[2025 Daocheng Attraction] Travel Guide for Zaguanbeng Dam (Updated Feb)

⭕ Depart from Chengdu and drive over 700 km to Shangri-La Town, where Daocheng Yading is located. The scenery along the way is stunning! I'll write a separate guide for the scenery along the way! ⭕ As the name suggests, Daocheng Yading is located in Yading Village, Daocheng County! ⭕ Food and accommodation are available in Shangri-La Town, which is very convenient! The scenic area is also very close, just a few minutes away! ⭕ If you don't have any symptoms of altitude sickness, you can stay in Yading Village, which is about 4,000 meters above sea level, while Shangri-La Town is about 3,000 meters above sea level! ⭕ Yading Village is already inside the scenic area, and there are shuttle buses from Yading Village to Zha Guangbeng! Most tourists stay in Shangri-La Town and take the shuttle bus from the scenic area entrance to Zha Guangbeng! ⭕ Tickets to Daocheng Yading are valid for 2 days, so you can plan a long route for one day and a short route for the other! However, when we went in mid-October, the long route was closed! So, before you go, you can check if the long route is open and then decide whether to go! ⭕ Daocheng Yading travel routes (see the last picture for reference): 1. Long route: Zha Guangbeng → Chonggu Monastery → Luorong Pasture → Gongga Cuo (Mount Yangmaiyong). You can return from here, or continue to Milk Lake and Five-Color Lake, which are at a higher altitude and more challenging. 2. Short route: Chonggu Monastery → Pearl Lake (Zhuomalacuo) → Mount Xiannairi. ⭕ The snow-capped mountains can only be seen on sunny days!

Zhaguanbeng is a bus stop within Yading Park, located at an altitude of 3900 meters above sea level. From this point, you need to walk further to take a golf cart to the long route or go to Chonggu Monastery and then walk the short route. The surrounding area features views of autumn foliage on both sides of the path. There is a wooden walkway along the stream for convenient walking, and in some spots, there are informational signs about trees and wildlife for educational walks.

Come in November to enjoy the purest autumn scenery in Daocheng Yading🍁 In early November, the autumn scenery in Daocheng Yading finally reached its peak. The nature was sprinkled with golden color🍁. Colorful forests and snow-capped mountains perfectly met. There were oil painting-like scenery everywhere✨✨✨. Several large snow-capped mountains❄️ are enough to shock your soul💕 The redwood forests inside are now all golden. There are naughty monkeys 🐒 and squirrels 🐿 inside which are not afraid of people at all, but ⚠️ do not use plastic bags to put things in. Be careful that monkeys will think they are food and will snatch plastic bags from passers-by. 💃The hiking time is no less than 8 hours. After leaving the scenic spot, you can go to Shangri-La Town to eat and rest. The scenery is so beautiful and there are not many tourists entering the scenic spot. It is worth going now💫💫💫 Daocheng Yading 📍Location: Shangri-La Town, Daocheng County, Garze Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture Altitude: 4,600m ❗Tickets: HKD146/person in peak season (4.1-11.30); HKD120/person in off-season (12.1-3.31) 🚕Sightseeing bus: Visitor Center→Zhaguanbeng round trip, HKD120/person 🚗Battery car: Chonggu Temple→Luorong Cattle Farm, purchased within the scenic area, one-way HKD50 and round-trip HKD80 PS: Tickets are valid for two days, and the sightseeing bus is half price HKD60 on the second day 🔅Game guide: At present, part of the long-term tour is closed. It is recommended to take half of the long-term tour + short-term tour. Luorong Cattle Farm is a must-go! Here are the highlights of autumn! 2. When entering the scenic spot in the morning, we first go to Luorong Cattle Farm, and then go back to play short-term. The light is better in the morning and the photos are beautiful😍 💡You need to know before going: Daocheng Yading is in a high-altitude Tibetan area, and the severity of altitude sickness varies from person to person. It is best to get a good rest before going, and take medicine to relieve altitude sickness in advance. At the same time, there is a big temperature difference between morning and evening here, so be sure to check the weather forecast and be sure to bring thick clothes to prevent wind and rain when setting out on a sunny day! ! Avoid colds. Be sure to wear comfortable shoes for hiking! ! Prepare food, hot water and other things to replenish energy, pay attention to sun protection, it is best to prepare 🕶️sunglasses, 👒hats, trekking poles, etc. Do not exercise strenuously when entering plateau areas, drink more water and eat more fruits🍎

| Heaven for the eyes. Daocheng Yading is a place known as the "last Shangri-La". Autumn here seems to be nature's most generous gift. ⛅Autumn viewing time in Daocheng Yading Late September to November: In October, most of the leaves have changed color🍂, and it’s officially the best time to enjoy Daocheng’s autumn scenery. ⚠️Warm reminder: Autumn is the peak season in Western Sichuan. The scenery is beautiful, but the temperature is gradually decreasing, the weather is sunny and dry, and the wind is gradually increasing. It is necessary to do good skin care and sun protection, and bring thick clothes ✅Scenic spot guide 📍Address: Shangri-La Town, Daocheng County, Garze Prefecture, Sichuan Province 💰Ticket: 146 yuan/person, sightseeing car: 120 yuan/person, battery car: 80 yuan/person (round trip) ⚠️Remarks: The ticket is valid for 2 days. You can enter the scenic spot for free on the second day with your Mainland China ID card and a photo with the scenic spot gate. The second entry to the scenic spot sightseeing car is half price. 📍Scenic area tour routes At the entrance of the scenic spot → Zhaguanbeng: Take a sightseeing bus, which takes about 1 hour. There is a glass path on the Xiannairi viewing platform in the middle, where you can check in and take pictures. Zhaguanbeng→Chonggu Meadow: Hiking, more than 10 minutes Starting from Chonggu Meadow, you can enjoy long-term and short-term tours. ①Long-term route: Chonggu Meadow → Luorong Cattle Farm → Gonggacuo → Milk Sea → Five Color Sea (Currently Milk Sea and Five Color Sea are not open yet) Chonggu Meadow→Luorong Cattle Farm: Take a battery car, about half an hour Luorong Cattle Farm→Gonggacuo: Hiking . ②Short-term route: Chonggu Meadow→Chonggu Temple→Pearl Sea and Xiannairi Sacred Mountain It takes about 2 to 3 hours to hike back and forth, and the entire journey is basically a plank road, which is much easier than the long route. Warm reminder: After the closure of Milk Lake and Five-Colored Sea, the scenic spot can be visited in one day! ㊙️Aden guide get 1️⃣To enter the scenic spot, you must first take a 1-hour sightseeing bus to Zhaguubeng. This section of the road is a mountain road with many twists and turns. It is easy to get motion sickness. You can prepare motion sickness medicine or glucose, which are very useful. 2️⃣You can buy oxygen bottles in advance before departure. One bottle is about 8 yuan in Chengdu and 15 yuan in Aden. 3️⃣Travel lightly, just bring what you need and carry a small bag. Because the hiking distance is long and the altitude is high, carrying too much can easily make you doubt your life. 4️⃣The ultraviolet rays in Aden are strong and the wind is relatively strong, so prepare sunglasses, hats, sunscreen, lipstick...you can use them all 5️⃣For accommodation, it is recommended to stay in Shangri-La Town, which has complete facilities. Other Daocheng counties are too far away, and the altitude of Riva Town is too high. If you go in the peak season, you can book a hotel in advance.

🌞 The sun is just right, the breeze is gentle, let's take a trip to Daocheng Yading~ - Although Milk Sea and Five-Color Sea are temporarily closed ⭕️, it doesn't affect the stunning scenery of Daocheng Yading 🌈. There are still many spots worth checking out on the long route. The lush Luorong Pasture 🖼️, the clearly visible majestic snow mountains 🏔️, every place is breathtakingly beautiful~ · 📍 Recommended spots: Shengshui Lake Station → Shengshui Lake in front of the Snow Mountain Road → Luorong Pasture → Chonggu Meadow → Xinbao Lake → Zhuomala Lake - 🚶‍♀️ Ride an electric scooter from the Zaguanbeng Service Area to Shengshui Gate Station, walk to Luorong Pasture, then take an electric scooter from the Luorong Pasture Service Area back to Zaguanbeng, then head to Chonggu Temple - Xinbao Lake - Zhuomala Lake, and finally check out Chonggu Meadow before returning. · 💕 Travel Tips: ① Daocheng Yading has a high altitude, it is recommended to bring oxygen, glucose, and a raincoat just in case. ② The temperature difference between day and night in western Sichuan is large, bring a warm and windproof three-in-one jacket or a light down jacket. ③ The scenic area is vast, with many hiking routes, bring comfortable sports shoes or boots. ④ Bring enough water and food, such as small bread, Snickers, etc., to replenish energy at any time. ⑤ The ultraviolet rays are strong, be sure to do sun protection and moisturizing, bring sunscreen, sunglasses, and a sun hat. · ‼️ Notes for traveling in western Sichuan: ① Tickets must be booked in advance during peak season, it's easy to miss out if you book last minute. ② If you feel unwell upon arriving at the plateau, don't push yourself, rest in time. ③ The weather changes a lot (it's like this every year during these months), it's recommended to bring a raincoat instead of an umbrella. ③ For those with insufficient driving experience, for safety reasons, it is recommended to choose a local tour group or car rental service. · 🏞️ The scenery of Daocheng Yading is really beautiful, let's go!!!

- The ticket for Daocheng Yading plus the round-trip sightseeing bus is 266 yuan in total. - It is recommended to arrive at the scenic spot before 8 o'clock. On one hand, you can take photos at the entrance and grab a prime spot, and on the other hand, there are many people queuing for the bus. Arriving at the scenic spot at 8:30 may require queuing for an hour to get on the bus. - After passing the ticket gate, it takes an hour to take the bus. On the way, you can see the distant Xian Nai Ri Mountain. After getting off the bus, you will reach Yading No. 1 Station, Zha Guo Bang, where the altitude rises from 2900 meters to 3949 meters. - From Zha Guo Bang, walk 500 meters to the electric car ticket office. The electric car costs 40 yuan for a one-way trip and 70 yuan for a round trip. It is recommended to buy it to save time and energy. - Luorong Pasture: After getting off the electric car, you will arrive here. There is a blue sky, white snow-capped mountains, and golden grassland, which is a beautiful scenery in many people's hearts. But from here, you will face a 5-kilometer high-altitude hiking journey. - Wuse Lake: The highest point of Daocheng Yading, with an altitude of 4700 meters. Visitors are not allowed to go up after around 3 pm. If you want to reach the top, you need to hurry from Luorong Pasture to Wuse Lake. The scenery along the way is absolutely beautiful, but don't stop too much. Climb up first, and take photos on the way down. When climbing, you can occasionally look back for a different view. - Milk Lake: Adjacent to Wuse Lake. - Notes: - Cola and Pulse on the mountain are 10 yuan per bottle. You can bring more oxygen bottles according to your own situation, but you can't go without them. - You will pass the Vajra Challenge Line, where the steps in front are quite difficult. - The higher you go, the higher the altitude, the more steps, the more rapid your breathing will become, and the more severe the altitude sickness will be. - Remember to take photos where you can capture the snow-capped mountains and lakes in the same frame. - Finally, the whole descent takes about 1-2 hours on foot. Follow the staff's arrangements and don't miss the last bus back. The scenery of Daocheng Yading is absolutely beautiful, but the high altitude and difficult journey during the hike require full preparation. Pay attention to safety, arrange your time reasonably, and it will surely bring you an unforgettable travel experience.

'Zhagana' in Tibetan means 'the end of the great mountain cliff', where 'Zhagan' refers to 'the meditation cave on the mountain top', and 'beng' indicates the tail, meaning the large dam below the mountain rocks. It is said that a high monk once meditated in the cave on the cliff, and later a temple was built by the cave. Taking a sightseeing bus in the Yading scenic area, crossing the Nianbao Yuze mountain, gazing at the Xian Nai Ri from afar, passing through Yading Village, and getting off at Zhagana, one can choose to hike to the Luorong Pasture. The road is somewhat long, following a plank walkway that is not very dangerous. Along the way, under the blue sky and white clouds, mountains, forests, and shrubs layer upon layer, when a clear green lake and golden meadows suddenly appear before your eyes, a heavenly landscape unfolds, instantly dispelling all fatigue. Zhagana should be considered one of the best viewpoints in Daocheng Yading, hence a special viewing platform has been set up here. From this platform, you can enjoy endlessly beautiful scenery and also take photos that can be used as desktop or mobile screen savers. Therefore, the Zhagana viewpoint is definitely not to be missed! Daocheng Yading is also beautiful without blue skies and white clouds, and Zhagana in the autumn rain is even more breathtaking! Each photo could be used as a mobile screen saver, don't you think? That day in Daocheng Yading, it was raining, but it was as beautiful as described in poetry! People walking on the forest trails became a part of the scenery, facing the upcoming storm, everyone seemed very calm, perhaps intoxicated by the beautiful scenery? The Daocheng Yading in the rain has a different kind of beauty, with snow peaks shrouded in thick fog exuding an inexplicable sense of mystery, and we were all intoxicated by the beautiful scenery. Despite the storm, there was no disappointment, just a greater susceptibility to colds. Continuing along Zhagana leads to the Milk Sea, and seeing tourists braving the cold and rain to move forward, I subconsciously understood that people are still no match for the charm of beautiful scenery. Zhagana in the autumn rain lacks the stunning beauty of blue skies and white clouds, but it has a gentle beauty that is poetic and picturesque! Do you like the scenery of Daocheng Yading in the late autumn rainy season? Feel free to share your thoughts or experiences.