Natural site · SICHUAN
Mount Siguniang (Four Girls Mountain)
四姑娘山 · Sìgūniáng Shān
About
A group of four closely-set snow peaks in western Sichuan rising above heavily forested alpine valleys, popular with day-hikers, trekkers, and technical mountaineers from across China.
Mount Siguniang — Four Girls Mountain — is named after a Tibetan legend of four sisters who turned to stone to protect their homeland from a demon. The four peaks are Dagfeng (6,250 m), Erfeng (5,664 m), Sanfeng (5,355 m), and Siguniang's highest point, Youfeng (the summit, 6,250 m is generally quoted for Dagfeng). The peaks form a striking visual ensemble above the market town of Rilong at 3,150 m elevation.
The surrounding national park comprises three parallel river valleys — Shuangqiao, Changping, and Haizi — each offering different character and difficulty of terrain. Shuangqiao Valley is the most accessible, with a paved road and electric tourist buses running past meadows, ancient juniper forests, and yak-grazing pastures. Changping Valley requires trekking on foot or horseback and takes visitors through a landscape of glacial moraines and high-altitude lakes. Haizi Valley is the most demanding and leads to the base of the technical climbing routes.
Day hikes from Rilong into Shuangqiao Valley are feasible for most fit visitors; the round trip to the furthest viewpoints takes 5–7 hours. Horseback tours are popular and can be arranged at the valley entrance. Multi-day trekking circuits, particularly the two-day Changping-to-Haizi traverse, are among the finest high-altitude walks in Sichuan.
Acclimatisation is important. Rilong sits at 3,150 m and the valley floors exceed 4,000 m. Visitors arriving from Chengdu in a single day frequently experience mild altitude sickness.
How to get there
Bus from Chengdu's Chadianzi Bus Station to Rilong (approximately 5–6 hours). The road passes through Wolong Giant Panda Reserve.
When to visit
May to June (wildflowers) and September to October (clear skies, autumn colours). Summer is warm but often overcast.
Crowds: Shuangqiao Valley is heavily visited on weekends. Trekking into Changping or Haizi valleys dramatically reduces crowds.
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