National Geographic didn't lie, it truly is the most beautiful village hidden in the highlands!

A film about Altay has presented the long-silent magnificent beauty to the people of China, igniting countless dreams of Altay. But where I find peace, isn't that Altay everywhere? Due to various unexpected events, I stayed in Danba County for two days during my trip to Western Sichuan. This county town, built between the valleys and cliffs, especially the watchtower Tibetan villages amidst the high mountains and sea of clouds, gave us an immense shock. When the sudden highland rain stopped just before sunrise, and the sunlight filtered through the clouds sprinkled over the beautiful mountains shrouded in mist, the villagers in the mountain hollows were working in the crisp vegetation-covered wilds, and occasionally the calls of unidentified mountain birds came from the treetops outside the window. Being there truly made us linger and unable to leave. Jiaju Tibetan Village is 10 kilometers away from Danba County town. It is said that 'Jiaju' originally means 'a hundred households'. However, from what we saw along the way in the car and from the drone's perspective, it feels like there might be more than a hundred households here. All these tower-style buildings are built on high mountain cliffs, whether looking up from the bottom of the mountain or looking down from the summit, they inspire awe. 🗺️ Travel Tips: 🎫 Ticket: 40 yuan, but when we were there, we took a local Tibetan yellow car, and the driver was very enthusiastic, taking us directly from the county town into the Tibetan village. 🚶 Sightseeing: The village mainly has 3 viewing platforms, from low to high they are 1, 2, and 3. The Tibetan brother directly took us to the highest viewing platform 3, from where we played all the way down. You can take the main road for sightseeing or take the stone steps into the Tibetan village area, but these watchtower villages are either homestays or inhabited by local villagers. Homestays generally refuse visitors and some local Tibetans charge 5 yuan for entry. Of course, as long as you don't enter the tower gates, they won't mind. 🛏️ Accommodation: There are many homestays in the village, and the off-season prices are not expensive, you can pick a nice place to stay for 200-500. Outside the village, there are tower homestays which are relatively cheaper. We stayed outside the village for 200+, but there was no bottled water or disposable slippers in the room, so I won't recommend it here. There are few choices for restaurants on the mountain, and it's more convenient in the county town. Other: There are water and snacks for sale in the scenic area, slightly more expensive but within an acceptable range. Near the 2nd viewing platform, I encountered a cousin's coffee shop. The cousin from Guangxi drives along the 318, selling coffee and having fun along the way. He said he would sell until before the National Day and then go somewhere else. The coffee is priced high but you can bargain haha, the cousin is a good person 🚗 Transportation: Drive from Chengdu along the Western Sichuan loop, Danba County is a must-pass and is usually set as the first day's stop. If not driving yourself, there are buses from Chengdu to Danba County, three times a day, a 6-hour journey costing 168. You can take a chartered car in the county town to visit places like Tagong Grassland and Yala surrounded by clouds. However, self-driving or chartering a car from Chengdu is still recommended.