Newest Updates on Siguniang Dafeng: Overnight Trekking in Siguniang

Since 2023 summer we have seen huge rise of hikers to Mt. Siguniang Dafeng and Erfeng. The mountains have been overloading since then (on nature, on packhorses, on local porters and guides). An estimated daily visitor number to these 2 peaks were around 500 people.

Newest Regulation

To better protect the environment and to reduce the impact on nature, the parks of Siguniang now mandates the following regulations on overnight trekkking/hiking activities as follows (starting on 1 June 2024):

1, an daily limit number of hikers to Dafeng is 180 people and to Erfeng is 80 people. Overall no more than 260 people. (this only applys to anyone who wishes to have an overnigt inside the park either by the hut by Base Camp or Dafeng of Erfeng or by camping, this will include trips to Dafeng, Erfeng and Changping to Bipeng Hiking.)

2, the opening season for the multi-day overnight trekking/hiking (that spend a night inside the parks) is from June to October. The rest of the year (November to the next May) will be shut off for overnight trekking/camping/hiking inside any valley of Shuangqiao, Haizi and Changping.

Any day hike into any valley of Changping, Shuangqiao or Haizi are okay and not affected by this. This regulation only applys to travelers who wishes to go to Dafeng, Erfeng and Changping to Bipenggou Hiking.

Regarding Multi-day trek (overnight in the mountain)

Read Details on How Crowded Dafeng was before this New Regulation comes out.

It is required by the parks of Siguniang to hire local porter/guide team if you wish to have overnight trek to Dafeng, Erfeng, or any trek that involves overnight inside the park.

The places that are good for overnight trekking including Dafeng Summit Trek, Erfeng Summit Trek, Haizi Valley Trek, Changping Valley Trek, Changping to Bipeng Trek. Among these treks Dafeng is the most popular one and due to the overwhelming people going to Dafeng that most of the local porter/guide sources will be working on the trips to Dafeng. Below are the reasons why local porter/guide prefer to work on Dafeng trip other than other multiday treks in Siguniang.

1, Local porter/guide can make more money if people ride their horses too. As many people who go to Dafeng are inexperienced hikers now and will most likely use a horse to ride up and down.

2, Local guides are unwilling to do any trips that have more than 2 days in the mountains (popular Dafeng trip takes 2 days from Rilong). Every two days local guides can pick up some new hikers (often with many wish to ride horses) and then it’s much better money for them than any other trips. Riding a horse single way from Rilong to Dafeng BC costs between CNY400 to CNY600 depending on your body weight. Riding horse from Dafeng BC back to Rilong costs between CNY400 to CNY1000 depending on the urgency level. (some hikers often need to evacuate and it is also good chance for local guides to make money).

When using a riding horse for people can make more money, then if you don’t ride a horse, the local guides may think they are losing money.

Traveling there as Foreigner

Because of the above reasons, we (Sichuan Travel Guide) as a company catering to foreign travelers we have decided to suspend our service in Siguniang for any multi-day trekking in the mountains including Dafeng, Erfeng and the trek from Changping to Bipeng. We can still check availability for anyone who can speak mandarin and help to sign you up to one of the groups offered by local guides but we can’t ganrautee anything. Or if you are a group of over 10 people we can also try to make arrangement for you. We recommend you instead to have day hikes into each valley of Shuangqiao, Changping and Haizi instead. If you are into multi-day trekking with nights in tents, you may check other beautiful places in Sichuan such as Minya Konka, Genyen. If you are looking at summiting a 5000er, you may also consult us for alternatives where there is less/no people.