Western Sichuan Travel Video Guide

Western Sichuan Travel Itinerary

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Very much on the fringes of modern China despite development and resettlement projects, Sichuan's western half , extending north to Gansu and west to Tibet, is in every respect an exciting place to travel. The countryside couldn't be farther from the Chengdu plains, with the western highlands forming some of China's most imposing scenery - dense forests, dripping with moisture, snowbound gullies and passes, and unforgettable views of mountain ranges rising up against crisp blue skies. Larger towns contain Han populations but you'll find Qiang , Hui and, most noticeably, Tibetans living among them and in the hills. The area has a strong sense of history, too, with monuments to the Communists' Long March during the 1930s still dotting the map.

It's a remote but certainly not undisturbed region, with endless convoys of blue logging trucks hogging the road, decorated with Tao symbols and bulging with freshly cut timber. Western Sichuan also hides some fabulously rare wildlife . Only a few hours from Chengdu at Wolong Nature Reserve , birders can spot white- and blue-eared pheasants and the unbelievably coloured, grouse-like Temminck's tragopan. Above 2000m, there are scattered groups of golden monkeys, near-mythical snow leopards and, between April and October when conditions for tracking them are optimum, giant pandas . In truth, these animals are so rare that your chances of seeing them are very slim - which is, in itself, an excellent reason to try.

Travel in western Sichuan has always been an endurance test, even dangerous. Traditionally, traders between China and Tibet managed to cross the mountains only by using wooden galleries hammered into sheer cliffs, and even today you'll see deep gorges spanned by no more than a spindly bridge or terrifyingly basic passenger-operated sling-and-pulley arrangement - probably as you sit on the roadside waiting for your bus to be repaired. Vehicles suffer terribly, shedding tyres and bits of chassis as they battle gradients, appalling roads, oncoming traffic and landslides. Don't count on arriving at your destination in the same bus you started in, travel lightly, carry enough cash to see you through - there are few banks - and regard the journey times given below as a bare minimum. As for the seasons , the area looks fantastic in spring and autumn, with

rain most likely between May and October. Once the winter snows have set in, you'll need plenty of warm clothing and an infinitely flexible timetable.

It's worth noting that much of the region rises over 3000m, and you might experience altitude sickness , which manifests itself as shortness of breath, headaches, nausea and disorientation. Symptoms usually subside after a day or two, but get back to a lower altitude as soon as possible if you have any serious trouble breathing.

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