Daofu County (道孚县, known as Dawu in Tibetan, altitude: 3,250m) in Garze Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of China’s Sichuan Province is a member of the huge Western Sichuan, about 487km away from Sichuan’s capital Chengdu. Neighboring Garze’s capital city Kangding to its southeast, Danba to the east, Jinchuan to the northeast and Luhuo to the north, Daofu is, of course, a vital middle stop to fulfill the Western Sichuan Small Tourist Loop.
With the reputation of “The Art Capital of Tibetan Folk Houses”, Daofu itself is also a charming tourist site with an atmosphere of Tibet well worth your visit. Beyond its high-quality and elegant fork houses as well as furniture, Daofu also feast tourists’ eyes and hearts with imposing alpine sceneries and sacred Tibetan culture, like epic snow mountain vistas, immense grasslands dotted with yaks, horses and flowers, holy Tibetan monasteries and towers… Besides, in Bamei Town of Daofu you will encounter with spectacular stone forest in their special shapes and postures!
Daofu houses every element that should be in this Western Sichuan region, like the vast grassland, sublime snow-capped mountains, and lush forests. Besides that, Daofu also provides unique stone forest and the most elegant Tibetan houses to be visited! The most attractive highlights in Daofu are the Traditional Daofu Folk Houses, Bammei Stone Forest, Yala Scenic Area, Zunsheng White Tower, Dragon Latern Grassland and Huiuan Monastery.
The Daofu Folk Houses is exactly not referring a pointed tourist site in Daofu, but every local house you will see in this county, while some of them are extremely well-protected their traditional looks in the present days. Because of the new protection policies of woods, those houses are also the last ones you could see.
Bamei Stone Forest is also named Moshi Garden Scenic Area. Its name Moshi implies the ink-like black color of the stones there. Moshi Scenic Area sits at the bank of highways from Daofu to Kangding, with a close driving distance for about 20km to Tagong Grassland.
Zunsheng White Tower in the county central area of Daofu is the tallest Buddhist Tower in Tibetan area. It consists of one towering main tower and 24 small towers. Tourists, especially the faithful, usually do pilgrimage trekking around the towers to pray for good wishes.
Dragon Lantern Grassland, or known as Longdeng Grassland, is located right next to the highway between Daofu and Kangding. It is now mainly served as a stop for tourists to take a break. Locals also call it “Gesar Tong” in Tibetan, since the ancient King Gesar once set up camp there.
Huiyuan Monastery lies on the way to the scared Yala Mountain. It faces Lingque Monastery in Daofu County from a distance. Stroll the monastery is some like leaving every trouble behind, because it is so quiet and dignity.
Yala Scenic Area is mostly famed for its sacred lotus-like Yala Snow Mountain. In clear sunny days, tourists can luckily enjoy its mysterious appearance at Tagong Grassland and Bamei Town. And sometimes you will see clouds kissing the summit.
Similar to most other destinations in Western Sichuan region, Daofu offers tourists with wonderful alpine activities to do, like trekking and photography. Besides, the most amazing part of a Daofu tour must be visiting the local folk houses there.
Getting close to the local folk houses in Daofu, you will get a strong sense in Tibet. And after paying a light fee, you will be welcomed to visit their amazing inside structures and decorations, with very detailed wooden carvings to explore!
The best way to visit the stone forests, parks and villages in Daofu is by trekking. And trekking to get close to the mountains and the monasteries is also a greatest way to taste the culture and nature there.
For photography lovers, Daofu is also a great place to create awesome photos in your camera. Its sparkling Tibetan folk houses, towering snow mountains hidden in the clouds and grasslands peppered with yaks and alpine lakes as far as the eye can see are waiting for your shutter sound.
With an elevation from 2,670m to 5,820m, the weather in Daofu is similar to its nearby counties and towns like Danba and Kangding. The average temperature in Daofu is about 8.2℃. The coldest month of Daofu is usually in every January, with a lowest temperature for about -10℃. Daofu’s hottest month is in July and August. The highest in this period of time can reach to 30 ℃.
Seldom tourists go to visit Daofu alone. The best time to visit Daofu is usually taking the destinations of your entire trip into account. Usually, the best time to visit the counties like Daofu in Western Sichuan area comes in the golden September and October, when the skies tend to be clear for sightseeing, photography and also trekking and the land is decorated with beautiful autumn colors. And if you happen to visit Daofu in July and August, you will encounter with fields of golden rape flowers.
There is no air route or rail line linked with Daofu, because it sits in the remote area of Sichuan. Daofu County is situated in the Western Sichuan Small Loop, well connecting with Mount Siguniang, Danba, Kangding and Chengdu. At present, the best way to Daofu is by private car or long-distance coach from Chengdu (the capital of Sichuan) or Kangding (the capital of Ganzi). Driving from Kangding to Daofu takes about 4.5 hours. Chengdu Xinnanmen Coach Station in the city center area has 1~2 daily direct coach to Daofu too. However, you are more suggested to travel by private car, as there are so many amazing sites along the way and you can have stopover tours at anywhere you are interested.
We China Discovery based in Chengdu offer comfortable licensed private vehicle to take you get to Daofu and get around the Western Sichuan in speed and safety, companied by our English speaking tour guide and professional driver. Please feel free to let us know if you need private car service!
Daofu has 40+ hotels for your stay there, including two 3-star hotels and 37+ budget hotels of 2-star. Most of the hotels can be found at its central area. Therefore, the best place to stay in Daofu is its county area. Bamei Town of Daofu also has 3~4 hotels for you to choose, which are closer to Bamei Stone Forest and Tagong Grassland.
The hotels in Daofu are all in basic, but much better than you could imagine of hotels in such a remote area. They all meet your basic needs like bed, hot water and parking. Some may offer free Wi-Fi service, while some may not. If you are looking for better accommodation in this area, you can find what you want in Kangding City, which is about 4.5 hours away from Daofu.
Altitude Sickness: To help you avoid or relieve the high altitude sickness, drink some Rhodiola rosea at least one week before visiting Daofu. Drink enough water and sleep well!
Wearing: It is necessary to take enough thick sweaters, thick coats, waterproof clothes, scarves, gloves and antiskid hiking shoes in spring, autumn and winter season. Long-sleeves coats are still recommended in summer. Sun block, sunglasses, hats, lip balm, and so on are suggested for all seasons.
Know more about Mount Siguniang Travel Tips >>
To help you better navigate Daofu and even Western Sichuan, here we offer you a latest English Daofu Western Sichuan Map. Check the map to know more tourist info like tourist destinations, altitude, driving distance, time, etc.
With sublime snow-capped mountains, sacred Tibetan monasteries, and spectacular valleys to be visited, Western Sichuan offers remarkable surprises similar to the Tibet. However, a tour to Western Sichuan is much easier for foreigners when compared with Tibet, because it allows tourists to get rid of filling paperwork for entering.
Besides Daofu, there are 15+ amazing tourist destinations in the Western Sichuan region well worth your visit. And here, we would recommend you the top 4 places hot chosen by our customers, including Daocheng Yading, Mount Siguniang, Danba and Kangding.
Sichuan is wonderful province full of amazing natural sites, cultural heritages and also adorable pandas! Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan Province, is usually the first stop of touring Sichuan. Having a date with cute pandas in Chengdu Panda Base is the best way to make a start. Beyond the pandas, trying a taste of slow-paced lifestyle in this city is also a happy experience. Besides Chengdu, Sichuan also provides fairy-like Jiuzhai National Park, Grand Leshan Giant Buddha, magnificent Dujiangyan Irrigation System, etc. to explore! Discover now!
If you are fond of nature very much, why not discover the terrific sceneries of more scenic destinations in China, such as Guilin, Zhangjiajie, Huangshan, Yunnan, etc. to satisfy your eyes and mind to the most. Check the detailed travel guide of each destination and start your nature exploration!
Chinese Name: 道孚
Chinese Pinyin: dào fú
Altitude: 3,245m
Population: 55 thousand
Language: Mandarin & Sichuan Dialect & Tibetan
Tel Code: 0836
Zip Code: 626400
Time Zone: (UTC+8)
Daofu is a small county in Garze, Sichuan. It is usually a middle stop for tourists exploring Western Sichuan. Most of the tourists will visit Daofu and other tourists destinations on the famous Western Sichuan Small Loop in one go. And during their trip, they make 1~2 days stay in Daofu for a stopover tour.
Considering there are 15+ amazing destinations on the loop for you to choose, you are suggested to customize your personal tour according to your interests, physical fitness and budget. The travel length usually lasts for 6 to 10 days. If you prefer trekking and authentic natural sceneries, our pick of best sites adding to your Daofu tour are Mount Siguniang, Hailuo Valley or Daocheng Yading. For culture lovers, remember to make stops at Kangding, Danba and Dujiangyan. And Ya’an City is recommended for all who want to have date with adorable pandas!
Want to add Daofu into your own Tibetan Sichuan tour? Please feel free to contact us to customize your personal trip according to your budget, interest and physical fitness!
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