Alex Tang
Kangding is the capital town of Garze and also the biggest town in western Sichuan. There is an area larger than just Kangting Town that is called Kangding in general including the smaller places such as Xinduqiao, Tagong, etc where many beautiful places of interest are located. Tagong is a small village located 80km west to Kangding and it is one of the most beautiful and wild places to visit in Kangding. Tagong and Xinduqiao provide places to visit that are not exactly tourist parks such as Mugetso Park or Hailuogou Glacier Park, but rather wild and even unexplored places to see.
Tagong Grassland
This article is based on many trips since 2009 when we first went to Tagong and Kangding. Some places are now very famous but some places are still quiet and wild due to its hard access.
As a traveler and a guide, below is what I really think of these places in terms of traveling. I myself like nature and hiking so it is only my personal point of view.
Hailuogou Glacier Park and Mugetso Park are well-maintained parks, there is entrance fee to go in. They are worth visiting and it is very straight forward because it is a park you just go and visit. Hailuogou Glacier Park is more worthy than Mugetso Park if you want to choose between them.
Xinduqiao and Tagong are more generally just places other than parks where you can go directly without paying any entrance fees, but if you don’t do your home work you may end up not knowing where exactly to go in Xinduqiao and Tagong. Xinduqiao as a travel destination is overated. Xinduqiao has the best hotels around here but there is basically nothing to see in Xinduqiao except just hotels. If you want to see things you need to go outside of Xinduqiao to the neighboring places such as Yuzixi, Lenggu Temple, Tagong Grassland or Bamei Moshi Park or further south to western part of Minya Konka. Moshi Park is a tourist park too. Yuzixi is a famous photo site that usually has lots of visitors during sunset. Lenggu Temple is a place I found by myself and no one goes there.
Yuzixi is at the mountain top near Xinduqiao that one can see the whole range of Minya Konka West. It is around 40 minutes drive from the town of Xinduqiao if no traffic. The sunset golden glow on the mountain has become a super popular thing to do while traveling here. During busy season you often see traffic jams on the small road up to Yuzixi. There is a camp hotel by Yuzixi but it’s usually expensive. There is one monastery called Chumogong that is located slightly lower by Yuzixi.
Driving to Yuzixi
Sunset by Yuzixi
Autumn Color near Xinduqiao
Lenggu Temple is located south to Xinduqiao for around 40 minutes drive to get to. It is also on higher part of the mountains. Road can get me to the temple and from the temple I need to walk up for around 1h to get to the mountain top. It was easy walk even with my backpack. On top of the mountain it is a large area of rolling grassland where the view is open. To its east is the whole range of Minya Konka. It was a pity that I didn’t catch a full sunset view due to the cloud. But it is still super nice. I set up tent there one night and planned to walk around the next morning before go back. This kind of terrain is not steep. I would like to come back here in summer to see when it is in green color.
Mountain View from above the Temple
Lenggu Temple and Mt. Yala
Hovering Vulture
Nomads herding Yaks
Cool Monk by Lenggu Temple
Camping by above Lenggu Temple
Great Mountain View from above the Temple
Tagong Grassland refers to the vast area of the land north to Xinduqiao and south to Bamei. For visitors it may refers only to the parking spot by the Muya Golden Tower where you pay 20 yuan to walk up the boardwalk to take photos and leave. Most travelers that go to Tagong are simply making this stop and leave either because of tight schedule and limited time or possibly they don’t know there are other places to see in Tagong. Geologically, Yuzixi is also part of Tagong Grassland but the roads don’t connect so Yuzixi is still considered to be in Xinduqiao for its easier access by driving. My colleagues and I we’ve first worked here since 2009 and now we want to write down what we’ve explored around Tagong and hopefully can be helpful to people who also want to explore more while traveling to Tagong.
Horse-racing in Tagong
Tagong Grassland Hiking
It is a very similar place as Yuzixi only the views of mountains are further. A good thing about this place is that no one knows this place yet so it’s not spoiled. Views of Minya Konka Range, Mt. Yala and Yamu are very beautiful same as that of Yuzixi. You can drive to this place with strong cars from Tagong for around 40 minutes. There are tents set up by local people to serve tea and food during travel season. You can also walk from Tagong to this place on ridgeline with excellent views that takes around 5 hours.
Guide Dolo
Village in Tagong
Mt. Yala over Tagong Grassland
Tagong Grassland Mountain View
Anigongma is a village of Buddhist schools and temples. It is a hidden place on Tagong Grassland and in recent years there are more and more travelers come here. There is a very beautiful hike that starts from Anigongma and ends by Dolagamo Village that takes around 8hours. It is one of the best day hikes in Tagong that you can learn and visit the biggest nunnery in Kangding and enjoy the ambiance of the religious culture, as well as pleasant hiking on grassland with excellent mountain views.
Holy Mountain Yala
Tagong Grassland in Summer
Anigongma Village
Muya Grand Temple
This place is only accessed by foot or horse. There are several lakes by the west side of Mt. Yala and Mt. Yamu where local nomads go to herd yaks and collect herbs. These lakes are very beautiful and perfect for hiking and horse-riding. Walking up to the lakes at some parts it can get steep. Sleeping by the lakes you will need to cope with the high altitude. My last trip to the lakes was in 2021 October. My plan was to go further into the deserted shrine by the end of the valley that is east to Mt. Yamu. The Buddhist shrine has long been deserted. I found only Himalayan blue sheep up there. I need to sleep in tent for at least one night in order to go further. After the shrine I came out and camped by the open grassland where I got excellent views of Minya Konka mountains.
Tagong Grassland in Fall
Tagong Grassland Mountain Sunset
Tagong Grassland Airplane
Tagong Grassland Yamu Yumtso Lake
Tagong Grassland Deserted Shrine
Himalayan Blue Sheep
Exploring Tagong Grassland
Tagong Grassland Mountain View of Lamoshe
Tagong Grassland Mountain View of Minya Konka
Tagong Grassland in the Morning
Nomads Tents by foot of Mt. Yamu
Yamu Yumtso Lake
I’m not sure if this place is called Jiangba but rather to tell a difference with Yuzixi. It is an elevated land without any villages but just rolling grassland. This is another place that is quiet and with excellent views of Minya Konka Mountains is the southern part of Tagong Grassland that some basic roads can lead to higher spots. Jiangba is a village east to Yuzixi. The road from Yuzixi Village and from Tagong can get you to the spots where you get great views of the mountains while not having the many other people around. During certain seasons you can even camp here for good photos if you are keen photographers.
Mt. Yala
Minya Konka Range from Jiangba
Open View from Jiangba
Lotus Mountains from Jiangba
Since a park by north of Mt. Yala was built, it has made the classic trek from Kangding to Tagong impossible. Therefore this trek was altered into starting from Tagong and ends by the park of Mt. Yala. It is similar to the trek from Kangding to Tagong only with fewer days. This trek is very beautiful and also a hard trek with camping. It takes total 3 days plus some acclimating days of walking. The trek itself starts from Tagong grassland and walk over the 4800m pass and drop down to a camp that has wild hot spring, then the trek goes out to the park with total 3 days starting and ending in Tagong. It involves sleeping in a tent for 2 nights.
Camping by Tagong Grassland
Hike over the Pass to Mt. Yala
Hot Spring Camp
Yala Mountain Park
Tagong is a very interesting place to visit. It has not only wild nature but also interesting culture and people to see. Please read more details here to learn more about Tagong.
Route: Tagong / Anigongma / Dola Gamo / Tagong
Route: Tagong - Balang Shengdu - Tagong
Route: Tagong - Mt. Yala - Tagong
