Langzhong Ancient City
Like Lijiang in Yunnan and Pingyao in Shanxi, Langzhong is a famous historic and cultural city. It has a history of 2,300 years,…
Langzhong Ancient City, Jiuzhaigou and Aba Prefecture
Key facts
- Admission
- Combined ticket ¥100. Zhang Fei Temple ¥50; Imperial Examination Hall ¥50; Confucian Temple ¥30; Zhongtian Tower ¥15; Huaguang Tower ¥15
- Time needed
- 0.5–1 day
- Getting there
- Multiple high-speed trains run daily from Chengdu to Langzhong, priced at ¥86 or ¥87, with a journey time of about 2.5 hours. Langzhong Station is roughly 5 km from the Central Ancient City; take a local bus or a taxi.
- Guidebook rating
- 3 / 5
From China Self Guided Travel 2025, page 379. Open in Google Maps
About Langzhong Ancient City
Like Lijiang in Yunnan and Pingyao in Shanxi, Langzhong is a famous historic and cultural city. It has a history of 2,300 years, and more than 1,300 years ago it was already renowned as ‘the fairyland of Langyuan’. Its extensive ancient residential courtyards combine features of Beijing siheyuan courtyard houses with southern garden architecture. Today, with its rich cultural landscape and beautiful natural scenery, it is striving to join the ranks of UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
Frequently asked questions
How much does Langzhong Ancient City cost?
Admission to Langzhong Ancient City is Combined ticket ¥100. Zhang Fei Temple ¥50; Imperial Examination Hall ¥50; Confucian Temple ¥30; Zhongtian Tower ¥15; Huaguang Tower ¥15, as listed in the 2025 guidebook. Prices can change; check the official channel before you go.
How do I get to Langzhong Ancient City?
Multiple high-speed trains run daily from Chengdu to Langzhong, priced at ¥86 or ¥87, with a journey time of about 2.5 hours. Langzhong Station is roughly 5 km from the Central Ancient City; take a local bus or a taxi.
How long should I spend at Langzhong Ancient City?
Plan on 0.5–1 day for Langzhong Ancient City.
Where is Langzhong Ancient City?
Langzhong Ancient City is in Jiuzhaigou and Aba Prefecture, Sichuan Province, in the Southwest of China.
More places in Jiuzhaigou and Aba Prefecture
Miyaluo and Bipenggou
The Miyaluo Golden Autumn Red Leaf Scenic Area is the largest and most spectacular red leaf scenic area discovered and opened in China to date. Its main attraction, Bipenggou, combines primeval forest, canyon scenery, lake waterfalls and snowy mountain meadows, where you can admire both snow and red leaves. Along the way to Miyaluo you pass Taoping Qiang Village, where you can see the most typical Qiang architecture, the diaolou (watchtowers). The towers are truly impressive.
Bipenggou admission plus shuttle bus within the park ¥60; Taoping Qiang Village ¥30 · Miyaluo: 2–3 hours; Bipenggou: 0.5–1 day
Huanglong National Scenic Area
Separated from Jiuzhaigou by a single mountain, Huanglong is remarkable for its glistening, smooth travertine rocks. The terraces wind up the gully like a golden dragon coiling its way upward. Within roughly one square kilometre behind Huanglong Temple lies the “golden” core of the scenic area. Less than 100 metres behind the rear temple stands the Dragon King Temple, where the annual Huanglong Temple Fair is held. Behind Huanglong Rear Temple rise the highest pools in the gully, the “Shitazhenhai” (Stone Pagoda Guarding the Sea), also known as the Five-Colour Pools. Visiting Huanglong without seeing these pools would be a great pity.
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Jiuzhaigou
No river is more colourful or pure than Jiuzhaigou's, and no mountain's foliage is more brilliant and varied. Here nature is never monochrome: in spring new buds turn green, in summer orioles and swallows dart about, in autumn the mountains blaze with red leaves, and in winter the ice gleams like jade. Water is the soul of Jiuzhaigou, which is why it is said that “once you have seen Jiuzhaigou's water, you need not see any other.” The Shuzhenggou section is the main valley, about 14 km long, with more than 40 lakes (haizi), roughly 40% of all the lakes in the scenic area. It is the entrance to Jiuzhaigou: every visitor passes through Shuzheng Valley. Key sights include Penjing Beach, Reed Sea, Huohua Lake, Shuzheng Waterfall, Rhinoceros Lake and Nuorilang Waterfall. The Rizegou section is the highlight of the Jiuzhaigou scenic line, with stunningly beautiful and ever-changing scenery. Sights include the Nuorilang Lake Group, Mirror Lake, Pearl Shoals Waterfall, Peacock Channel, Five-Flower Lake, Panda Lake Waterfall, Arrow Bamboo Lake, Eagle Claw Cave, Swan Lake, Fangcao Lake, Jianyan Hanging Spring and the primeval forest. The Zharugou valley is the longest valley developed so far in Jiuzhaigou, at 18 km. It passes Jiwan Lake and Five-Colour Pond before reaching Changhai (Long Lake) at an altitude of 3,100 metres.
Peak season: entrance ¥190, sightseeing bus ¥90; off-season: entrance ¥80, sightseeing bus ¥80 · 1 day
Dagu Glacier
The Dagu Snow Mountain stands within Sanda Ancient Village, Luhua Town, Heishui County, at an altitude of 3,800–5,100 metres. It boasts mountain glaciers, waterfalls, lakes, primeval forest, extensive rhododendron groves and scattered meadows. The ecology remains in excellent condition, and you can easily spot the small wildlife that lives here.
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Kalonggou Scenic Area
Kalong Valley is a karst landscape, where stalactites come in dazzling colours. It has over a hundred colourful pools of varying sizes, dramatic waterfalls with steep drops, and autumn mountain forests painted in brilliant hues. Its scenery rivals and, in many ways, even surpasses that of Jiuzhaigou. Every October, the “Glacier and Autumn Forest Festival” is held here.
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Lianbao Yezé
Lianbao Yeze is a famous sacred mountain in the Tibetan regions, ranked eighth among the region’s ten most sacred mountains. Some say it was the ancient battlefield where King Gesar waged his campaigns. Each sight in Lianbao Yeze has its own character. Longgacuo Lamahu Lake is the largest lake in the scenic area, with five smaller lakes surrounding the main lake. Legend says this is where King Gesar rescued his beloved consort Zhumu. Luoyun Co is another high-altitude freshwater lake. A huge ox-heart-shaped stone is reflected in its waters, creating a sight that is both spectacular and spiritual. Walk along the north shore for a while and you will see waterfalls dozens of metres high, which are truly dramatic. Zhumu Co has a different kind of grandeur. The Zhumu Lake, Zhumu River and Zhumu Gully together form a majestic world of lakes and rocks, with strange, precipitous mountains and peaks on both banks in countless shapes that invite the imagination.
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