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Siguniang Shan (Four Sisters Mountain, Four Maidens
Mountain or Four Girls Mountain) has four outstanding peaks.
The highest peak is Mt. Siguniang 6250m, also called the
'Queen of Sichuan's peaks' is snow-capped all year round. The
heights of the other three peaks are: 5355m, 5455m and 5664m.
The base for visiting Siguniang is a small Tibetan town
named Rilong 日隆镇. There are two sections to the town, the main
street and a village, about 500m to the west of the town. The
main street has many souvenir shops, hotels catering mainly to
tourists on package as well as eating places. Many of the old
houses in the village are being converted to hotels and
hostels.
The area around Siguniang had been a major tourism
destination for at least ten years. Tourism development is set
to pick up further since Siguniang had been designated as a
UNESCO Heritage Site in 2006. More on Tourism Development at Siguniang.
Attractions
There are three gullies accessible from the town. Each of
them is different with their own scenic interests. Click here to view a sightseeing map.
Shuangqiao Gully 双桥沟 (34.8km):
It is the most visited valley. Entrance fee: Y80.
Tourist bus: Y80 (cheaper at off-season between December and
March). Entrance to the valley is about 8km away from Rilong.
One needs to catch local transport to get here. All transport
going to XiaoJin 小金 also passes the entrance. Cost is 5
RMB.
Changping Gully 长坪沟 (29km):
Entrance fee: Y70. Tourist bus: Y40. Entrance to this
gully is only a short walk from the east end of town. The
tourist bus can only reach a monastery (actually a ruin) about
five kms from the entrance. Tourists have to either rent a
horse or walk the rest of the valley. This gully has a
close-up view of Siguniang at Muluozi 木骡子.
Haizi Gully 海子沟 (19.2km):
Entrance fee: Y60. Entrance to the gully is about 400m
from town, on the road towards Chengdu. This gully is still in
pristine condition and there are no villages within it. It is
less visited by Chinese tourists. There are five lakes within
this gully. It has the best views of all four peaks of the
Siguniang among the three gullies. Great views at both sunrise
and sunset can be had at Guozhuangping 锅庄坪, around three km
uphill from the entrance.
More on hiking in these alpine
valleys: click here

Accommodations
Rilong town: from flashy hotels
to cheap guesthouses. During the low season, hotels offer up
to a 70% discount. Shuangqiaoguo gully: accommodation is
available at villagers at 20 RMB/night. Food is also provided
at 30 RMB (2 meals).
Changping Village: some simple
guesthouses near the bridge are run by local farmers, prices
ranging from Y10 to Y20, ideal for backpackers. From Changping
village, it is possible to walk an hour to Guozhuangping 锅庄坪
in the Haizi Gully, the best place to admire Siguniang Shan in
sunset. However it is inside the entrance and so entrance fee
is payable. Fortunately the entrance “closed” at 6pm, meaning
the staff will not bother to collect entrance fee if one
enters the gully after that.
Getting There
Rilong Town 日隆. See a Location Map. Siguniang Shan is located
220km from Chengdu. Both Chadianzi Bus Station and Xinnanmen
Bus Station in Chengdu have regular buses to Rilong, leaving
normally early in the morning. The journey takes about 7 hours
(more for 2006/2007 due to road works).
Ratings  All the 3
gullies of Siguniang has its own beauty and characteristics.
There are variety in the sceneries and development stages. One
can witness advanced tourism development in Shuangqiaoguo and
still relatively untouched pristine nature in Haizigou. Away
from the town, this area is beautiful with mountains, lakes
and villages.
When to visit
Rainy season: from May to September. Best time to
visit is in October and November.
Maps: A Sightseeing Map, Location Map
Links: Photo: Please go to our gallery. For a great essay
on photography at Siguniang, please read http://www.olegnovikov.com/cptg/sichuan/siguniangshan.shtml)
Last Visit: in October 2006 Written by CBP
in November 2006
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