Mountain Gongga or Minya Konka [Ganzi]

"One of Top Ten Most Beautiful Mountains in China"
Ranked by China National Geoegraphy Magazin

Mountain Gongga or Minya Konka in Luding, Kangding and Jiulong County, Ganzi Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of Sichuan Province: Where the wind stops to rest

Mountain Gongga also known as Minya Konka is the highest mountain in Sichuan Province. In Tibetan language, "Gong" means permanent snow cover, while "Ga" means white, so Gongga means white snow cover. It is located in the Miya Raogang area, a traditional Tibetan Buddhist administrative division. Local people also call it Miya Gongga.

The towering peak called Minya Konka is not part of the Himalayan range, which ends far to the west of Sichuan, this peak rises to an awesome 7556 meters, making it the highest peak east of the Himalayas, and is the highest mountain in Sichuan Province. Minya Konka peak is high snowy peak with narrow ridges, located in the far eastern end of a vast network of north-south ranges that runs through Central China. While wildlife on the grasslands has been deeply affected by the changes in Tibet, remote mountain peaks and valleys often serve as refuges of isolation where wildlife remains abundant. In the high and steep Gongga Mountain, the snow does not melt perennially. The climate of Minya Konka is moist, snowy and very changeful. Climbing is more difficult than QionmoLangma (Mt. Everest). Since 1932, only seven expeditions, with 22 people, have reached the summit of Minya Konka successfully.

A streak of blood-red light pierced the dark clouds, revealing over 50 steep snow-capped summits, shining, dazzling and thrusting into the clouds like golden swords. On the other side of the valley there were pinewoods, dark green in the sunshine, like green flower garlands above the mountain fields girdling the immeasurably high golden snow-capped summits. This ''Sunshine over the Golden Mountain'' is the most famous scenic view in the Gongga area.

At this tranquil time and place, the mountain and sky, the sun and clouds were showing their earliest beauty and brilliance of the day.

No 1 Camp Height: 1940m
Vegetation Zone: Semitropical semiarid river valley loose wood scrublands
Representational Vegetation: Ceridiphyllum Japonicum, Magnolia Dawsoniana
Wildlife: Tibet black-bone chicken and butterfly
Main Sight-seeing Item: 56 degree hot spring, watching No 2 glacier and Virgin Forest at long bowls
No 2 Camp Height: 2580m
Vegetation Zone: Semitropical evergreen broad-leaved forest
Representational Vegetation: Taxus Chinensis, Betula Spp.
Wildlife: Bud orcas, Actinide Chinesis and Antelope
Main Sight-seeing Item: 92 degree hot spring, Taxus Chinensis, Monkey, Virgin Forest and lakes
No 3 Camp Height: 2940m
Vegetation Zone: Temperate mixed belt of broadleaf and coniferous forest
Representational Vegetation: Picea Brachytyla, Alp grand foliate cuckoo
Wildlife: Tibet Actinidi Chinesis
Main Sight-seeing Item: Enjoy grand foliate cuckoo, watching sunlight on the mountain and visit the Virgin Forest
No 4 Camp Height: 3600m
Vegetation Zone: Cool temperate taiga
Representational Vegetation: Alp boscage and Hsueh-lien-hua
Main Sight-seeing Item: Sitting in the alp ropeway, watching grand icefall and enjoy the charm of the glacier.

Best time to go
May and June.
An average annual temperature is from 46.4F to 57.2F in summer and Autumn. The rainy season is from June to October and the snow is from October to February next year.

Ticket
No ticket but cost much more! Gonggar Miraculous Fount: RMB 65/person.

Around Landscape
Hailuogou Glaciers, Moxi Town, Er'daoqiao Hot spring, Jinggang Temple, Nanwu Temple, Ganzi Temple, Cuopu Scenic Area, etc.

Local Snacks and Specialties
Cherry, Loquat, Aroma peach, Chinese chestnut, Walnut, Cacti fruit, Persimmon, Peppertree Pricklyash, Edible tree fungi, etc.

Travel Tips
Bring warm clothes with you because weather in mountain is change to cold.
Wastes should be taken back to the tourist center.
Be sure to respect local ethical customs and traditions.
Please take sunbonnet, sunglass, and suntan oil in summer.

Distance
Beijing (2042 km) Chengdu City (474 km Sichuan--Tibet highway, through Ya'an, Luding County and Kangding County) Liuba village, then walk to base camp of Mountain Gongga.