduqiao, very good, couldn’t move because of the amazing sceneries:)
- Xinduqiao – Yajiang, very bad, like sitting on the waves, no views along the way.
Related tours
Take a 14-day Mount Kailash Tour from Lhasa to Kathmandu. Visit Lhasa’s Potala Palace and Jokhang Temple, see Everest Base Camp (North face), and trek the 3-day Kailash Kora, and relax by Lake Manasarovar before crossing the scenic Gyirong Valley into Nepal.
Travel from Kashgar to Dunhuang on this 9-day Silk Road tour. Visit Karakul Lake, Tashkorgan, Urumqi’s Heavenly Lake, Turpan’s ancient desert cities, and Dunhuang’s Mogao Caves. A concise route combining Xinjiang landscapes and key Silk Road heritage sites.
Discover Shanghai, Suzhou’s classical gardens, Guilin’s Li River, Yangshuo countryside, and the Longji Rice Terraces on this well-paced 8-day private tour blending culture, landscapes, and traditional village life.
Enjoy the “king of shu mountains” Hailuogou Glacier as you travel into the Tibetan Kham region of western Sichuan. The beautiful Tagong grassland and the East Alpine Mount Siguniang offers some of the best sightseeing in all of China.