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There is a place in western Sichuan, surrounded by sea of clouds, like the "Cloud Palace" in "Grave Robbers' Chronicles". When you stand here, many majestic and untouchable snow-capped mountains are lined up in front of you, and the famous mountains and ridges are transformed into exquisite bonsai in your vision. When the weather is fine, you can see snow-capped mountains, sea of clouds, sunrise, rosy clouds, sunset, starry sky and Milky Way in one day!
This is Niubei Mountain, recognized as "the most beautiful and largest 360° snow mountain viewing platform in Asia", hiding stunning world-class natural scenery. It was closed to the public for six years, making countless people dream of it. After several years of development, the Niubei Mountain Scenic Area has been continuously improved and has become a mature scenic area with stable reception capacity, safety and comfort.
How to get to Niubei Mountain in 2023? What's the fun like? How to arrange accommodations and dining? What are some important things to keep in mind? This latest guide has the answers! Save and share!
Niubei Mountain is located at the junction of Yingjing County, Ya'an City, Sichuan Province and Luding County, Ganzi Prefecture. It is a branch of Erlang Mountain and the watershed between Qingyi River and Dadu River. The top of the mountain is 3,666 meters above sea level. It is named Niubei Mountain because there is a huge rock protruding on one side of the cliff, which looks like a bull's head and the slender ridge looks like a bull's back.
Niubei Mountain was rated as "China's largest 360° viewing platform" by China National Geographic due to its unique geographical features. Niubei Mountain has six wonders - "snow-capped mountains, sea of clouds, sunset, Buddha's light, Milky Way, and golden mountain in the sun". When the weather is fine, you can watch the following wonders of nature at once.
In addition to the stunning natural scenery, the Niubei Mountain Scenic Area has also built a 360° viewing platform and photo-taking spots. Behind it are the sea of clouds and snow-capped mountains. Any photo you take will be a blockbuster that will go viral on WeChat Moments and various social media platforms!
Do not search directly for "Niubei Mountain Scenic Area" on the navigation. You can navigate according to [Luding-Lengqi Town-Niubei Mountain Scenic Area Pangou Tourist Reception Center]. If you depart from Chengdu, the recommended departure time is 8:00 am, arrive in Luding County for lunch at noon, and arrive at [Pangou Tourist Center] before 3:00 pm. Take the first transfer bus to Changhaizi Parking Lot, and then transfer to the second transfer bus to Niubei Mountain Top Scenic Area Parking Lot.
After booking accommodation in the scenic area, you can drive there by yourself. The self-driving navigation is "Niubei Mountain Scenic Area Pangou Tourist Reception Center". The self-driving route is: Chengdu-Luding-Lengqi Town-Niubei Mountain Scenic Area Pangou Tourist Reception Center-Changhaizi-Niubei Mountain Scenic Area. For specific details, please consult the scenic area hotel [Niubei Mountain Xingchen Camp] in advance.
China-TravelNote offers Niubei Mountain routes, with 2-day, 4-day, 5-day, 7-day, and 9-day trips to suit your needs.
Navigate to "Niubei Mountain Scenic Area Pangou Tourist Reception Center".
Tickets for the scenic spot can be booked on the official WeChat account of the scenic spot [Niubeishan Scenic Area].
08:30-17:00; the latest ticket sales time on the day is 14:00.
Adult tickets are 160 yuan per person, student tickets and senior tickets (60-64 years old) are 80 yuan per person.
Tourists over 65 years old need to go to a Class II or above hospital to obtain a health certificate issued within the past week to enter the scenic area.
The first transfer bus: You can buy it at the ticket office on site or book it on the official account [Scenic Spot Visitor Reception Service], the fee is 80 yuan per person (round trip from Pangou to Changhaizi)
The second section of the scenic area sightseeing bus: Book on the official account [Niubei Mountain Scenic Area], the cost is 80 yuan/person (from Changhaizi to the top of Niubei Mountain and back)
For accommodation in Niubei Mountain Scenic Area, we recommend Xingchen Camp Tent Hotel, which is located in the core area of the top of Niubei Mountain. It has a direct view of the snow-capped mountains, sunrise, and sea of clouds, and has an excellent view.
Available room types:
Scenic Ball Tent King Room
(28 sqm/1.8m King Bed/Private Bathroom/Breakfast Included)
🏨 Scenic Ball Tent Twin Room
(28 sqm/1.2m Twin Bed/Private Bathroom/Breakfast Included)
⛺️ Triangle Tent King Room
(20 sqm/1.8m King Bed/Public Bathroom/Breakfast Included)
⛺️ Triangle Tent Twin Room
(20 sqm/1.2m Twin Bed/Public Bathroom/Breakfast Included)
Triangle Tent👆
Although it is on the mountain, the camp is fully equipped with water and electricity, sufficient mobile phone signal, public washrooms, and separate toilets in the starry sky tent (public toilets in the triangle tent). Slippers, oxygen cylinders, heaters, electric blankets, camping tables and chairs and other facilities are all available to meet daily needs and make your stay comfortable.
Tent 👆
The original intention of designing the spherical tent is to allow people to see the paradise-like scenery outside without leaving the tent. When the clouds disperse at night, the west of the tent is the magnificent Gongga Snow Mountain Group, the east is the slowly rising Milky Way Arch Bridge, and the overhead is the vast and brilliant starry sky. You can enjoy the beautiful scenery of the surging sea of clouds inside the tent!
There is a yak soup pot in the camp, and there is also a restaurant in the scenic area where you can dine.
Starry Sky Restaurant: provides coffee, steak, Western fast food barbecue and other meals.
Chenxi Café: Located on the mountaintop's 360-degree viewing platform, with floor-to-ceiling windows on all sides, it offers coffee and Western-style dining.
Supermarket: Offers down jacket rentals, travel essentials, snacks and beverages, cultural and creative merchandise, and more.
The climate in western Sichuan is changeable, and weather forecasts cannot accurately predict the weather. To check the weather in Niubei Mountain, you can search for "Niubei Mountain" in the Lijing Weather app, but it is not completely accurate.
If some friends do not want to travel by car, they can also choose to travel in a group. We also have different routes to meet the travel needs of different groups of people.
You can spend two days in Niubei Mountain on the weekend and stay in a comfortable triangular tent at the Xingchen Camp. You can enjoy the sunrise and sea of clouds, the towering snow-capped mountains, take pictures of the scenery at various check-in spots, and experience the soul-stirring scenery feast in Niubei Mountain.
Friends with plenty of time can choose a four-day trip, enjoy the rolling cloud waterfalls at Niubei Mountain, check in the most beautiful sunset at Yuzixi, and appreciate the magnificence of Gongga, the vast starry sky and the sunrise and sunset at Lenggacuo up close.
We stayed in Niubei Mountain for two consecutive nights, and took photos of the snow-capped mountains, sea of clouds and starry sky. We also walked into the "Hometown of Chinese Sandware" and filmed the entire process of Yingjing sand pot production.
Newly added grassland secret highway! Niubei Mountain Starry Sky Camp (summer escape at the foot of the snowy mountains + overnight at Starry Sky Camp + sunrise over Gongga Mountain) - Siguniang Mountain Shuangqiaogou - the internet-famous Yuzixi - Moshi Park - Yala Snow Mountain; a 5-day western Sichuan summer escape loop!
For more related routes, please check out the Sichuan special topic~
Tips:
1. Bring your own commonly used medicines, such as motion sickness medicine, cold medicine, painkillers, glucose, antidiarrheal medicine, etc., in case of emergency;
2. The temperature difference between morning and evening on the top of the mountain is large. You should bring a thick coat, hat, gloves, and socks when visiting Niubei Mountain all year round. If you are particularly afraid of the cold, you can also bring your own hot packs.
3. The ultraviolet rays on the top of the mountain are strong, so take sun protection measures to avoid sunburn;
4. For those who have poor sleep quality, it is recommended to bring noise-canceling earplugs;
5. The scenic area sightseeing bus has a time limit. It is recommended to arrive at the transfer bus boarding point (Pangou Visitor Center) before 3 pm; 6. The scenic area has limited reception and rooms, so you need to make hotel reservations in advance!
In life, you must see some scenery you have never seen and meet some people you have never met, so that your trip will not be in vain. I'm waiting for you at Niubei Mountain.
