Things to do in Batang

The moment the sun came out, it was all worth it. The scenic area still has room for further development; compared to other attractions in western Sichuan, it's relatively simple. Driving in is a pleasant experience, and on a sunny day, it's a place worth passing through.

📍30km west of Litang, one of China's most beautiful grasslands. Eyes📸, body🐎, mouth🥩, all in one stop! 📍Coordinates Approximately 30km west of Litang County, G318 passes through it. About 300km², surrounded by mountains, a hidden gem along the Sichuan-Tibet Highway. I. 👀Scenery 🌸July-August: A green carpet + Gesang flowers, wolfsbane, and asters, a vibrant palette of colors. 🍂September-October: A golden yellow carpet, stretching all the way to the foot of the snow-capped mountains. 💧Wuliang River S-bend: Morning mist and sunset with their own filter, perfect for highway photography between 9-11 am. 🏔Genye Sacred Mountain: Snow-capped mountains + sea of ​​flowers + grassland in one frame, nine photos aren't enough. 🐄🐎Yaks, horses, and white felt tents, time travel at 0.5x speed. II. Activities 🐎 Horse Riding: Approximately 50-80 RMB/hour. A herdsman will lead you through a sea of ​​flowers; negotiate the price beforehand. 🏹 Tibetan Archery, yurt butter tea, stone slab barbecue; if you're lucky, you might be invited to stay overnight. 🏇 Daye Horse Racing Season: Around July 30th, thousands of riders set off simultaneously, displaying impressive horseback riding with a "ga jiu" (a traditional Tibetan custom). 📸 The S-curve viewing platform is free; do not drive on the grass. 🌌 Stargazing Campsite: Tents in Hango Flower Village are approximately 100 RMB/night; toilets and water are available. Do not camp alone; bring a sleeping bag with a temperature of -15℃. The Milky Way is spectacular at the small hill behind Heni Township. 🧺 Picnic in the Flower Sea: Bread, hot milk tea, fruit, and distant views of marmots and yaks; take all your trash with you. III. Food 🥩 Yak Hot Pot: A high-altitude warming essential; the broth is flavorful and the meat is firm. 🖐Hand-pulled yak meat: Torn by hand and served with butter tea. Ajia La Tibetan Restaurant, approximately 60 RMB per person. 🥔Uncle Suobo's yak meat stew with potatoes: A must-try in Heni Township, he's only made this dish for over ten years, and it's delicious. 🍚Tsampa: Barley flour + butter tea, the owner teaches you how to make it yourself. ☕Butter tea/Sweet tea: Savory and warming, sweet tea is beginner-friendly. 🥛Yak yogurt + ginseng fruit: Purely sour, sprinkled with sugar and mixed with fern root. 🫓Barley cake: Warm and delicious on the street, better than energy bars for hiking. 🐟Highland cod: A specialty of the Wuliang River, scaleless and tender, the broth is perfect with potato rice. 🏠Restaurants: Legendary Litang Cultural Theme Restaurant, approximately 75 RMB per person; Weizhen Restaurant; Dongchengmen Highland Flavor Food Truck. IV. 💡Tips 🗓June-August: Flower fields; September-October: Golden hues. ⛰3800-4500m: Acclimatize in Litang first, choose a hotel with oxygen supply. 🍽Tibetan cuisine is hearty; don't overindulge. 🚗G318, west of Litang, free scenic parking area, no shuttle bus. 📍Sister Lakes, about 20 minutes, glacier, blue lake + snow-capped mountains. Don't just treat Litang as a stopover. 🌸🐎🏇🌌🥩 are already laid out; once you park, they'll make you want to stay. Go for it, but take your trash with you, prevent altitude sickness, and leave your stomach empty!

Sister Lake is a dazzling pearl on the Sichuan-Tibet line - Haizishan Nature Reserve is located between Batang and Litang. It is the largest ancient glacier relic on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and is famous for its "Daocheng Ancient Ice Cap". "Sister Lake", also called "Glasses Lake", lies quietly on Haizi Mountain, like two beautiful and shy girls waiting to be married, looking so holy. Surrounded by snow-capped peaks, she is like two bright stars. The pearl is like two drops of tears from the snow-capped mountains, sprinkled at the foot of the mountain.

Cuopu Lake is located in Batang County, Sichuan Province, at an altitude of 4,100 meters. Although it is less than 40 kilometers away from National Highway 318, the road conditions are poor, there is no mobile phone signal in the ditch, and there are few tourists. The local villagers live in a relatively primitive way. Tourists usually start from Batang, and after more than two hours in Cuopu Valley, they finally reach Cuopu Lake. The beautiful scenery in front of them makes all the hard work along the way go to nothing. Suddenly, I was reluctant to disturb the tranquility here. I walked forward silently, and found that in the process of getting closer and closer, the picture of Cuopu Lake at each step was different, whether it was the level, color, and texture.

We were supposed to go directly to Litang! But when we arrived in Batang, it was already getting dark in the county town! We were so hungry that we had to fill our stomachs! We stayed in Batang for one night. After leaving Batang, we drove along the winding mountain roads and rivers on National Highway 318! Both banks were already green! The mountain flowers were in full bloom! The rapeseed flowers were golden and pleasing! The temple stood solemnly by the river! Everyone was in awe!

The trip was fulfilling: early rising was required; the hotel was well-located, clean, and comfortable; the hotel breakfast was good; the driver was skilled and punctual; there was no shopping; it was great value for money; the scenery was superb; the itinerary was well-planned; the driver was very professional; and the travel experience was excellent.

The weather wasn't great, but it was still incredibly beautiful, almost unrealistically so, haha. It cleansed my soul, and I didn't want to leave. I even encountered some squirrels. Along the way by bus, we saw even more beautiful undeveloped canyons, streams, and trees. I look forward to more areas being developed in the future.

Biggest Buddhist temple outside of Tibet - a must visit if you're in Shangri-la, or Yunnan in general.

Worth to visit if it’s your first time being there but not suitable for old folks because there are a lot of stairs climbing. Big temples.

The scenery is beautiful and highly recommended. The experience is great, but it takes 6-7 hours to reach the top of the mountain. It is recommended to drive into the scenic area (there is a 200 yuan environmental protection fee per vehicle), but the time is flexible. The roads in the scenic area are narrow, steep, and have very sharp bends, so experienced drivers are needed for safety.