Things to do in Aba Prefecture

📍Aba Li County · Taoping Qiang Village｜⏰Chengdu 2.5-3 hours｜🎫Old village 60 RMB including guide, new village 0 RMB｜Over 2000 years old, 2024 UN "Best Tourist Village". It's not just an empty scenic spot! 462 Qiang people and 115 ancient buildings are still living their lives; a living village is truly captivating. 🏰Three Unique Features 🏰Watchtower: A nine-story general's watchtower, approximately 30 meters high, earthquake-resistant, built without blueprints or cement, a national intangible cultural heritage. Climb to the top for a 360° view of the valley; circling it three times brings good luck. 💧Water Network: Spring water from 5000 meters high, with underground channels leading to each household, still in use today. Cooling + fire prevention + escape – an ancient central air conditioning system. 🧭Maze: 8 entrances and 13 interconnected passages. The Yang Family Courtyard has 72 doors; outsiders will instantly become directionally challenged. 🎭Hands-on Intangible Cultural Heritage Experience Qiang embroidery badges, mini watchtowers built from stone slabs, walnut watchtowers, Qiang flutes, sheepskin drums, and paper cutting; Shibi parades and Guozhuang flash mobs. The Qiang New Year also features a singing competition festival – the excitement will get your feet itching! 🎮How to Enjoy 1️⃣🧭 Explore the maze and exchange your purchases for silver ornaments; 2️⃣🏰 Climb a watchtower; 3️⃣🧵 Embroider Qiang embroidery/build a watchtower; 4️⃣🥔 Make potato cakes; 5️⃣📸 Rent Qiang costumes for 30-50 RMB for stunning photos; 6️⃣🌌 Stay overnight – after 7 PM, the starry sky and the sound of water create a tranquil atmosphere. 🍲Rice Stir-fried cured pork with bracken, cured pork trotter hot pot; sweet potato cakes dipped in honey, salty pickled cabbage soup, the hidden gem of stir-fried cured pork—you'll want to eat three bowls of rice in no time! Golden-wrapped silver corn rice; pickled cabbage noodles for a refreshing experience; roasted yak meat skewers, yak meat hot pot; sipping zaba liquor through bamboo tubes—"one drink, two meals"; Erma Gongyan (a banquet with hundreds of dishes). Local guide: Qiang Family Old Restaurant (50 RMB per person), Erma Family Breakfast: freshly ground soy milk. 📌Tips Free admission to the old village after 6 PM; half price for students (60-69 RMB), free for children 70+ RMB/1.2m tall. Take the bus from Chadianzi to Lixian/Wenchuan, get off at Taoping. 3-4 hours for a day trip; stay overnight if you want to try handicrafts. Best time to visit: May-October, cherries are cheap in June. Taoping = Epic Stone + Enticing Cured Pork + Hands-on Qiang Embroidery + Intoxicating Zaba Liquor. Don't just look! Navigate the maze, stack stones, embroider a stitch, cook a meal, take a sip of water, and enjoy the breeze atop the watchtower! Charge! 🏰

Nuorilang Waterfall in Jiuzhaigou is the scenic area's "face," situated at an altitude of 2365 meters. With a width of 270-300 meters and a drop of 24.5 meters, it is currently the widest known high-altitude travertine waterfall in China, earning it the title of "China's No. 1 Waterfall." "Nuorilang" means "male god" in Tibetan, symbolizing grandeur and magnificence; therefore, locals also regard it as the "most magnificent waterfall." The surging water pours down from the Nuorilang Lakes, splitting into countless streams at the top, resembling a silver river cascading down from afar; mist rises from the valley floor, and rainbows are often seen arching across the surface at dawn. Four Seasons to See - Spring: Abundant water, lush greenery, vibrant life. - Summer: Maximum water volume, roaring through the valley, countless silver beads of water. - Autumn: Surrounded by colorful forests, red and yellow intertwine, the richest color palette. - Winter: Waterfalls freeze into giant ice curtains, forming the "Blue Ice" spectacle of Jiuzhaigou. A must-see in Jiuzhaigou is Nuorilang Waterfall. Standing on the viewing platform, you can get a panoramic view of "the widest travertine waterfall + rainbow + spectacular photos of the four seasons." Suitable for photos in the morning and all year round.

The Five-Colored Pond in Jiuzhaigou is the most famous lake in the Jiuzhaigou Scenic Area. Due to differences in sunlight, terrain, and even the minerals in the water, various shades of blue—sky blue, blue-green, deep blue, and indigo—simultaneously appear in the same body of water, creating a dreamlike scene. It is believed that the scenery is even more beautiful when the leaves turn red in late autumn.

A very beautiful place. I went during the off-season, so it wasn't crowded. You take a sightseeing bus to the top and then hike down. The scenery along the way is beautiful, and the hike wasn't too tiring for a 60-year-old. If you're driving, you don't need to park in the inner parking lot; there's no free shuttle bus. Just park in the small parking lot next to the entrance to avoid unnecessary walking. The scenic area is of medium size; you can see everything in about 4 hours.

The city opens at 8:30 AM with a traditional Qiang dance performance and a Sabi sacrificial ceremony. After the ceremony at 9:00 AM, visitors can enter the council hall to attend the Qiang King's Council. At 9:40 AM, visitors can go up to the second floor to enjoy Qiang flute and string performances and visit exhibits on traditional Qiang folk culture (Qiang embroidery, Qiang medicine, the Qiang King and Queen's bedrooms, the Qiang princess's room, the steward's room, the long-term worker's room, the granary, etc.). At 10:00 AM, visitors can tour the ancient city with the Qiang King. The performers include professional dancers and retired locals, adding to the enjoyment for tourists and increasing the income of the local people. [Strong] Qiang King's Council: Two tribes violently fought for territory. The Qiang King presided over the meeting, ultimately resolving the dispute peacefully (the older folks did have a "real" argument). [Grinning] Qiang King's Tour of the Ancient City: The Qiang King, escorted by guards and a ceremonial guard, tours various attractions in the ancient city, enjoys song and dance performances, and participates in Sabi sacrificial ceremonies and prayer activities (Li Tianhao, Yu the Great, and Emperor Yan). Logically, the Qiang King should be at the front of the procession. But the tourists during the "autumn break" were so enthusiastic that the Qiang King didn't get to see a single performance [laughing emoji], he was just staring at the backs of other tourists' heads. Meanwhile, the children were "blindly worshipping" the Qiang King, scrambling to grab a small patch of land next to him. The Qiang King held three children in one hand, dividing his five fingers into three sections. Those who couldn't grab a finger ended up pulling at the corners of his robes, haha ​​[facepalm emoji]. Around 11:20, the Qiang King finished his tour of the ancient city and "went off duty." Because the young actors had to rehearse Sichuan Chao, there was no afternoon performance. I took the children for a leisurely stroll, carefully appreciating the scenery we had missed along the way. Around 1:00 PM, we left the city and took the children to visit the Ancient Qiang City Museum of China. No reservation was needed, we just went in. We were too tired to go in until almost 3:00 PM, so we went back to the hotel. I ordered food at the hotel; the taste and price were okay, but the portions were huge! [facepalm] After eating what I couldn't tell was lunch or dinner, I lay down for a while, then went on a night tour of the Ancient Qiang City at 7 pm. Because of the autumn break, the scenic area is having a three-day carnival, and tonight at 7 pm you can participate in the "Dreaming of Ancient Qiang" activity (separate ticket required) (originally an activity only available on Fridays and Saturdays), which was a pleasant surprise for me! [grinning]

Five-Flower Lake, at an altitude of 2462 meters, is 450 meters long, 313 meters wide, and 9 meters deep. It is a barrier lake formed by a landslide and debris flow blocking a former glacial valley. Five-Flower Lake is the most colorful lake in Jiuzhaigou. The travertine, algae, aquatic plants, and dead trees on the lakebed, under different reflections and refractions of light, combined with the reflections of the blue sky, white clouds, green grass, and verdant forests in the lake, create a tapestry of colors—from pale yellow and emerald green to dark green, sky blue, deep blue, and navy blue—resembling a giant ornament inlaid with countless gemstones, shimmering and magnificent. Viewed from above, it resembles a peacock spreading its tail feathers.

This is not only a stopover and supply station for trips to Jiuzhaigou, Huanglong, Hongyuan Grasslands, and Ruoergai Flower Lake, but also houses the Long March Monument, a monument unlike any other commemorative structure. The monument garden is vast, rich in content, and offers captivating scenery.

Yingxiu Town, Wenchuan County, Aba Prefecture, Sichuan Province, the epicenter of the 2008.05.12 earthquake. At that time, the "earthquake" was reported to the outside world at the county level, so it was called the "Wenchuan Earthquake". Yingxiu "Xuankou Middle School", the only "site" left, for remembrance!