A must-see: Niubei Mountain in winter!

Is it worth visiting Niubei Mountain in western Sichuan in winter? If the weather is good, it's worth it. If the weather is bad, it's a pain. 6 stunning views: sunset, Buddha's light, golden mountain, sunrise, sea of clouds, and starry sky If you want to see the sunrise, we recommend arriving at Guangmingding before 8 am. 1. Price Admission: CNY 115/person (including sightseeing bus) Accommodation on the mountain top: CNY 1,000+ Xingpo Restaurant yak hot pot: CNY 168/person UTV off-road go-kart: CNY 180/vehicle, 2 seats (driver's license required) 2. Route Destination: Changhai Parking Lot. It takes about 4 hours to drive from Chengdu. The main roads are the G5 Beijing-Kunming Expressway, G4218 Ya'an-Yecheng Expressway, G318 National Highway, and a section of mountain road, all of which are paved. Driving: Chengdu → Huajian Yunfeng Tourist Reception Center → Changhai Parking Lot (recommended by bloggers to avoid getting lost) If you want to stay on the mountain top, you must arrive at Changhai Parking Lot before 4 pm, otherwise, there will be no sightseeing bus to take you up the mountain. Route 1: Changhai Parking Lot (take a sightseeing bus) → Qingyun Road (hike for 1+ hour) → Visitor Center (check in) Route 2: Changhai Parking Lot (take a sightseeing bus) → UTV off-road go-kart (closed in bad weather) → Visitor Center (check in) 3. Accommodation 1️⃣ On the mountain top: There are only a few options (1 hotel, 3 tent camps, and 1 RV camp). See my screenshots. ① Xingpo Hotel: Suitable for watching the sunrise. The price is usually CNY 1,000+, and CNY 6,000+ for a villa. The hotel provides two bottles of oxygen and water. There is a private bathroom, but you need to boil water for a hot shower. ② Xingchen, Xingyun, and Xingkong Camps: Suitable for watching the sunset and sea of clouds. The price is about CNY 700+. All tents ⛺ are in this area, with a good view. Most have shared bathrooms, which are better than I expected. The floor is wooden, and the tents are not soundproof, so you may be disturbed by noise. Noise-canceling earplugs are important. ③ RV Camp: Suitable for watching the sunset and sea of clouds. It will open in 2024. It is a little far from the mountain top, down from Xingyun. The price is about CNY 700+. The platform shows that there is a private bathroom. 2️⃣ At the foot of the mountain: There are many homestays at Huajian Mountain Visitor Center, Lengze Town, and halfway up the mountain, such as Niubei Shang Xiaozhu. If you want to see the sea of clouds and sunrise the next day, you need to get up at 2–3 am and arrive at the mountain top before 8 am. This is only suitable for young people with good energy. 4. Dining 1️⃣ There are several restaurants on the mountain top: Xingkong Restaurant, Xingpo Chinese Restaurant, etc. The prices are relatively high. For example, the yak hot pot at Xingpo Chinese Restaurant is CNY 168/person, but it's really nice to have a hot pot in such cold weather. 2️⃣ Bring your own snacks, instant noodles, self-heating hot pot, etc. You can boil water in your room. There is a microwave in the restaurant, and you can also ask the waiter to heat your food. 5. Other matters (read carefully! Very important!) 1️⃣ Warm clothes: Keep your head, body, hands, and feet warm! Wear a windbreaker, down jacket, thick sweater, scarf, gloves, warm hat, etc. Wear warm, non-slip shoes. You can wear a face mask to protect your face from wind and snow. 2️⃣ Equipment: Backpack, knee pads, sunglasses, sunscreen, thermos, etc. Anti-slip chains are needed for hiking up the mountain when there are no go-karts. 3️⃣ Medicine: Prepare cold medicine, antipyretics, stomach medicine, motion sickness medicine, and anti-altitude sickness medicine. It's best to bring some glucose and oxygen, as some people are prone to altitude sickness. 4️⃣ Do not take a shower on the first day at high altitudes. Keep warm and don't catch a cold! Pulmonary edema is very dangerous! If you have a cold, we recommend waiting until you recover before going. 5️⃣ Check the weather in advance. Go on a sunny day to avoid a wasted trip. From November to March, there are fewer tourists and more sunny days. 6️⃣ There are many attractions nearby, such as Luding Bridge, Hailuogou, Huajian Mountain, Erlang Mountain, and Wanggangping, which are not too far away. If you have enough time, you can plan to visit more places.