Things to do in Tongren

I went during the National Day Golden Week holiday and stepped into the autumn of the Qilian Mountains. The golden grasslands, the melting snow from the glaciers, and the dense forests were breathtaking. I took photos every step of the way. The only regret was not being able to climb to Tianchi Lake. I will definitely come back next time.

The scenic area seemed reasonably priced, and the scenery was very beautiful. However, the facilities within the area weren't particularly interesting. It's best to come here at sunset to watch the Yellow River. Overall, the experience was still worthwhile.

Online ticketing is very convenient for the attractions along the Sichuan-Gannan Grand Loop! After taking the escalator up to the mountaintop for the view, I recommend walking down the wooden boardwalk for the rest of the journey. However, the parking lot for the escalator is quite far from the entrance! There's no shuttle bus either! Ultimately, we had to split up: one person went down the stairs to get the car, and the other walked down the boardwalk. The experience was just so-so!

I visited Guange Valley during the National Day holiday, and it wasn't too crowded. It's known as "Little Jiuzhaigou," but it's several levels below Jiuzhaigou. Guange Valley is more fun to visit than E'man Valley. E'man Valley is poorly designed; the shuttle bus doesn't go to the top, so you have to walk 10 kilometers one way, making it 20 kilometers round trip, which leaves most tourists disappointed.

The scenery is truly beautiful. The weather was great the day I went, so the scenery was absolutely gorgeous. The lake, the flower-filled lake, and the ecological environment are simply amazing. There's a commercial street right outside with all sorts of food options, which is very convenient.

The scenic area is vast and beautiful, with unique mountains and rocks creating a stunning landscape. Climbing to the top offers a panoramic view of the surrounding mountains, a truly magnificent sight. It's definitely worth a visit. The only drawback is the unreasonable crowd control system within the scenic area, resulting in excessively long waiting times.

Guomar Temple, called "Guomari Galgadan Pencuolin" in Tibetan, means "Guomari Juxi Perfect Continent". It is located 5 kilometers north of Tongren County, Qinghai Province. It is a subordinate temple of Yeshejiang Living Buddha and was first built during the Wanli period of the Ming Dynasty.

Labrang Monastery is truly a dream destination when the weather is perfect! The golden roofs gleam under the blue sky and white clouds, and the entire monastery appears exceptionally solemn and magnificent in the high-altitude sunshine. As a world-renowned center of Tibetan studies, its prayer wheel corridor stretches for 3.5 kilometers with over 2,000 prayer wheels. Walking clockwise with the pilgrims, the sunlight filters through the eaves, casting warm glow on the prayer wheels and red walls, creating an incredibly atmospheric experience. Climbing the Gongtang Pagoda offers a panoramic view of the golden roofs, white stupas, and brown-red monks' quarters layered upon each other, with rolling mountains and grasslands in the distance – a truly expansive vista. If you're lucky, you might even witness monks debating, their gestures and clapping adding to the captivating atmosphere.

The Tiantishan Grottoes are truly worth seeing, as they are considered the ancestor of all grottoes. The surrounding environment is also very tranquil, and the scenery around the reservoir is exceptionally beautiful, like a traditional Chinese ink painting. The scenery is also very picturesque. Free parking is available within the scenic area.