Things to do in Aba County

The scenic area is vast and beautiful, with unique mountains and rocks creating a stunning landscape. Climbing to the top offers a panoramic view of the surrounding mountains, a truly magnificent sight. It's definitely worth a visit. The only drawback is the unreasonable crowd control system within the scenic area, resulting in excessively long waiting times.

Manzetang: Wetlands that "Turn," Activities that "Reach the Sky," and Tibetan Cuisine That "Win Over Fans" Manzetang Wetland is located in the northeast of Aba County, at an altitude of approximately 3400 meters, covering a total area of ​​165,900 hectares. Quiet and unobtrusive, it boasts a pristine and tranquil atmosphere: a water conservation area for the upper reaches of the Yellow River, with 34 rivers flowing through it, their meandering waterways earning it the nickname "Thousand-Bend Wetland." 🌿 What to See: The Wetland's "Thousand-Layered Routines" The rivers meander across the grasslands, creating a dense network of bends and oxbow lakes. From the mountaintop viewing platform, the waterways unfold like ribbons, with distant snow-capped mountains serving as a backdrop. In spring and summer, the green is vibrant, with wildflowers blooming in abundance; in autumn, the meadows turn golden, making every snapshot look like it's been filtered. 🦢 Encounters: Quietly observe the plateau's "natives"! This area is home to 226 species of vertebrates and 1123 species of plants. The star inhabitants are the black-necked crane, along with 8 species of Class I national protected animals, including the golden eagle and white stork, and 29 species of Class II national protected animals, such as the Tibetan gazelle and white-lipped deer. In 2023, it was selected as one of the first batch of "Important Habitats for Black-necked Cranes" in China. While hiking on the boardwalk, Tibetan gazelles and marmots might suddenly appear—don't chase them, just observe discreetly. 🎈 Activities: If you can't explore on the ground, then take to the skies! The most exciting way to experience it is by hot air ballooning for a low-altitude 360° panoramic view of the "Thousand Bays Palette" from 50-60 meters above the ground. Even the laziest person can enjoy a panoramic view efficiently. On the ground, drive to the mountaintop viewing platform to photograph the sunrise and sunset, then leisurely stroll along the wooden boardwalk. Enjoy flower viewing from June to August, and autumn colors from September to October; with minimal light pollution, camping and watching the Milky Way is a wonderful option. If you're short on time, 2-3 hours is enough for a quick visit; if you want a more relaxed experience, allocate half a day to a full day to watch the sunset and photograph the starry sky. 🍲 Food: Savor the flavors of Amdo Tibetan cuisine Aba County's food has an inherent nomadic DNA: yak meat is firm and flavorful, with barley, butter, cheese curds, and yogurt as its daily staples, and wild ferns offering a naturally sweet taste. The most recommended experience is a Tibetan family-run guesthouse: savory butter tea to warm you up, handmade tsampa, thick Tibetan yogurt that's almost too sticky, and hand-pulled yak meat that's sweet with just a sprinkle of salt. Tibetan blood sausage is chewy on the outside and fragrant on the inside, wild ferns and pork are tender, Amdo noodles are warming, monk's buns are best enjoyed with the soup first, and jade belt pastries are a sweet and crisp finisher. The old Tibetan restaurants along Tengzhi Road in the county town have a solid reputation, averaging around 60 yuan per person; supplies are limited in the scenic areas, so eat well and stock up on water in the county town before you set off. 🗺️ Travel Tips: A quick look before you go · 🎫 Free admission, approximately 08:00-18:00 (last entry at 17:30). Policy may change; please confirm with the official website before your trip. · 📅 Flower fields from June to August, autumn colors from September to October; roads may be closed due to snow in winter. · 🚗 Approximately 65 kilometers from Aba County. No shuttle bus; driving is recommended. The journey from Chengdu takes about 7-8 hours; SUVs are more stable for the latter part of the journey. There are charging stations in the parking lot at the entrance, and parking spaces, restrooms, and a coffee shop at the summit. · 🥾 Altitude approximately 3400 meters: Bring oxygen cylinders, a windproof jacket, and sunscreen. Avoid strenuous exercise. There is a large temperature difference between day and night; the recommended temperature rating for camping sleeping bags is 0-5°C. Hot air balloon rides depend on the weather; please confirm before your trip. In short: Climbing high to see thousands of bays, taking off to see the panoramic view, encountering cute little ones on the boardwalk, and finally ending with a Tibetan meal—this trip to Manzetang was a great success!

Gemo Temple, also known as Huiyuan Temple, is one of the three major temples of the Gelug sect of Tibetan Buddhism in Aba. It has a large-scale building and its Tibetan Buddhist scripture hall is very famous and spectacular. It was built in the Qing Dynasty and has a history of more than 200 years.

Zagarcuo Lake, located in Lianbaoyezhe Scenic Area, is 4,600 meters above sea level and covers an area of ​​about 0.6 square kilometers. It is the highest lake among the four famous lakes in Aba County, and the lake water is particularly quiet and peaceful. On the east side of the mouth of Zagarcuo Lake is a majestic stone peak, and on the west side there are two sharp stone peaks, one large and two small, piercing the sky, like the goalkeeper and sharp sword of Zagarcuo. Behind the lake is a long cliff "wall" like a sharp blade cut by a knife and an axe, which really has the majestic and tragic atmosphere of "Lonely City and Ten Thousand Blade Mountain".

📓Gelug Monastery is located in the northwest corner of Aba County, Aba Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan Province, at an altitude of 3,300 meters. It has a history of more than 120 years and is the largest Tibetan Buddhist Gelugpa monastery in Aba County. The monastery was built in the 9th year of Tongzhi (1870). Its predecessor was Donggou Temple, which was the location of the Red Army leadership during the Long March of the Workers and Peasants Red Army. 💗Gelug Monastery is located in Aba County. If you pass by or stay in Aba County, you can visit it on the way. We visited Lianbaoye on the first day and returned to Aba County to stay. When we left Aba County early the next morning, we visited Gelug Monastery on the way. Gelug Monastery in the early morning is as magnificent as ever in Tibetan style.

First of all, you need good weather. There are many places with water where you can stop and rest for a while. If you want to play, you can drive to the top first. You must come here early on holidays. If you come late, the parking lot on the top will be full. You still need to walk a long way. Because of the high altitude, it is a bit stuffy to drive on the accelerator, so it will definitely be more difficult for people to walk (be sure to bring some oxygen cylinders). You can take a sightseeing bus or walk when you drive to the top. It depends on your personal will. After returning, there is a route to the water pool in the middle. You can also go there to take a look at the sightseeing bus and take better photos.

Langyi Temple is located in Aba County. It is the largest Bonpo temple from Aba County to northwest Sichuan, with more than 700 lamas. There are three Bonpo temples in Aba County: Duodeng Temple, built on the hillside opposite Langyi Temple, is a national second-level protected site, and houses a dragon throne from the Qianlong period, a conch shell from more than 2,000 years ago, and many cultural relics.

In Chali Township, Aba County, there is a village with an altitude of 3,100 meters, about 60 kilometers away from Aba County. Its name is "Shenzuo", which means "where the gods live". In this small mountain village, virgin forests, alpine pastures, lakes, rivers, swamps, wild animals, etc., all of which live in harmony with the local villagers. This is one of the few original ecological worlds in China. "Shenzuo" village has only more than 70 households. The house architecture is a typical Tibetan style, and there are also century-old Tibetan houses. Shenzuo Village is backed by alpine pastures and faces the forest across the river. The first impression when you walk into this village is that it is too quiet and too clean! The second impression is that the white clouds in the sky are floating on your head and hands, and you feel that the distance between you and the blue sky and white clouds has become so close.

There were just too many tourists during peak season, 40,000 a day. It took an hour to queue to enter the park. The shuttle buses leaving the park were unmanaged and a complete mess. People were crammed together, which was very dangerous. Everyone was pushing and shoving forward, and the buses were extremely crowded.