I thought Western Sichuan was a treasure trove, until I went to Maerkang.

I thought Western Sichuan was a treasure trove, until I went to Maerkang Compared to popular destinations, I prefer unique niche destinations Western Sichuan is a popular destination in summer and autumn, attracting tourists from all over the world On the vast Western Sichuan Plateau, there is a historical city that is seriously underestimated - Maerkang Many tourists only use it as a transfer station, but they don't know that there are many treasures here As long as you experience it once, you will be shocked by its rich natural and cultural landscapes Every attraction here is breathtaking Grasslands, ancient temples, snow-capped mountains, canyons, dazzling There are also very few tourists, leisurely and wonderful Follow my footsteps on a journey through nature 🗺Route: DAY1: Chengdu—Changlie Temple—Maerkang DAY2: Genda Temple—Songgang Watchtower—Kopan Street—Dazang Temple—Maerkang DAY3: Xisuo Residential Group—Vairocana Holy Cave—Return The attractions are relatively scattered, you can drive by yourself or take a chartered car Recommended features 1. Dazang Temple Located in the deep mountains north of Maerkang, it was built in 1414. The temple is magnificent, with continuous halls and monks' houses covering three hillsides, mostly stone and wood flat-roofed buildings, with architectural features of the Ming and Qing dynasties It is now a national key cultural relics protection unit, and the temple still preserves the ivory seals, woven cotton fabrics, jade-granted celestial garments, five-Buddha crowns, imperial edicts and imperial decrees presented by Emperor Qianlong The location is excellent, surrounded by snow-capped mountains, herds of cattle and sheep, and large alpine meadows, with abundant wildflowers on the meadows, which are breathtakingly beautiful. Many locals and lamas set up tents on the meadows beside the temple to drink tea and chat Tickets: None 2. Changlie Temple Located on Changlie Mountain in the suburbs, it is magnificent, solemn and sacred. It has a history of more than 800 years. There are many halls here, which are magnificent and have many highlights. There is also a huge Buddha statue under construction in the temple, which is extremely shocking. When you walk in front of it, you feel like you have megalophobia~ There is a wide alpine meadow beside the temple, where you can camp and enjoy the view of the city You can drive directly into the temple without hiking, there are many mountain roads, suitable for old drivers The vegetarian food in the temple is said to be very good Tickets: None . 3. Songgang Direct Wave Ancient Watchtower Built during the reign of Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty, it consists of two stone and wood watchtowers, one of which is an octagonal watchtower 43 meters high, which has tilted 2.3 meters in the past 100 years, known as the Chinese version of the Leaning Tower of Pisa Tickets: None 4. Kopan Street The official village built by Songgang Tusi in imitation of the Potala Palace, located on a dangerous mountain ridge, including the official village ruins, official residence watchtower, dozens of Jia Rong residential houses, etc. You can enjoy a panoramic view of the vast mountains while strolling among them Tickets: None 5. Genda Temple Located on the hillside of the city, it is built on the mountain, layer upon layer. The most eye-catching thing is the rows of magnificent golden pagodas and the huge golden Buddha statue in front of the temple gate, especially suitable for visiting in the morning, when the golden pagodas and Buddha statue shine brightly in the sunlight Tickets: None 6. Xisuo Residential Area Very close to the city, the entire Tibetan village is built along the river, with houses lined up and staggered. The houses in the village are all three-story stone buildings, built with stone slabs, with carvings on the door and window frames, which are very local Tickets: None 7. Vairocana Holy Cave A cliff cave temple where Tsangyang Gyatso practiced, the terrain is extremely dangerous, with holy springs, prayer flags and other landscapes. It takes 2-3 hours to walk back and forth, and you can also drive there, but only for old drivers Tickets: None 8. Zhuokeji Tibetan Village A national key cultural relics protection unit, the Tusi official village with a history of hundreds of years, is magnificent and imposing. It is also a place where the Red Army lived during the Long March. Unfortunately, it needs to be repaired due to the deformation of the building structure, and currently only the exterior can be viewed 🍲Accommodation There are many hotels in Maerkang city, with different prices 🍲Food Guide: Qiu Er Restaurant: A Sichuan restaurant with large portions and good value for money, highly recommended fresh stir-fried mushrooms every day Tubolinca Ecological Tibetan Restaurant: A relatively authentic Tibetan restaurant, with good hand-grabbed beef and stir-fried beef