Changping Valley: choose how deep to walk
Changping Valley (长坪沟, Chángpíng Gōu) is Mount Siguniang's forest-and-mountain walking day. A 7 km sightseeing connector removes the initial road approach; after the temple-area walking start, you decide how far to follow the river, boardwalk, forest and rougher horse trail toward the close mountain walls.
You do not need to reach Muluozi for Changping to be worthwhile. A front-valley sampler gives forest, water and early mountain views; an extended walk adds the changing trail texture; a full Muluozi day delivers the widest meadow-and-mountain finish when weather and an early start support it.
Photo: jetsun · Source · CC BY-SA 3.0
Choose one of three Changping days
| Product | Best for | Route commitment |
|---|---|---|
| Front-valley sampler | Families, a second valley day or visitors who want forest without a full trek | Connector to the walking start, then boardwalk, forest and river to a conservative signed turnaround |
| Extended forest walk | Regular walkers who want the valley to change from structured boardwalk to a more natural trail | Continue toward the dry-lake and deeper forest zone, using a written time-based turnaround |
| Full Muluozi day | Prepared walkers who make Changping the day's only major objective | Earliest practical entry, restrained early stops, Muluozi turnaround and a confirmed walk/horse return plan |
The official route page places Muluozi 12 km one way from the walking start. That is after the 7 km vehicle connector, not 12 km from the ticket gate. Treat the full product as a real mountain day, not a slightly longer version of the front boardwalk.
Use the route chooser before you enter
The diagram compares effort and commitment rather than drawing an exact trail. Open paths, the current return connector and staff instructions control the day.
Product A: front-valley sampler
Take the 7 km connector to the temple-area walking start, then let the boardwalk and river set the rhythm. Choose a signed early turnaround while the return remains relaxed. This product preserves the valley's forest-and-water character and leaves enough energy for town, onward travel or another valley on a different day.
Product B: extended forest walk
Continue beyond the first easy section only after noting the day's final return arrangement. Expect the route to change from structured boardwalk to a muddier, stonier horse trail with fewer easy pauses. Set a clock time for turning around based on the current connector, closing instructions, weather and your actual outward pace; distance alone is a poor cutoff.
Product C: full Muluozi day
Enter at the earliest practical time for your date, keep the front stops brief and walk steadily toward Muluozi. The meadow, river and close mountain wall are the full-day payoff when visibility cooperates. Before leaving the managed start, decide whether you intend to walk both ways or use an official horse product for a named section. Do not build the return around an unconfirmed horse, endpoint or last vehicle.
Notice how the valley changes as you walk
Changping's distinctive pleasure is the progression: managed connector, temple-area forest, boardwalk and river, then a rougher trail and broader high-valley space. Warm-season flowers may add colour beside the path, but bloom timing changes with altitude and weather; the route remains rewarding for its forest, water and mountain depth when no floral display appears.
Photo: jetsun · Source · CC BY-SA 3.0
2026 tickets, connector and horse baseline
These official baselines were checked on 21 August 2026:
| Item | Current baseline |
|---|---|
| Peak season | 1 April–30 November |
| Changping admission | CNY 70 |
| Sightseeing connector | CNY 20, separate from admission; official length 7 km |
| General 2026 entry window | 08:00–14:30, effective from 1 April 2026 |
Changping inventory is separate from Shuangqiao and Haizi. Reserve the dated valley product through the official 阿坝旅游 / Abatour or Mount Siguniang channels and confirm the day's connector and return instructions.
Compare current Changping Valley ticket options on Trip.com, then check whether the selected option includes the 7 km connector. Horse service, a guide, insurance, outdoor registration and the other valleys are not implied by the ticket unless the selected option states them.
International visitors are being received, but the public notices reviewed do not document one reproducible foreign-passport checkout and staffed-entry workflow. Confirm the accepted passport field and payment method with the official ticket service before paying, then carry the original booking document.
Horse service: confirm the contract, not only the price
Changping's regulated horse service is optional and is sold through the official counter/company. The current operator overview displays a CNY 320 per horse product including insurance, while also stating that price varies by distance. Treat that figure as current-page orientation, not a universal Muluozi fare.
Before mounting, confirm the named endpoint, one-way or return product, actual dismount point, rider/horse capacity, insurance, weather operation and live total price. A horse can reduce walking distance; it does not turn a rough mountain trail into a guaranteed comfortable ride or grant access to a closed route.
Getting there from Mount Siguniang Town
Use the exact Changping Valley Visitor Centre AMap marker. AMap's 21 August 2026 model placed it 1.7 km / 23 minutes on foot or 1.8 km / 6 minutes by road from the neutral town civic anchor. It returned no public-transit itinerary for the local leg.
Those results explain why the town is a useful early-start base, but they do not prove the walking route from every hotel, a shuttle timetable or local vehicle availability. Check your exact lodging pin, slope, luggage plan and morning transfer rather than applying the civic-anchor distance to the entire town.
For the wider road journey from Chengdu, valley choice and a two-night base, use the Mount Siguniang guide. Do not rely on an undated coach timetable or the still-unfinished mountain railway.
Altitude, weather and a controlled turnaround
- Mount Siguniang Town itself is roughly 3,160–3,200 metres, so begin gently and give the full Muluozi product its own day rather than stacking it after a long road transfer.
- Rain changes the post-boardwalk horse trail most: mud and stones can slow both walkers and horses. Waterproof layers and shoes with grip matter more than a saved pace target.
- Carry the food and water needed for your chosen depth and verify current toilets, refill points and staffed facilities before leaving the managed start.
- Ask staff about current path, fire, ecological and weather controls. Stay on the open visitor route and turn back at your pre-set clock time even when the saved destination is close.
- Seek staff or medical help for persistent or worsening headache, dizziness, unusual breathlessness or fatigue. A horse or short connector ride is not protection from altitude illness.
Fit Changping into a Mount Siguniang stay
The most stable first visit is a town arrival night, an easier Shuangqiao Valley day, then Changping as the walking day. If weather hides the distant mountain wall, the forest and river still give the front and extended products a clear purpose; shorten at the chosen turnaround rather than forcing Muluozi for the name alone.
Changping rewards a deliberate depth. Choose the product before you start, protect the return while your legs are still strong, and let the changing forest-to-meadow sequence define the day.
