Songpan Ancient Town

Songpan was fortified in 1379 to hold the frontier where Chinese, Tibetan and Hui territory met, and its Ming walls, several kilometres of them with tall arched gates, still stand around the old town at about 2,800 metres. It was a market on the tea-horse road, and the mix persists in the streets, with a mosque, Tibetan shops and Han businesses side by side. Its main draw for travellers is horse trekking: local outfits run multi-day trips into the surrounding mountains to hot springs, lakes and high meadows, with guides leading and camping along the way, a tradition that has run here for decades.

What you actually see

• The Ming walls and gates - the fortified circuit around the old town.
• The mixed streets - Hui, Tibetan and Han businesses in one market town.
• The horse treks - multi-day rides into the mountains with local guides.
• The river bridges - covered crossings over the Min in the town.

When to go

May to October for trekking weather; July and August bring afternoon rain, and autumn is clearest. Winter is very cold and treks mostly stop. Altitude is noticeable at 2,800 metres.

Honest expectations

Much of the old town has been rebuilt in old style for tourism. Horse treks are basic, cold at night and hard on the inexperienced. The bus from Chengdu is long and winding.

Nearby

Huanglong lies east; Jiuzhaigou is northeast.