Zoigê

Wetland grasslands of the northwestern Sichuan plateau: the Flower Lake boardwalk, Rier Dam and sunset at Tangke's First Bend of the Yellow River's Nine Bends, a classic summer grassland road trip.

Zoigê County lies in northern Aba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan, on the eastern edge of the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau at the Sichuan–Gansu border, at an average altitude of about 3,500 m. It is the core of the Zoigê Wetland, the largest plateau peat bog in the upper Yellow River basin, and an important breeding ground for black-necked cranes in China. The area centers on the county seat (Dazha Temple Town): about 40 km to the north are Flower Lake and the Rier Dam grassland, and farther north the Hetawen Hot Spring Valley; about 70 km to the southwest, Tangke Town has the First Bend of the Yellow River's Nine Bends and Soke Tibetan Monastery; to the east, around Baxi and Qiuji, are Long March red heritage sites such as the Baxi Conference site and the Baozuo battle site, set among forested canyons and Tibetan villages. The best season is mid-June to August: the grassland turns green and wildflowers bloom, with daytime temperatures of about 15–22°C, making it an ideal place to escape the heat. In September the grass turns yellow with a strong autumn feel; from October to May it is cold, windy and snowy, and Flower Lake and other sights may close for the off-season or run reduced service. Getting there: self-driving from Chengdu via the Duwen Expressway and G213/G248 takes about 7–8 hours; you can also fly into Hongyuan Airport or Jiuzhai Huanglong Airport and charter a car; from Lanzhou, you can also come south via Hezuo and Langmusi. The county seat has plenty of hotels, but to watch sunset it is best to stay in Tangke. We recommend 2 days: one day for Flower Lake, Rier Dam and Dazha Temple in the county seat, and one day for sunset at the Nine Bends in Tangke; add half a day to one day for the red heritage route. Hongyuan's Moon Bay and Langmusi belong to neighboring destinations and can be linked into a Sichuan–Gansu loop. Notes: avoid strenuous activity when first arriving on the plateau; temperature swings between morning/evening and midday are large, so bring warm clothing, and UV is strong; summer afternoons often bring thunderstorms; do not walk into the marshes or chase yaks; admission prices are subject to the scenic area's current announcements.

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