Mt Siguniang (Four Sisters Mountain)

6,250m peak in western Sichuan, the 'Eastern Alps'. Trekking and climbing in the foothills; harder summit attempts above.

Mt Siguniang — the Four Sisters Mountain — is a massif of four adjacent peaks rising from the Tibetan Plateau's eastern edge, 230 kilometres west of Chengdu in Aba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture. The four summits are named by height: the youngest sister at 5,355 metres, the third sister at 5,454m, the second sister at 5,664m, and the eldest, Yaomei Feng, at 6,250 metres — a Himalayan-scale summit for a site technically accessible from a major Chinese city in a single day of driving. The range lies within the Qionglai Mountains, part of the transition zone between the Sichuan Basin and the high Tibetan Plateau, and the surrounding area is designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site as part of the Sichuan Giant Panda Sanctuaries.

For most visitors, the experience is not about summiting any peak but about the three valleys that spread from the mountain's base. Shuangqiao Valley is the most accessible, a broad glacial valley with a rough vehicle road and well-marked trails leading past meadows, prayer flags, and Tibetan yak pastures to views of all four sisters. Changping Valley is narrower and quieter, requiring more legwork; it rewards with views of the north faces of the upper peaks. Haizi Valley has a concentration of alpine lakes — the name means 'child of the sea', a Tibetan reference to mountain lakes — set against talus slopes and seasonal wildflowers. Multi-day treks connecting the valleys are well established, with guesthouse accommodation available in Rilong, the small town at the base.

Actual ascents of the higher sisters — particularly Yaomei Feng — require mountaineering experience, technical gear, and permits. The mountain is considered one of the more technically demanding of China's 6,000-metre-plus peaks. For trekkers without climbing aspirations, the valley network between roughly 3,200 and 4,500 metres offers serious walking without technical difficulty. Altitude effects are real at these elevations; acclimatising in Chengdu for a day before travelling west is advisable.