[2025 Songpan Attraction] Travel Guide for Mounigou Scenic Area (Updated Mar)

Starting from Chengdu, this one-day trip is a must for family trips, solo trips, or trips with friends. 🅿️ Transportation Guide 1️⃣ Take the early train from Chengdu East Station at 6:14 a.m., arriving at Songpan Station at 11:12 a.m. The latest return train departs at 7:20 p.m. 2️⃣ Take a taxi from Songpan Station to the ancient city (approx. 10 mins). Walk or take the bus within the ancient city (CNY 2/person). 3️⃣ A chartered car to Munigou takes 40 mins one way (CNY 80–100/person). Sharing a car with 2 people is more cost-effective. Public transportation is also recommended and very convenient. 🍗 Food Guide Yak beef hot pot with milk (set meal: mushroom soup + yak beef + butter tea), pickled cabbage noodles with stir-fried beef with rice on Qingzhen Street, street-side yak beef skewers + yak yogurt, and beef pancakes with sea buckthorn juice. 👌 Special recommendation: Yak skewers, CNY 1 per skewer, super tasty! 🚗 Route Plan Munigou 1️⃣ Zhaga Waterfall (CNY 70 entry fee, winter ice waterfall only): Great for photos. The area is not very large. Take photos as you walk. It takes about 1.5–2 hrs to walk around and down the mountain. 2️⃣ Erdaohai (included in the combo ticket, emerald lake): Large area, takes more than 2 hrs. There might be some altitude sickness going up the mountain, so proceed based on your physical condition. There is snow in shady areas, which is fun to play with. You can also take photos with yaks. 3️⃣ Songpan Ancient City Take panoramic photos from the north gate wall (free), see ancient artifacts at Songzhou Museum (free), and overlook the ancient city from Xishan Plank Road (free). Return Trip Take the 5:56 p.m. train from Songpan Station and arrive in Chengdu at 8:55 p.m. ⚠️ Tips 1️⃣ The temperature in Songpan in March is -5°C–5°C. Down jackets + windbreakers are essential. 2️⃣ Munigou is at an altitude of 3,200m. Avoid strenuous exercise, as you may experience some altitude sickness. You don't need oxygen tanks; just walk slowly. 3️⃣ For transportation, it's most convenient to take the bus right outside the high-speed rail station. The bus waits at the scenic spots. It's like a group tour where everyone on the bus forms a group and travels together. You can create a group chat on the bus to communicate, which is great. This route combines ancient history and natural wonders. A budget of CNY 200+ per person is enough for this limited Sichuan-style experience! Save this post and get ready for a weekend getaway!

📍Attraction Address: Zhaga Waterfall, Munigou 🚗Attraction Transportation: 🚝Take the train from Chengdu East Station at 9:39am to Songpan Station at 11:18am, 🚝Return from Songpan Station at 6:52pm to Chengdu East Station at 9:21pm. From Songpan Station, you can take a bus or rent a car to Munigou, which takes about half an hour to the scenic area. 👍️Must-visit Attractions: Munigou Scenic Area, Songzhou Ancient City 🎟️Ticket Information: 70 💗Other Tips: The yak meat skewers and yak hot pot for CNY 1 per skewer in Songzhou Ancient City are good.

My Songpan trip 🧳 I saw a lot of complaints about Songpan online before I left, which made me hesitate, but I decided to go and see for myself 👀. I took the high-speed train from Chengdu East, and soon arrived at Songpan Station, which was very convenient 🚄. There was an official car waiting outside the station, which charged per person at a reasonable price, and took me directly to the scenic area. The driver introduced the local situation, which made me feel at ease, so I didn't have to pay attention to the carpooling 🚌. When I arrived at the scenic area, I first saw the Haizi Group. It had just snowed, and the trees around the Haizi were covered in silver, with the snow reflected in the Haizi, and the Haizi reflecting the blue sky and snow-capped mountains, like a painting 😍. Walking along the boardwalk, it was quiet all around, and I could only hear the sound of footsteps and the occasional sound of snow falling, as if I had entered an uninhabited world of ice and snow, which was very interesting ❄️. There were not many people, so I could enjoy the scenery slowly, which was very comfortable 😌. Walking further into the forest, there was a small path with beautiful snow scenery on both sides, and snow hanging on the branches. When the wind blew, the snow fell, like a fairyland 🌈. Along the way, I could see small lakes in the forest, with thin ice on the surface, and the sun shining brightly, which was quite dreamy ☀️. Breathing in the fresh air, I felt happy and forgot all my worries 🤗. After visiting the scenic area, I was hungry, so I went to the ancient city to find something to eat, and ordered yak hot pot at a small shop frequented by locals 🥘. The pot was full of ingredients, with fresh and juicy yak meat, paired with fresh vegetables, cooked in the soup, and dipped in a special sauce, which was very satisfying 🥳, and I didn't even feel the cold outside. After eating, it was still early, so I strolled around the ancient city to experience the local atmosphere 🤝. When it was time, I took a taxi to the high-speed train station and took the high-speed train home 🚄. This trip to Songpan was worth it, with beautiful scenery, convenient transportation, delicious food, and friendly and enthusiastic locals, which made me feel warm inside, and I felt it was a treasure land, and I hope it will always be good 💕. If you're looking for a fun and unique place, don't miss Songpan 😎.

🎀 "Songpan, a fairyland so beautiful it takes my breath away!" 🎀 Because it had just snowed, the entire forest and lake were covered in snow. ❄️ There were very few tourists, and as I walked along the road to Erdao Lake, the world was silent, and I felt like I was the only person in the world. 👀 Only the occasional bird call reminded me that this was not a fairyland... 😱 🚄 Here's the itinerary ⬇️ 11:11 Depart from Chengdu East, 13:03 Arrive at Songpan Station. After leaving the station, take the green bus 🚌, CNY 40/person. The driver will take you to two scenic spots in Munigou and wait for you the whole time! 1️⃣ Zhaga Waterfall The first scenic spot is the waterfall, but it is now the dry season, so the scenery is average. 😕 The driver gave us 1 hour to visit, so we just took a look and returned to the car, heading straight to the next scenic spot! 2️⃣ Erdao Lake This is the highlight!!! There are many beautiful lakes in the forest. 😤 Although there is not much water in the lake now, the snow scenery is really unique. ❄️ There are many lakes of different sizes along the way, such as Emerald Lake, Lianli Lake, Toudao Lake, and Erdao Lake. You must walk to the last Erdao Lake! It is the largest, with the greenest and bluest water and the most beautiful scenery! It can only be described as stunning!!! Many people didn't make it to the end and missed the whole world. 😭 The whole mountain road is ethereal and quiet, and you can completely relax and cleanse your mind. It is so stress-relieving and healing... 3️⃣ Return to Songpan Ancient City On the return trip, the driver will take everyone back to the ancient city, where you can choose a highly rated beef hot pot restaurant. CNY 200 for a large pot of yak meat, with so many vegetables that they overflow. Eating a steaming hot pot in the snow is a blissful experience. 🥰 🚄 Songpan Station 21:20 - 22:55 After leisurely eating and wandering around the ancient city until 8:30, you can take a taxi to the high-speed rail station and go home. There is plenty of time. 😁 Overall, Songpan is just perfect... There are not many tourists, the planning is perfect, the transportation is convenient, the official bus route is very reasonable, and all the locals and drivers are very enthusiastic and simple. There are no sellers who rip you off, and the scenic area explicitly prohibits the sale of goods. All goods are basically the same price, and you can see that the government has done a good job of planning, just to present a better appearance to tourists. 👏 If you are tired of Jiuzhaigou and Western Sichuan, you must visit Songpan!! It is the best experience in the entire northwest of Sichuan!!! 😎

If anyone goes to Jiuzhaigou and is looking for a nearby place to visit, I would like to recommend another beautiful natural tourist attraction that is not far from Jiuzhaigou, which is “Mou Nigou Park”. The highlight of Mounigou Park is Zhaga Waterfall, which is the highest limestone waterfall in China. It is almost 100 meters high. The water falls down in cascades. It is very beautiful. And because it is limestone, the rocks are yellow and gold. The white, clear water contrasting with the golden yellow rocks is amazing. Very pretty! This park does not only have Zhaga Waterfall. There are other places to walk and see. But due to the limited time, when I went, I only walked to see Zhaga Waterfall, which is the highlight. But it is very worthwhile because the path is surrounded by beautiful nature. The waterfall is also very magnificent. It is really worth a visit. 💞Reason for recommendation: In addition to its beauty, I would like to recommend this place because 1. It is not far from Jiuzhaigou. If you come to visit Jiuzhaigou, you can stop by. Definitely worth it. 2. Height. Huanglong Park is another popular place to visit when visiting Jiuzhaigou, but it is quite (really) high, the air is thin, and there is a lot of walking. So I would like to recommend this place instead for those who do not want to walk a lot and are worried about altitude sickness. #NatureAttractions

My bestie and I took a high-speed train to Western Sichuan. I have to say, this place is a paradise on earth! 😍 You can make a round trip over the weekend. 🔁 Come to Western Sichuan to enjoy the autumn scenery. You won't want to leave! 💖 ▪️Songpan Grassland The vast grassland is like a green ocean. The wind blows the grass to reveal the sheep. 🐏 It's so refreshing. ▪️Red Army Long March Monument 🗡️ Pay tribute to the martyrs and feel the spirit of the Long March and that magnificent history. You will be filled with respect. ▪️Munigou The waterfall and cascade are spectacular. You can't help but marvel at the wonders of nature. 🤩 ▪️Jiuzhaigou The autumn scenery in Jiuzhaigou is breathtaking. 🤩 The colorful lakes are like gems in the mountains, as if you are in a fairy tale world. ▪️Huanglong The colorful forest and calcified pools in Huanglong are also unique. 🌳 You will be enchanted. ▪️Songpan Ancient City It retains its ancient style. 🏯 Walking through it is like traveling back in time. 🏨 About Accommodation I recommend staying near Chuanzhusi. We stayed at Minjiang Star Hotel in Songpan. 🏨 The room is spacious, with a separate toilet and shower. It's quiet at night, so even a light sleeper like me can sleep through the night. It's just like being at home. 🏠 It's very comfortable! You won't feel cramped here, and the environment and price are very reasonable for Western Sichuan! It's great value for money. I'll choose this place again next time! ⚠️ Travel Tips: The temperature difference between day and night in Western Sichuan is large. Remember to bring sunglasses, a hat, and warm clothes. Don't catch a cold before you come!

|The train goes directly to Songpan Station in about 1.5 hours. The Songpan Station of the Sichuan-Qinghai Railway🚞 has been opened, making the journey from Chengdu to Songpan very convenient. And 3 new stations have been added, Songpan Station, Huanglong Jiuzhai Station, and Huangshengguan Station. The opening of these stations makes traveling in Western Sichuan more convenient. Isn't it the Mid-Autumn Festival🥮 is coming soon? Huanglong Jiuzhai is too crowded, so go to Songzhou Ancient City and take a leisurely stroll. Starting from Chengdu, it only takes about 1.5 hours to reach this place full of history and natural landscapes. The entire itinerary is perfect for a two-day weekend excursion. 🌟The following is a summary of my experience in Songpan, I hope to provide you with some reference. 🏔️Day one Chengdu—Songpan EMU: Take the EMU from Chengdu to Songpan Station, which takes about 1.5 hours. The car is very comfortable, and you can enjoy the plateau scenery outside the window along the way. It can be reached by plane✈️ or by car🚗, but now that the high-speed train🚄 is open, it is very convenient to take the high-speed train. There are buses and direct buses to scenic spots when you arrive. If you want to take photos all the way, I recommend renting a car or chartering a car after arriving. The price It doesn’t cost more than 100 yuan per person and you can rent it for a whole day. ☀️Songzhou Ancient City Songzhou Ancient City: The ancient city of Songzhou is very historical. The stone roads, Ming Dynasty ancient city walls and various exquisite ancient buildings are worth seeing. There are many small shops in the city where you can buy handicrafts and local delicacies. Don't miss the "Double Cranes" and "Double Deer" on the city gate, which symbolize good luck and good luck. Red Army Long March Monument🚩 Red Army Long March Monument: Visit the Red Army Long March Monument in Songpan and learn about the history of the Red Army’s Long March. The sculpture group under this monument is very shocking, giving people a solemn feeling, and it is also a vivid patriotism education lesson. 🏔️The next day Munigou Scenic Area🌅 Muni Valley: Muni Valley is famous for its primeval forests and beautiful lakes. In the morning, you can go to Zhaga Waterfall, which is called "China's Yao Chi". The waterfall is magnificent and the water flow is crystal clear. The surrounding forest environment is very primitive and the air is particularly fresh. Erdaohai and Moon Lake are very close to Muni Valley. If you are interested, you can go and have a look. Or Huanglong Jiuzhai⛰️ A fairyland like a fairy tale: Huanglong's colorful calcified pools are dazzling with light and shadow, and the lakes and valleys of Jiuzhaigou are beautiful and pure☁️. They are magnificent treasures gifted by nature and are fascinating. 🌟Recommended niche attractions 🌄Niger Valley A primitive Tibetan village that has not yet been developed, surrounded by the Giant Panda National Park and Huanglong Nature Reserve. Here you can learn about traditional Tibetan culture and experience local customs and customs 🌄Maggie Village A small Qiang-style village, the architecture of Maiji Village blends into the natural environment. The houses surrounded by flowers and the Qiang watchtowers make the village full of unique charm. Tranquility keeps people away from the hustle and bustle Evening: Return to Songpan Station and return to Chengdu ⚠️Travel tips 🚗Transportation: The transportation in Songpan is very convenient. After the express train reaches it directly, it is recommended to rent a car or charter a car locally to visit major attractions.

Round trip from Chengdu to Munigou Scenic Area and Songpan Ancient City on the same day. Attention, everyone! Here is all the essential information. Transportation: After each high-speed train arrives, there are buses to Songpan Ancient City and Munigou Scenic Area. There are also shuttle buses to Jiuzhai and Huanglong. All buses depart from the station square. Very convenient! Bus: The ticket from Songpan Station to Songpan Ancient City is 2 yuan, and the journey takes 15 minutes. The round-trip ticket from Songpan Ancient City to Munigou Scenic Area is 25 yuan, which includes a transfer to Zaga Waterfall and Erdao Sea. Each segment from the ancient city to Zaga, Erdao Sea, and back to the ancient city takes about 30 minutes. Taxi: The fare from Songpan Ancient City to Songpan Station is 20 yuan. Food: I recommend Haiyan BBQ next to Dicos in the ancient city, 1 yuan per skewer. I originally wanted to try Gansu noodles, but it was closed, so I went to Laomin Restaurant across the street. The beef soup pot is good. A few steps further is the Halal beef and mutton market, where you can buy fresh beef to take home. I originally had a ticket to return to Chengdu at around 9 pm, but I changed it to 7 pm. A round trip on the same day is very easy!

Due to a travel companion's altitude sickness headache, we gave up on Huanglong and turned to Muni Valley instead, but I really don't regret it. We set off at eight in the morning, just as last night's snow hadn't melted, and were treated to a beautiful journey of sunshine, snow-capped peaks, and coffee-like scenery, with forests, grass mats, waterfalls, and plank roads, all filled with small yet exquisite views, experiencing the fantasy of a snowy May. The scenic area charges 70 per person, and you can drive directly in, stopping as you wish along the way, and walking the plank roads to the waterfalls. Since most people on this route are heading to Jiuzhaigou and Huanglong, the Muni scenic area is very, very quiet, comfortable, and not tiring. We played and walked for 3 hours, and in the afternoon headed to Jiuzhaigou, making it a nice stopover.

If it weren't so close to Jiuzhaigou and Huanglong, it would definitely receive more attention. But the splendor of Jiuzhaigou and Huanglong is so outstanding that visitors naturally prefer to go to the top-ranked places. Even though the second-ranked is also beautiful, it still gets few visitors. The area of Mounigou is vast, and the main developed areas are Erdaohai and Zhaga Waterfall. Erdaohai is known for its forests and lakes, with landscapes similar to Jiuzhaigou, while the travertine waterfalls at Zhaga Waterfall are more reminiscent of Huanglong. It's like a 'mini Jiuzhaigou' and 'mini Huanglong'. And there are almost 'zero tourists'. Do you know how awesome that is? Vast forests and grasslands seem to be prepared just for you alone. Occasionally, you can see horses grazing. Strolling around is just so cool, with no people! Really, no people!!

Mouni Gorge is only about ten kilometers away from Songpan County, and is composed of Zhaga and Erdaohai two scenic spots. It is very convenient to drive from Songpan County. After crossing the Mouni Gorge Bridge, go to the Zhaga Waterfall on the left and Erdaohai on the right. Tickets can only be bought online, but in fact, each scenic spot can be bought separately. You can drive directly to the entrance of the pedestrian plank road in the Zhaga Waterfall Scenic Area, which is very convenient. After a heavy rain last night, the water volume of the Zhaga Waterfall surged, and the momentum was majestic. When you reach the top of the waterfall, you can see the waterfall's energy piercing the rainbow, pouring down, which is quite shocking. The only regret is that the water has become as turbid as the Yellow River, losing its usual clarity. Erdaohai Scenic Area is mainly for viewing alpine lakes, with Toudao Sea, Erdaohai, Emerald Lianli Pool, Emerald Lake, etc., which can be compared with the water of Jiuzhai. Mouni Gorge is a very niche scenic spot with few people and beautiful scenery. It lacks the crowds of Huanglong and Jiuzhai, and has a unique tranquility. The ticket is only 100, compared to its scenery, it is great value!

Muni Valley is located in Songpan, the scenic area is divided into two parts: Erdaohai and Zhaga Waterfall, there is about half an hour's drive between the two, there is no scenic area transportation, self-driving is the most convenient. Muni Valley has the beauty of both Huanglong and Jiuzhaigou, although it is a mini version, but the scenery is beautiful and there are few people, it is worth a visit.