Suopo Ancient Towers
梭坡古碉群
Dozens of ancient watchtowers stand densely on the hillsides of the Dadu River's east bank, including four-, five-, eight- and even thirteen-sided towers. It is the most concentrated area of the “land of a thousand towers.”
The Suopo Ancient Towers lie in Suopo Township, about 5 km southeast of Danba County town, on the east-bank hillsides of the Dadu River. Around 80 ancient towers survive, built several hundred to over a thousand years ago. This is the densest cluster of towers in Danba. Together with the Zhonglu towers, it is listed as a national key cultural relic protection unit. The towers are built of flat stone and yellow mud, mostly 20–40 m tall, with four-, five- or eight-sided floor plans. A rare thirteen-sided tower also stands here. They served for defense, for signaling with beacon fires, and as symbols of family status. Folk tradition holds that a family would start building a tower when a boy was born. The best viewing spot is the roadside observation platform on the west bank of the Dadu River, where you can see the towers scattered across the hillside opposite. You can also cross a bridge and climb to Moluo Village for a closer look at the towers and Jiarong houses. Admission varies by site, and viewing from across the river is free. By taxi, it is about 15 minutes from the county town. Note that most ancient towers have no internal stairs and are old and fragile, so climbing them is strictly prohibited. Watch for falling rocks on mountain roads in the rainy season.
Opening hours
All day