Suopo Village
Name in Chinese: 梭坡碉楼 Suō Pō Diāo Lóu [sɔ: pɔ: diau ləu]
Duration of Tour: Two Hours
Location: Danba County, Garze Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan Province
Highlights: Tibetan Culture and Tradition Exploration
Reputation: A Feat of Ancient Architectural Work
Located in the south of Danba County, Suopo Village is well-known in China for its ancient watchtowers. There are 84 watchtowers in the village. Most of the watchtowers were built over 100 years ago. Suopo is a Tibetan word which means Mongolian in English. The village was occupied by Mongolians about 700 years ago. The watchtowers were established to protect the villagers from enemies. The towers survived in the magnitude 8 earthquake which happened in Wenchuan in 2008. It is a feat of ancient architecture work.
How to Get to Suopo Village
Suopo Village is located in the south of Danba County, 7km(4.3 miles) away from the county seat. The county seat of Danba is about 1,800 meters(5,906 feet) above sea level. It serves as a stepping stone for the tour to higher destinations in western Sichuan. Danba County is about 325 km(202 miles) away from Chengdu. Visitors usually go to Danba after visiting the beautiful Siguniang Mountain.
How to Visit Suopo Village
The village is situated on a mountain slope. Visitors can drive to the bottom of the village, then walk close to the watchtowers.
How to Avoid Altitude Sickness
The altitude of Danba is about 1,800 meters(5,906 feet) above sea level. It is not that high, but visitor still need to try to avoid the AMS. Please read more about AMS.
Weather
The temperature in Danba County ranges from 2℃(35.6°F) to 16℃(60.8°F) in spring, 13℃(55.4°F) to 27℃(80.6°F) in summer, 17℃(46.4°F) to 29℃(62.6°F) in autumn and minus 5℃(41°F) to 18℃(64.4°F) in winter. The apple and pear trees bloom from the late March to the early April. The most ideal time to visit Danba is between September and October. Visitors should try to avoid going to the west part of Sichuan in the rainy season. The rainy season in Sichuan lasts from July to August.
In the western Sichuan highland, visitors should prepare warm coat and try to decrease the risk of catching a cold.
Photography Tips:
There is a viewing platform by a river, on the opposite side of the village. It is an ideal place for visitors to get a panoramic view of the whole village. A tripod, a filter, telephoto lenses and wide angle lenses are needed.
Recommended Tours:
Twelve-day West Sichuan Pure Land and Tibetan Culture Exploring Tour
Fifteen-day Sichuan Photography Tour
Related Articles:
Siguniang Mountain
Hailuogou Glacier
Mugecuo Lake
Jiaju Village
Daocheng Yading
Altitude Sickness
Author: Tina Luo
Update:
