Altitude 3900m Moska, like stepping into a fairy tale
🧭 Preface: Moska is a highland village at an altitude of 3900 meters located in Danba County, Ganzi, Sichuan. Surrounded by mountains on three sides and facing a valley on one side, it is accessible only by a bumpy dirt road. The houses in the village are all built of stone, with radishes and potatoes planted in the yards, and yak dung stacked at the door for fuel. The most magical thing is that the marmots here are completely unafraid of people; they actively come over when they see you, tilting their heads to ask for food, their round bodies resembling plush toys. There is no signal, no WiFi, no shops—only snow-capped mountains, grasslands, stone houses, and a group of adorable marmots. This place is truly isolated from the world.
✅ Suitable for: Travelers who love highland scenery, wildlife, and escaping crowds. Not recommended for very young children (high altitude + poor road conditions). There is a risk of altitude sickness; not recommended for first-time Tibet visitors to come directly.
⏰ Suggested duration: 1 day (Moska village is small, half a day is enough to explore) or 2 days (stay overnight to see the starry sky and sunrise).
📅 Best seasons: May-June for the greenest grass and most flowers, September-October for the most beautiful autumn colors. July-August is the rainy season with difficult roads. November to April is not recommended due to heavy snow blocking the mountains.
💰 Budget: No entrance fee. Private car from Danba to Moska round trip costs about 500-800 RMB. Accommodation (Tibetan family) 50-100 RMB/night. Bring your own food (no restaurants in the village). Total per person cost about 300-600 RMB.
🚗 About transportation
Moska village is located in Dandong Township, Danba County, Ganzi Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan Province, at about 3900 meters altitude.
✈️ Nearest airports: Chengdu Shuangliu/Tianfu Airport (about 350 km from Danba), Kangding Airport (about 100 km from Danba).
🚄 High-speed train to Chengdu East Station, then transfer by car to Danba.
🚘 Self-driving from Chengdu via Yakang Expressway to Kangding, then G318 to Danba, and then the dirt road from Danba to Moska, about 6-7 hours total.
🚐 Private car from Danba town to Moska, about 3-4 hours one way, very poor road conditions (gravel dirt road + water crossings), requires 4WD off-road vehicle or motorcycle, private car costs 500-800 RMB round trip.
🏍️ Riding a motorcycle is the most popular way to enter the village locally, about 2.5-3 hours from Danba, thrilling but with higher safety risks.
💡 Tips: Moska has no mobile signal, no gas stations, no shops. Fill up fuel, bring enough food and water, and download offline maps before departure.
🏔️ Entering Moska: A highland secret embraced by stone cottages and snow mountains
Starting from Danba, cross the 4200-meter-high Gedaliangzi Pass, then bumpy descent to Moska village. The scene will take your breath away—on the open alpine meadow, dozens of stone cottages scattered, roofs covered with blue slate, chimneys emitting white smoke. Surrounded by continuous snow mountains, underfoot is a shining green meadow, wildflowers everywhere, and herds of yaks.
The stone houses in Moska are very distinctive, with walls made of irregular stones sourced locally, varying in size but stacked neatly, preserving a primitive ruggedness. The wooden doors are low, requiring you to bend down to enter; inside are tin stoves and the aroma of butter tea. Wooden fences in front of the doors enclose small vegetable gardens growing radishes, potatoes, and highland barley. The whole village is so quiet you can only hear the wind, cow bells, and distant eagle calls.
🐹 Marmot interaction: The adorable highland natives
Moska’s biggest highlight is the marmots. These marmots live on the meadows around the village and, after years of contact with villagers and tourists, are completely unafraid of humans. When you squat down, they actively come over, their round bodies wobbling, holding food in their front paws while nibbling, tilting their small eyes to look at you, cuteness that makes you scream.
Notes for interacting with marmots:
🍞 What to feed: biscuits, bread, carrots are all fine, but do not feed chocolate, candy, or processed foods. Locals recommend feeding Tibetan bread or highland barley cakes.
🤫 How to interact: Approach slowly, squat down without sudden movements, extend your hand and wait for them to come. Do not chase or shout loudly.
⚠️ Safety reminder: Marmots may carry plague bacteria; wash hands thoroughly with sanitizer or alcohol after contact, and do not let them bite you. Just observe and keep a safe distance.
📸 Photo tips: Shoot from a low angle while squatting, use a wide-angle lens to capture marmots with the snow mountains and stone houses in the background for the best effect.
🕌 Jinlong Temple and Tibetan culture
In the center of Moska village is a Tibetan Buddhist temple called Jinlong Temple, small but solemn. White stupas, colorful prayer flags, and prayer wheels are neatly arranged, fluttering in the highland wind. Around the temple are rows of five-colored prayer flags—white, yellow, red, green, and blue—representing sky, earth, fire, rivers, and blue sky.
On the hillside outside the village is a large Mani stone pile, cone-shaped stacks of stones carved with the Tibetan six-syllable mantra "Om Mani Padme Hum." This is how Tibetans pray for blessings; each clockwise circle is equivalent to reciting the mantra once. When passing the Mani pile, please walk clockwise and do not step on or damage it.
🏔️ Highland Lakes
Near Moska village are several alpine lakes with emerald waters reflecting snow mountains and white clouds, surrounded by meadows and wildflowers. The largest lake requires a 1-2 hour hike, passing through pristine highland pastures where yaks and horses graze leisurely. Black tents of herders are by the lakeside, and eagles can occasionally be seen circling high above. The lake surface is calm like a mirror, the quietest and most beautiful place in Moska.
📸 Photo spots
1⃣ Marmot interaction: close-up of marmots holding food, blurred background of snow mountains and stone houses, the most shareable photo.
2⃣ Stone cottages: locally sourced stone walls + wooden doors + chimney smoke + wildflowers in front, authentic highland village scene.
3⃣ Jinlong Temple prayer flags: colorful flags + white stupa + prayer wheels + distant mountains, Tibetan religious atmosphere.
4⃣ Highland lakes: emerald water reflecting snow mountains + meadows and wildflowers + black tents, peaceful landscape shot.
5⃣ Mani pile and prayer flags: hillside Mani pile + five-colored flags + distant mountains + hiker’s back, cultural documentary.
6⃣ Village panorama: aerial view, stone cottages scattered on meadows + surrounded by snow mountains + yak herds, Moska’s most classic panorama.
⚠️ Precautions
💯 Moska is at 3900 meters altitude, altitude sickness is common. Take Rhodiola in advance, avoid strenuous exercise after arrival, drink plenty of water and talk less on the first day.
🛣️ The road to the village is very poor, gravel + water crossings + steep slopes, requiring 4WD off-road vehicles or motorcycles. Not recommended for sedans.
📱 No mobile signal or WiFi in the village. Inform family of your itinerary before departure, download offline maps and guides.
🏪 No shops, restaurants, or gas stations in the village. Bring your own food, drinking water, snacks, and emergency medicine.
🧥 Large temperature difference on the plateau; hot under the sun during the day, but immediately below freezing after sunset. Bring down jackets or windbreakers.
🏕️ Accommodation is extremely basic, Tibetan family dormitory style + public dry toilets, no showers. Not suitable for those with cleanliness concerns.
🔋 Bring power banks; no electricity in the village.
🚯 Leave no trace! Take all your trash with you; Moska has no waste disposal capability.
🐾 Keep distance from marmots, wash hands after contact, do not touch wild animals.
🗺️ Nearby travel recommendations
➡️ Danba Tibetan Villages (Jiaju/Zhonglu/Suopo): about 3-4 hours drive from Moska, China’s most beautiful Tibetan villages, Jiaju village ticket 50 RMB.
➡️ Dangling (about 60 km from Danba): primeval forest + alpine lakes + hot springs, hiking destination, guide required, no entrance fee.
➡️ Siguniang Mountain (about 150 km from Danba): Queen of Sichuan Mountains, Shuangqiao Valley + Changping Valley + Haizi Valley, peak season ticket 150 RMB.
💡 Suggested 4-day itinerary: Day 1 Chengdu → Danba, Day 2 Jiaju Tibetan Village + Zhonglu Tibetan Village, Day 3 Moska day trip, Day 4 Siguniang Mountain → Chengdu.
✍️ Final words
Moska is not a "scenic spot," it is a living village. People in stone houses cook, herd cattle, and spin prayer wheels, living much as they did a hundred years ago. Marmots dig holes, sunbathe, and steal radishes on the meadow; in their eyes, the world is only this meadow and the occasional humans who come. Here there is no internet, no hot water, no comfortable beds, but under the starry sky at 3900 meters altitude, you will see the densest Milky Way of your life. Some places are worth enduring hardship to visit. Moska is one of them.