The Kangding Love Song Scenic Area is located in Yala Township, Kangding City, Ganzi Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan Province, about 17 kilometers from the urban area of Kangding. It is a national 4A-level tourist attraction, a World Natural Heritage nomination site, and a national key scenic and historic area. The scenic area covers about 350 square kilometers, with an altitude of 2,600–3,780 meters. It lies at the northern foot of the Hengduan Mountains and belongs to the Daxue Mountains. It is a transitional zone between the mountainous area on the western edge of the Sichuan Basin and the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. The scenic area features plateau lakes, primitive forests, hot springs, snow peaks, exotic rocks, and the 8-kilometer-long Thousand Waterfalls Gorge, forming a beautiful and colorful landscape. It is an ideal destination for sightseeing, entertainment, viewing, rest, convalescence, fitness, summer vacation, and scientific research. There are no relevant scenic area building data.
History and Culture
The Kangding Love Song Scenic Area is the birthplace of "Kangding Love Song." The people here have always had a passionate and uninhibited character and a beautiful yearning for love since ancient times. The song "On the horse-racing mountain..." resounded throughout China and made this land the hometown of love songs in people's hearts. At the same time, it is also the birthplace of Guozhuang culture. Guozhuang dance is a traditional dance form of the Tibetan people. During festivals or gatherings, people dance Guozhuang around bonfires, displaying the unique folk customs of the Kham region.
Main Attractions
Fangcao Lawn
It covers an area of more than 10,000 square meters, like a brilliant carpet spread among the dense forests and mountains, with lush grass and wildflowers everywhere. It is a natural paradise for horseback riding and耍坝子, and also the starting place of the love story of the protagonists of Kangding Love Song.
Seven-Color Sea
At an altitude of 2,600 meters, it is a plateau lake where lake water and hot springs blend. The lake surface is crescent-shaped, covering about 20 hectares, with a water depth of more than 20 meters. The lake water is clear and transparent, changing into seven colors with sunlight and weather. On the right side of the lake, the spring water temperature is as high as 67°C, a good place for bathing and treating diseases. In the dense forest to the southeast, there is also a satellite lake called "Love Sea."
Azalea Gorge
It connects Seven-Color Sea in the east and Yeren Sea in the west, with a gorge length of 8 kilometers. In the gorge, streams sometimes rush and sometimes flow gently, splashing pearls and jade. The trees on both banks of the stream are lush and green, and the primitive azalea forests are varied and colorful.
Medicinal Pool Boiling Spring
It is 3 kilometers from Seven-Color Sea, at an altitude of 3,500 meters. There are more than 20 high-temperature spring outlets here, with the highest water temperature reaching 90°C. The water quality contains a variety of trace elements beneficial to the human body. Different springs have unique therapeutic effects on eye diseases, stomach diseases, rheumatism, and other conditions.
Mugecuo (Yeren Sea)
It is one of the largest alpine lakes in northwestern Sichuan, at an altitude of 3,780 meters, with a water area of nearly 4 square kilometers and a depth of more than 70 meters. It is surrounded by mountains, forests, and grasslands. Dozens of small lakes such as Red Sea, Black Sea, and White Sea surround it, like stars surrounding the moon. The peak on the left side of the outlet is named Rhinoceros Peak.
Red Sea Grassland
It is named after the alpine lake Red Sea. Local Tibetans call the Red Sea "Xiaohaizi." Here the grass is lush and wildflowers are everywhere. Tourists can take a boat from Mugecuo Holy Lake to the Red Sea Grassland on the opposite bank.
Golden Coast (Beach)
It is about 110 meters long and about 80 meters wide, with a total area of about 8,800 square meters. The dazzling fine sand seems to add a golden edge to the blue Mugecuo. There are many small lakes around Mugecuo, but only the side of Golden Coast is covered with golden sand, forming a wonder similar to ocean tides, with sand covered when water rises and sand pits when water falls.
Tour Route：
You can first take a sightseeing bus from the scenic area entrance to Mugecuo Holy Lake, enjoy the plateau blue love sea and the golden beach by the lake, and also watch Tibetan dance performances and participate in interactive games; then go to Red Stone Beach to admire the red wonder at the foot of Gongga Mountain; then go to Medicinal Pool Boiling Spring to experience hot spring foot soaking and taste hot spring boiled eggs; finally go to Seven-Color Sea and enjoy the morning mist and the "sunshine on golden mountain" scenery from the viewing platform on the east side of the lake.
Tour Suggestions：
The scenic area is at a high altitude, so pay attention to preventing altitude sickness, prepare anti-altitude sickness medicine in advance, and avoid strenuous exercise.
Bring clothes according to the season and weather. In spring and summer (April–September), you can prepare a thin down jacket, outdoor jacket, rainproof equipment, and sun hat; in autumn and winter (October–March), you need to bring a thicker down jacket, scarf, gloves, and crampons.
There are few dining options in the scenic area, so you can bring some chocolate, self-heating hot pots, and other food.
It is recommended to arrive at the scenic area before 10:30 so as to participate in the Tibetan song and dance welcome ceremony at the entrance.
Notes：
Respect local religious beliefs and customs.
Protect the scenic area environment, do not litter, and do not damage vegetation.
Pay attention to safety in the hot spring area to avoid scalding.
Keep personal belongings safe during the tour, especially in crowded places.
Transportation：
Self-driving: Departing from Chengdu, you can reach Kangding City via G4202 Chengdu Ring Expressway, G5 Beijing-Kunming Expressway, G4218 Ya'an-Yecheng Expressway, S43 Xixiang Expressway, and other sections, and then go from Kangding City to the scenic area. The total distance is about 322 kilometers.
Public transportation: You can first arrive in Kangding City, then take a shuttle bus to the scenic area at the Kangding City Bus Station.
Opening Hours：
Opening time: 7:30–16:30. Subject to the actual opening time of the scenic area.
Tickets：
Ticket sightseeing bus: 195 yuan/person.