Markam Travel Recommendations for 2024 (Updated in Jun)

Mangkang Salt Wells, a thousand-year-old salt field: The living Tea Horse Road

Layer upon layer, orderly and picturesque, The thousand-year-old salt field is the most beautiful scenery by the banks of the Lancang River. - The thousand-year-old salt field is located on both sides of the Lancang River in Naxi Nationality Township, Mangkang County, Changdu City. The salt field has a long history, with more than a thousand years of history, and there are currently more than 3,000 salt pans. The 1300-year-old salt field is also known as the living Tea Horse Road. - The only place in the world that completely maintains the most primitive manual salt sun-drying method. The salt sun-drying technique has been listed in the national intangible cultural heritage protection, known as 'the work of the sun and wind' in Tibetan 'Chakarlo'. - The salt field is located by the Lancang River. Villagers take brine from natural brine wells on both banks with wooden barrels, pour it into the salt fields, and let the sun evaporate the water to produce coarse salt, which is then dried and processed into edible salt. The salt fields use local red clay as a base. When harvesting salt, the upper layer of white salt (snowflake salt) is used for consumption. The lower layer mixed with some red clay is purplish-red, known as peach blossom salt, which has a high yield and is used for health baths and feeding livestock. - |Mangkang Salt Wells| 📍Coordinates: Salt Well Town, Naxi Nationality Township, Mangkang County, Changdu Area 🎫Ticket: Free FREE - ⏰Best photography time: The blue hour before sunrise or after sunset is very photogenic. I personally recommend going one to two hours before sunset, as the canyon sunset is relatively early. Moreover, you can meet people working in the salt fields in the afternoon, and there won't be anyone early in the morning. - 💃Dressing tips: 1️⃣It is recommended to wear sports shoes or non-slip shoes, as the slope down to the salt field from the highway is steep and slippery, and quite difficult to walk. 2️⃣For photography, you can choose bright colors to form a stark contrast with the salt fields. 3️⃣Finally, it is advised to take photos civilly and not leave any trash behind.

The millennia-old salt fields of Tibet's Yanjing

The ancient salt fields of Mangkang Yanjing have a history of 1300 years. Located on both the east and west banks of the Lancang River in Naxi Nationality Township, Yanjing Town, Mangkang County, Tibet Autonomous Region, it is the only place in China that still preserves the most original manual salt sun-drying method. The salt fields of Yanjing not only retain a unique salt-making technique in the world, but what's more magical is that the salt produced from the same brine source, using the same equipment and the same processing skills, turns out to be red and white in color. The salt on the east bank of the Lancang River is white, known as 'white salt', while the salt on the west bank is light red, known as 'red salt', also called 'peach blossom salt'. Scenic spot introduction (Image 1), the sign is erected on the mountain road on the east bank of the Lancang River The 'white salt' on the east bank of the Lancang River (Image 2) The 'red salt' on the west bank of the Lancang River (Image 3) A close-up view of the 'red salt' drying process (Image 4) The rows of sheds are the salt fields, and the fortress-like structures in the distance are the brine wells (Image 5) The stalactite-like salt crystals hanging everywhere on the top of the sheds (Image 6) The red and white salt bought at Yanjing, the locals say to soak feet with red salt and eat white salt, but we used both for foot baths (Image 7) Yanjing's special delicacy 'Jiajia noodles', the highest record of this restaurant is 103 bowls, our highest record is only 12 bowls (Image 8) PS: 1. When we went there, the gate of the scenic area next to National Highway 214 (free of charge) was not open. A little further on, you can drive through another road. Visitors can only go to the west bank, and the road conditions after crossing the river were very bad at that time, and parking was extremely difficult. After parking, local residents would come to charge a fee (10 yuan), and we didn't care whether it was official or not, considering it as poverty alleviation. 2. There will be children following you selling salt, 10 yuan a bag, we also considered it as poverty alleviation and bought one bag of each white and red. 3. There is the only Catholic church in Tibet near Yanjing, worth a visit if you have time.

Have you ever seen the colorful salt pans, like an eyeshadow palette?

The ancient salt pans of Yanjing are the only place in Tibet today that still maintains the original hand-made salt drying. Located by the Lancang River and next to National Highway 214, it enjoys the reputation of "Thousand-Year Scroll of the Ancient Tea-Horse Road in Mangkang Salt Well" and is the first stop of the 21st century tourist route "Ancient Tea-Horse Road" into Tibet.

In the millennium ancient salt fields on the ancient road of tea and horses, where the Tibetans hand-made salt, the green brine is dried with artificial camels in the small squares of salt fields. The salt wells here are strong and strong, so the salt can be dried in a few days. . At that time, the people's tea came here to change the salt. Tibetans also liked to drink tea because of the lack of vegetables and other vitamins. Therefore, it has been a major town on the ancient tea-horse road since ancient times. There are two kinds of red salt and white salt. The price of white salt is slightly higher, but the two salts are coarse salt. Nowadays, they are no longer edible. They are only used for bathing and feeding livestock. However, local Tibetans still use this artificial sun. Salt, sit on the mountain, eat the mountain, sit on the water and eat water.

There are mountains, rivers, and bridges, but not many tourists

There are mountains, rivers, and bridges, but not many tourists. Along the way, there are lush forests, clear streams, quiet and unique scenery. Villages, small bridges, bamboo groves, wild ducks, and people fishing can be seen everywhere. There are also some well-preserved old houses, which add a lot of interest to this hiking route! The route is not long, flat without steps, easy and not tiring, suitable for all ages! Jingxi Li has a forest camp where you can eat, barbecue, and wade in the water. This is an original ecological village, not a tourist area, so please take care of the environment and do not litter. Navigation: China Petroleum Yanjingxi Gas Station (about 6 kilometers round trip) near Datong Shuikou Middle School Navigation: Datong Shuikou Middle School (after parking, walk to the left to the stream and follow the stream for a walk and play) !: Qionglu Road to Huojing Town is under construction, with one-way traffic allowed. It is recommended to take Daohuo Road to Huojing Town.

Mangkang Salt Wells, a thousand-year-old salt field: The living Tea Horse Road

Layer upon layer, orderly and picturesque, The thousand-year-old salt field is the most beautiful scenery by the banks of the Lancang River. - The thousand-year-old salt field is located on both sides of the Lancang River in Naxi Nationality Township, Mangkang County, Changdu City. The salt field has a long history, with more than a thousand years of history, and there are currently more than 3,000 salt pans. The 1300-year-old salt field is also known as the living Tea Horse Road. - The only place in the world that completely maintains the most primitive manual salt sun-drying method. The salt sun-drying technique has been listed in the national intangible cultural heritage protection, known as 'the work of the sun and wind' in Tibetan 'Chakarlo'. - The salt field is located by the Lancang River. Villagers take brine from natural brine wells on both banks with wooden barrels, pour it into the salt fields, and let the sun evaporate the water to produce coarse salt, which is then dried and processed into edible salt. The salt fields use local red clay as a base. When harvesting salt, the upper layer of white salt (snowflake salt) is used for consumption. The lower layer mixed with some red clay is purplish-red, known as peach blossom salt, which has a high yield and is used for health baths and feeding livestock. - |Mangkang Salt Wells| 📍Coordinates: Salt Well Town, Naxi Nationality Township, Mangkang County, Changdu Area 🎫Ticket: Free FREE - ⏰Best photography time: The blue hour before sunrise or after sunset is very photogenic. I personally recommend going one to two hours before sunset, as the canyon sunset is relatively early. Moreover, you can meet people working in the salt fields in the afternoon, and there won't be anyone early in the morning. - 💃Dressing tips: 1️⃣It is recommended to wear sports shoes or non-slip shoes, as the slope down to the salt field from the highway is steep and slippery, and quite difficult to walk. 2️⃣For photography, you can choose bright colors to form a stark contrast with the salt fields. 3️⃣Finally, it is advised to take photos civilly and not leave any trash behind.

A Gift from History and Nature - The Mangkang Salt Fields

The thousand-year-old salt wells in Mangkang, Tibet, are like a palette overturned by God. Mangkang belongs to Chamdo, Tibet, and is the first county town one encounters when entering Tibet, with an altitude of over 3800 meters, smaller than Batang county town. The restaurants here mostly serve Sichuan cuisine, but there are also Tibetan and Yunnan's Lijiang-Dali restaurants. 🥭An area with a long history of salt production. The ancient salt wells and fields here still maintain the most primitive method of sun-drying salt by hand. The ancient salt wells and fields in Mangkang are distributed along the banks of the Lancang River, and they still retain the ancient method of salt production, with a history of 1300 years. It is also the place in Tibet where the original method of hand-drying salt is completely preserved. 📍Mangkang Thousand-Year Salt Wells 🚗Driving navigation: Jiada Village 🎫Ticket: None Special Cuisine🍜 🧡: Salt Well Jiajia Noodles: Jiajia noodles are a traditional snack of the Salt Well town, which became popular after being featured on CCTV's 'A Bite of China'. 🧡: Salt Well Grape Wine: A specialty of Mangkang, Tibet Autonomous Region, and a Chinese national geographical indication product. 🎈Some tips for visiting 💎There is a large temperature difference between morning and evening in Western Sichuan, so be sure to bring a coat. 💎The UV rays are very strong during the day, so be sure to protect yourself from the sun!

The thousand-year-old ancient salt fields by the Lancang River, exudes the scent of nature

Naxi Ethnic Township in Mangkang County, Changdu City, Tibet is located by the Lancang River. The local area has been producing salt since the Tang Dynasty, which has continued for more than 1300 years. To this day, the local villagers still maintain the original manual salt drying method. They take brine from the salt wells and salt pools by the Lancang River, pour it into the salt fields, and after sun drying and wind drying, it crystallizes into salt.

Surprise always waits for me not far away. "The first song of the Songzanzang line" entered Tibet, and various surprises continued. Among the oases on the banks of the Li River, the gentle river valley station [Songzan Mangkang Rumeishanju] officially started its trial operation today, and I was fortunate to be the first guest to stay here. stands on the side of the wooden window and overlooks the river. Keeping more true and beautiful stories on the Songzanzang line will make me unforgettable!

Halfway through the self-driving tour on the Sichuan-Tibet Highway 318, I want to go home!

A GL8 self-driving on the Sichuan-Tibet line for sixteen days 🚗🚗🚗Travel route: Day1: Four Girls Mountain Day2: Jiaju Tibetan Village→Yala Snow Mountain Viewing Platform→Moxi Park Scenic Area→Xinduqiao Praise Linca Hotel Day3: Litang County Thousand House Tibetan Village·Letong Ancient Town→Rabbit Mountain→Daocheng Yading Holiday Inn Express Suite Hotel Day4: Daocheng Yading→Daocheng Yading Holiday Inn Express Suite Hotel Day5: Batang Coupugou Scenic Area→Mangkang Rumei Town Yunshan River Impression Hotel (Zhuka Bridge Store) Day6: Nujiang Seventy-two Bends Day7: Ranwu Lake→Laigu Glacier→Midui Glacier→Bomi Songzan Linca Hotel Day8: Tongmai Peril→Bomi Peach Blossom Gully→Linzhi Poly Yatu Hotel Day9: Basong Tso→Lhasa Holy Land Paradise Intercontinental Hotel Day10: Jokhang Temple→'Princess Wencheng' Large-scale Epic Drama→Lhasa Holy Land Paradise Intercontinental Hotel Day11: Potala Palace→Heavenly Tibet Themed Post Office Coffee→Zaki Temple→Tibetan Banquet (Tuanjie New Village Store)→Maji Ami·Restaurant Bar→Lhasa Holy Land Paradise Intercontinental Hotel Day12: Tibet Museum→Norbulingka→Sera Monastery Day13: Namtso National Park Day14: Hoh Xil Nature Reserve→Hoh Xil Tibetan Antelope Viewing Platform→Hoh Xil Nature Reserve Unfrozen Spring→Qinghai Ge'ermu Kunlun Mountain National Geological Park→Yuzhu Peak Glacier Viewing Point→Qinghai Lake Erlang Sword Scenic Area→Chaka Salt Lake→Lanzhou Crown Holiday Hotel Day15: Gansu Provincial Museum→Chengdu East District Holiday Inn Express Hotel Day16: Sanxingdui Museum