The North Gate of Songpan
Name in Chinese: 松潘古城 Sōng Pān Gǔ Chéng [sɔ:n pæ gu: tsen]
Duration of Tour: One and a Half Hours
Location: Songpan County, Aba Tibetan and Qiang Group Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan Province
Highlights: Old Folk Residences and Local Customs
Must-see Sightseeing Spots: the Old City Wall and Streets
Reputation: One of the Most Famous Historical and Cultural Towns in Sichuan
Songpan Ancient Town is located in Aba Tibetan and Qiang Group Autonomous Prefecture. It is also called Songzhou. Songpan used to be an area of great strategic importance in the north part of Sichuan. The town could be traced back to the beginning of the Tang Dynasty(618-907). In the year of 1379, people rebuilt the town. It took 60 years to complete the building project. The city wall is 10 meters(33 feet) high, 30 meters(98 feet) wide and 6.2 km(3.9 miles) long. It is made of earth and bricks. Songpan is inhabited by Tibetans, Qiang and Hui people. They each have maintained their own folk customs and traditions.
There is a stone statue in front of the arch gate. The images are Princess Wen-cheng and her husband, King Songtsen Gampo. In the year of 641, Princess Wen-Cheng was sent to Tibet by Emperor Tang-Taizong. She married the leader of Tibetan people, King Songtsen Gampo. She was accompanied to Tibet by a group of people from the Tang Empire. Her companions included guardians, servants, doctors, artists, farmers, craftsmen and monks. She taught Tibetan people to farm their land. Thangka painting became a traditional artwork of Tibetans. The Mahayana Buddhism spread to Tibet due to the marriage between the Tang princess and the Tibetan king. The world famous Potala Palace was built by King Songtsen Gampo for the Tang princess.
Travel Tips:
How to Get to Songpan Ancient Town
The town is situated by the No. 213 National Road. It is 320 km(199 miles) to the north of Chengdu, 40 km(25 miles) to the west of Huanglong National Park and 102 km(63 miles) to the southwest of Jiuzhaigou Valley. The high speed railway between Chengdu and Songpan is under construction, and will be completed by 2021.
How to Avoid Altitude Sickness
The altitude of Songpan Ancient Town is about 2,850 meters(9,350 feet) above sea level. Visitor should try to avoid the AMS. Please read more about AMS.
Weather
The temperature in Songpan ranges from minus 1℃(30.2°F) to 13℃(55.4°F) in spring, 14℃(57.2°F) to 28℃(82.4°F) in summer, 11℃(51.8°F) to 23℃(73.4°F) in autumn and minus 7℃(19.4°F) to 5℃(41°F) in winter. The best time to visit Songpan is between September and October. Visitors should try to avoid going to Songpan in the rainy season. The rainy season in Sichuan lasts from July to August.
Because the altitude is high, visitors should prepare warm coat and try to decrease the risk of catching a cold.
Suggested Tours:
Four-day Fairyland Jiuzhaigou Valley with Panda Tour
Related Articles:
Jiuzhaigou Valley
Huanglong National Park
Mouni Valley
Author: Tina Luo
Update:
