Aba Prefecture in western Sichuan: A rare travel destination - Rangtang, a secret place in western Sichuan that 90% of people have never heard of
Preface
Rangtang, this place name rarely appears on tourists' maps. It is hidden deep in the mountains. There are 12 counties in Aba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan Province. Rangtang is definitely the one with the lowest presence.
This place is neither as well-known as Jiuzhaigou, Ruoergai and Bipenggou, nor is it located on a major transportation route like Wenchuan, Songpan and Lixian.
Rangtang is awkwardly located between the borders of Ganzi Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Aba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture, and Golog Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in Qinghai Province. The Duke River, originating in Qinghai, runs through Rangtang, merging with the Zhuosijia River at National Highway 317. It is one of the upper reaches of the Dadu River.
To its west is the famous Seda, which has attracted many tourists in recent years; to its east are the towering mountains on the northern foothills of the Great Snow Mountain Range surrounded by several large rivers, which are rarely visited by people; to its north are the Nianbao Yuze Mountain Knot and the Aba River Valley Grassland, known as the "Golog Sacred Mountain"; to its south, the famous Sichuan-Tibet North Line National Highway 317 passes through it, but it does not pass through the county seat.
There are many theories about the origin of Rangtang's name. The most popular theory is that Rangtang contains a natural village situated on a mountain whose shape resembles the "Zangbala Bodhisattva" holding a pagoda. The Tibetan-Chinese Dictionary states: "Zangbala literally means "deaf." The Sanskrit translation is Yambala. The old translation is Bulu Vajra, the name of the God of Wealth."
"Rang" is the transliteration of "Zangbala God of Wealth", and "tang" means a plain in the mountains in Tibetan. Therefore, Rangtang can also be translated as "the God of Wealth's plain".
As an extremely niche destination, it is precisely because it is away from the public eye that it has retained the extremely original Tibetan landscape and unique culture.
In Rangtang, you can see the colorful Zengke Temple in the Duko Canyon; you can see the Xiuka Tibetan village built by our ancestors on the high mountain ridge; you can go to Zhongrangtang to visit the Jonang sect temple of Tibetan Buddhism that has become extinct in Tibet; you can walk into the dreamy Haizi Mountain, explore the more than 30 large and small lakes densely distributed in the mountains, and follow the figures of black-necked cranes and white-lipped deer; you can go to Bangtuo Temple to visit the oldest pagoda and the most complete stone-carved Tripitaka in Sichuan.
Rangtangcheck the details
Rangtang is located in the eastern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, on the upper reaches of the Dadu River, and in the western part of Aba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan Province. The county borders Ma'erkang City and Aba County to the east and northeast, Jinchuan County to the south, Seda County, Luhuo County, and Daofu County in Ganzi Prefecture to the west and south, and Banma County in Qinghai Province to the north. The county seat is 3,285 meters above sea level. Rangtang was established as a county in 1958. Its name derives from a natural village located within the county. The village is situated on a mountain that resembles the "Zangbala Bodhisattva" holding a pagoda. The "Zangbala" (Zangbala, literally "Zhangbala" or "Zangbala") in Tibetan is translated as "Yampola" in Sanskrit. The old translation is "Bulu Vajra," a name for the God of Wealth. The same dictionary further states: "Chuang (Chuang), a pagoda, a victory chuang (Chuang), a decoration or offering on the roof of a palace symbolizing victory." "Rang" is a transliteration of Tibetan, derived from the above meaning. Tibetans call a flat plain "tang." This is how Rangtang got its name, meaning "the plain of the God of Wealth." This is also the basis for the formation of the place name "Rangtang".
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Rangtang
Zengke Temple
Zengke Monastery, founded in the middle of the last century, belongs to the Kagyu sect of Tibetan Buddhism. Located in the Dukol River Valley, near the intersection of National Highways 317 and 227, it is famous for its colorful pagodas and numerous towering Milarepa pavilions. It is also a must-go route in and out of the Rangtang area.
Zengke Monastery is the largest temple complex in Tibet. Its main attractions are its Milarepa, a forest of colorful stupas, and distinctive dwellings. The main structure of Zengke Monastery is a stone and wood structure, covering an area of over 2,500 square meters. The
Milarepa Stupa at Zengke Monastery is the second Milarepa Stupa in Tibet, the first being built in Tibet. The monastery's abbot, Jigme Osa Rinpoche, designed the stupa based on the design of the Lhoza Milarepa Stupa in Tibet. The stupa was built in the 1950s, and four more identical Milarepa Stupas were subsequently constructed.
Surrounding the Milat Pagoda are 1,108 colorful pagodas of varying heights, sizes, and shapes. The Bodhisattva statues within the temple, drawing heavily on the artistic techniques of Buddhist statues from Kham, Western Tibet, and Western Tibet, combined with the unique Buddhist sculpture techniques of the sect and the region, have a unique style and system, making them highly influential and masterpieces of the Semukar school, a truly exceptional piece of Buddhist sculpture art.
Jonang Cultural Center
Zhongrangtang Township, over 30 kilometers north of Rangtang County, is home to the three major monasteries of the Jonang school of Tibetan Buddhism, an ancient sect.
The Jonang school was founded by Yumo Mikyo Dorje. The Jonang school was named after his fifth-generation disciple, Gunbang Tuji Tsunzhu (1243-1313), who built a monastery in Jonang (located in a mountain valley east of Phuntsolin Monastery in present-day Lhazi County , Shigatse City, Tibet).
After more than a century of tradition, the Jonang school declined due to criticism from other sects and a lack of support from local secular political forces. Many monasteries were forced to convert or relocate. Over time, the Jonang school finally found a foothold in Rangtang, far from the heart of Tibet, and flourished.
Of the three major temples, the Queerji Temple is the oldest, with its main hall built during the Southern Song Dynasty. The main Buddha Hall houses a large number of statues and thangkas from the Song and Yuan Dynasties, a splendid yet simple masterpiece.
Zebuji Monastery is unique in that it combines the Sutra Hall, Dharma Protector Hall, and Sutra Repository into one, a rare sight in other Tibetan monasteries. In the center of the main hall stands a 3-meter-tall seated statue of Sakyamuni, the monastery's most valuable heritage.
The most spectacular is Zangwa Temple, which comprises dozens of buildings, including the Great Sutra Hall, the Retreat Hall, the Dharma Protector Hall, the Remains Hall of His Holiness Yundeng Sangbu, the Buddhist College, the Pagoda, the Prayer Hall, the Monastery for Monks, and the Maitreya Hall. Built along the hillside, it offers the most spectacular view from above.
Up-Nantian Road
Traveling from Shangduke Township to Nandamu Town, you'll pass through a 40-kilometer stretch of the internet-famous highway known as the "Shang-Nantian Road." From the pass, you can watch the road spiral down, disappearing into the protective jungle. Its winding, precipitous path rivals the Bayinbuluke Death Raceway in the movie "Speeding Life."
On both sides of the road are beautiful pasture scenery. You can leave your car and take a stroll here, letting the morning mist disperse layer by layer, revealing the ravines in the distance, and the small villages in the ravines are clearly visible.
You can even camp here at night and watch the stars stretch across the sky.
Haizi Mountain
Rangtang Haizi Mountain is located northeast of the county seat. Its main peak, Zunma Mountain, rises 4,760 meters above sea level, towering over the grasslands. Nearly 40 lakes of varying sizes are dotted throughout the area, known as "Haizi" by the Tibetans.
The Haizi Mountain here is the same as the Haizi Mountain in Daocheng. They are both the remains of the ancient Muchuan left after the glaciers retreated in ancient times.
Compared with Haizi Mountain in Daocheng, Haizi Mountain in Rangtang is less desolate and barren, but more green and vibrant. The colorful Haizi with blue sky, green grass and five colors are scattered on the plateau. Black-necked cranes and white-lipped deer soar in the sky and live in the valleys and forests.
Xiuka Xuantian Tibetan Village
Xiuka Tibetan Village is located in Xiuka Village, Wuyi Township, about 30 kilometers away from the county seat.
Built on the mountainside, it is surrounded by cliffs on three sides, making it very dangerous. It can be said to be a Tibetan village on the cliff. From a distance, most of these buildings are built on the cliffs that tower into the sky.
It resembles a fairyland shrouded in mist, a breathtaking landscape embodying the wisdom of the Tibetan people. Today, Xiuka Village has been relocated to a roadside location near the river valley, greatly facilitating the lives of local villagers. However, their ancestors' homes remain perfectly preserved on the mountain ridge, serving as a valuable resource for studying Tibetan dwellings in the Hengduan Mountains.
Bangtuo Temple
Bangtuo Temple, which means "the temple on the grass field" in Tibetan, is located on a plateau surrounded by the Zheerka River on the only way from Rongmuda Township, Rongtang County to Aba County.
Bangtuo Temple was first built in the Southern Song Dynasty. The oldest existing building is a demon-subduing pagoda from the late Song Dynasty to the early Yuan Dynasty. It is the oldest Buddhist pagoda in Sichuan. The pagoda depicts countless murals and Buddhist statues from past dynasties. It also houses the largest stone-carved Buddhist canon in China. The 500-year-old demon-subduing pagoda is the center of the stone-carved Buddhist canon, and is dotted with the "Ten Thousand Buddhas Pagoda", "Zunsheng Pagoda", "Bodhi Pagoda" and other Buddhist temples.
There are 32 pagodas in the complex, including the "Heva Pagoda", "Victory Pagoda", "Vavana Pagoda", "Immortal Pagoda", "Longevity Pagoda", "Kalachakra Pagoda", "Demon Subduing Pagoda", etc. Some of the pagodas are as high as 42 meters, while others are only 6 meters high. Pagodas of various heights, sizes and shapes are scattered among them.
Inside the pagoda are thousands of statues of Bodhisattvas, including Sakyamuni and Guanyin, and tens of thousands of paintings of various Buddhas, each of which is lifelike and vivid. The Bangtuo Temple pagoda complex, along with the Jiangzha Temple pagoda complex in Tibet and the Seda Temple pagoda complex in Ganzi, is considered one of the three major pagoda complexes in Tibet. It is a nationally protected key cultural relic site.
Travel Guide to Rangtang
In the past, reaching Rangtang required crossing numerous river valleys and crossing numerous passes, taking three to five days. Today, China has rapidly developed into an "infrastructure enthusiast," and access to Rangtang has become much easier.
Generally speaking, there are four ways to enter Rangtang. You can choose two roads according to the actual situation. One in and one out can basically cover the best scenery of the entire Rangtang.
Article 1: Suitable for all year round
Depart from Chengdu, take the Duwen-Wenma Expressway to Ma'erkang, go west along the Suomo River Valley to Guanyinqiao Town, turn right at the Heika Checkpoint, go north along the Duke River to Rangtang.
Along the way, you can visit Bipenggou, Gulugou Hot Spring, Partridge Mountain, the colorful forest of Suomo River Valley (autumn), Tujiqinbo Temple (Guanyin Temple), Zengke Temple, Xiuka Xuantian Tibetan Village, etc.
Article 2: Suitable all year round, with the best scenery in summer and autumn
Starting from Chengdu, take the Chengya-Yakang Expressway to Kangding, then cross the Zheduo Mountain to reach Xinduqiao. From Xinduqiao, head north through Tagong, Bamei, Daofu and arrive at Luhuo County. Take National Highway 317 to Seda, and from Seda, take the Nianlong Township-Shangduke Township Road to reach Rangtang.
Along the way, you can visit Kangding, Zheduo Mountain, Xinduqiao, Tagong Grassland, Moshi Park, Daofu Folk Houses, Kasa Lake, Nailong Mountain, Donggar Temple, Jinma Grassland, Seda Five Sciences Buddhist College (closed), Shang-Nantian Road, Bangtuo Temple, Juenang Cultural Center, Haizi Mountain, etc.
Article 3: Spring and Autumn are the most suitable
Departing from Chengdu, take the Chengya-Yakang Expressway to Luding, then go north along the Dadu River to Danba, continue north along the Dadu River, pass Jinchuan, Guanyin Bridge, and Zengke Temple to reach Rangtang.
Along the way, you can visit Niubei Mountain (closed), Luding Bridge, Kongyu Grand Canyon of Dadu River, Danba Tibetan Village (Zhonglu, Jiaju, Suopo), Mosika or Dangling, Danba-Jinchuan pear blossoms (spring), Danba-Jinchuan Dadu River Valley red leaves (autumn), Tujiqinbo Temple (Guanyin Temple), Zengke Temple, Xiuka Xuantian Tibetan Village, etc.
Article 4: Summer is the best time
Depart from Chengdu, pass through Wenchuan, Maoxian and Songpan to reach the Ruoergai grassland, then go from Ruoergai to Aba, and arrive at Rangtang via the Aliang Road (Aba-Lianghekou).
Along the way, you can visit Diexi Lake, the source of the Minjiang River, Songpan Ancient City, Ruoergai Grassland (including Huahu Lake, the first bend of the Nine-bend Yellow River, Wache Pagoda Forest and many other beautiful sights), Aba Morning Mist, Lianbaoyezhe, Bangtuo Temple, Juenang Cultural Center, Haizi Mountain, etc.
