Songpan Old Town

A remarkably intact Ming Dynasty walled town on the Min River at 2,850 m elevation, historically a key trading post between the Han Chinese lowlands and the Tibetan plateau.

Songpan sits in a river valley in northern Sichuan at an altitude that causes many travellers arriving from Chengdu to notice the thinner air. The town's stone walls, first built in the Ming Dynasty, enclose a compact old quarter of cobbled streets, Tibetan and Hui Muslim teahouses, and horse-hire operations that have sent riders into the surrounding grasslands and mountain valleys for generations.

The historic town is primarily a trading junction. For centuries, tea, silk, and salt moved north and west from the Chinese interior, while horses, hides, and medicinal herbs came south and east from Tibetan and Qiang communities in the highlands. This exchange is still visible in the town's population: Han, Tibetan, Hui Muslim, and Qiang people share the market streets, each with distinct dress, cuisine, and religious architecture.

Songpan is one of the main gateway towns for exploring Jiuzhaigou National Park and Huanglong Scenic Area. Visitors who spend a night here rather than rushing through find the town rewards slow exploration: the five original gates remain standing, the Fuhu Bridge (Tiger Subduing Bridge) over the Min River is a local landmark, and the Qingzhen Mosque serving the Hui community is one of the oldest in Sichuan.

Horse trekking into the surrounding Munigou Valley and Zhaga Waterfall area is popular and well-organised by local operators, offering routes from half a day to multiple nights camping at altitude.