Tang Dynasty Songzhou Ancient City (Songpan)

Tang Dynasty Songzhou Ancient City (Songpan)

Tang Dynasty Songzhou Ancient City (Songpan) is a national AAA-level tourist attraction and a cultural tourism destination.

Songpan Ancient City is situated in the northwest of Sichuan Province and the eastern part of the Aba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture. Since ancient times, it has been a commercial hub for the three provinces of Sichuan, Gansu, and Qinghai, earning titles such as "Important Town of Northwestern Sichuan," "Frontier Stronghold," and "Strategic Pass." It now also serves as a key junction connecting major scenic areas such as Jiuzhaigou, Huanglong, and the Great Grassland. The ancient city is known as the "Plateau Ancient City" and is a national cultural heritage conservation unit.

Introduction to Songpan County Map

Tang Dynasty Songzhou Ancient City is the county seat of Songpan, an ancient city that flourished during the Tang Dynasty. It earned the name Songzhou because it was once covered with towering pine and cypress trees.

The current appearance of the county town still bears traces of its historical past: blue walls surround the ancient city; the houses within are low-rise, with numerous alleys, and the four main streets—east, west, south, and north—are wide and clearly laid out. There are ancient bridges dating back many years, small rivers with murmuring streams beneath them, teahouses and wicker chairs by the riverbanks, distant towering city gates, and the rugged mountains outside the gates... Everything in sight gives a sense of time standing still.

Ancient City Walls

Songpan Ancient City has seven gates: the eastern gate is called "Jinyang," the southern gate "Yanxun," the western gate "Weiyuan," the northern gate "Zhenqiang," the southwestern foothill gate is named "Xiaoximen," and there are two gates in the outer city—east-west oriented "Linjiang" and north-south oriented "Fubing." Each city gate is built with large parallel-hexagonal stone arches, giving the top a semi-circular shape. The base stones of the gates are carved with various intricate patterns, showcasing unique craftsmanship and inviting contemplation. On the stone wall next to the Linjiang Gate, there is an inscription from the 16th year of the Chongzhen era (1644) announcing tax reductions.

The construction of the ancient city wall gates began in the 12th year of the Hongwu reign of the Ming Dynasty’s founder, when Songzhou Wei and Panzhou Wei were merged into Songpan Wei. The gate arches are fifteen zhang thick, built solidly, and have endured centuries of wind and rain without erosion or damage. Climbing the city walls offers panoramic views of the majestic surroundings.

The scale of the Songpan Ancient City walls is grand and imposing, with unparalleled length, height, thickness, and exquisite stone carvings. Historical Anecdotes

Songpan has a history of over 2,300 years of administrative establishment, and the ancient city itself has a thousand-year history. It was first built in the third year of the Taihe era during the reign of Emperor Wenzong of Tang (829 AD), when Li Deyu, the military governor of Jiannan, constructed the Rouyuan City while managing border affairs. In the 12th year of the Hongwu reign of the Ming Dynasty (1379 AD), Songpan Wei was established, and the name Songpan has been used ever since.

At the entrance of Songzhou Ancient City stands a landmark statue depicting the marriage of Princess Wencheng and King Songtsen Gampo, telling the story of the "Tang-Tibet War" over a thousand years ago that led to Princess Wencheng’s marriage alliance. The Tibetan leader Songtsen Gampo sent envoys to Chang’an to request a marriage alliance. Passing through Songpan, the envoys were detained by the local governor Xu Qi, which enraged Songtsen Gampo. He personally led an army of 200,000 to invade Songpan, but the local commander Han Wei was defeated. Emperor Taizong then dispatched the Minister of Personnel Wei to lead troops to Songpan. After the battle at Chuanzhu Temple, Songtsen Gampo retreated back to Tibet. Later, he sent envoys with gold to seek peace and marriage, and Emperor Taizong, seeing the greater good, agreed to marry his daughter, Princess Wencheng, to Songtsen Gampo, creating a timeless tale of harmony. Ethnic Culture

Historic structures such as the Choubian Tower, the City God Temple, the Great Compassion Temple, and the Mosque speak to the profound historical and cultural heritage of Songzhou Ancient City. The city is home to people of Tibetan, Qiang, Hui, and Han ethnicities, whose mutual influences and integration have created a unique, long-standing, and rich ethnic culture and local character. In distinctive squares such as "Yiqing Square," "Songzhou Square," "Tang Dynasty Songzhou Square," and "Ancient Charm Square," one can listen to Tibetan songs and join in Guozhuang dances to deeply experience this vibrant ethnic culture. Chuanzhu Temple

Chuanzhu Temple is not actually a temple but a small town under the jurisdiction of Songpan County. It is a key transit point to Jiuzhaigou, Huanglong Scenic Area, and the Great Grassland of Northwestern Sichuan.

Chuanzhu Temple Town enjoys a prime location: 39 kilometers east is the main valley of Huanglong, extending to Xuebaoding and Danyun Gorge Scenic Areas; 87 kilometers north is Jiuzhaigou Scenic Area; 40 kilometers west is the Great Grassland, extending to the First Bend of the Yellow River; 17 kilometers south is Songpan Ancient City, extending to Mounigou Scenic Area; and 15 kilometers north is Red Stone Park.

Additionally, the western section of the Jiuhuan Highway, National Highway 213, and Songping Highway intersect here in a "cross" formation, and Jiuhuang Airport is located in the area.

The town also has many star-rated hotels, transportation hubs, numerous restaurants, food stalls, and shops selling ethnic souvenirs. The famous Red Army Long March Monument is also located here. Ticket Information & Opening Hours

The ticket for Songpan Ancient City Walls is 30 RMB. Transportation – Internal Transport

Transportation

Songpan County is not large, and the main mode of transport is the human-powered tricycle, typically costing 1–2 RMB, or 3 RMB for longer distances.

For chartered vehicles, minibuses are the most common. Reference prices: 200 RMB to Huanglong or Jiuzhaigou, 150–200 RMB to Mounigou.

In Chuanzhu Temple, there are also many vehicles offering shared rides to Jiuzhaigou or Huanglong for just 50 RMB per person, but this depends on enough passengers (usually 4) being available.

For visiting attractions such as Mounigou and Xuebaoding from Songpan County, another unique transport option is horseback riding. There are multiple horseback routes to choose from, and the itinerary can be adjusted according to tourists’ preferences. The cost is 100–150 RMB for the first day and 100 RMB for subsequent days. More details can be found in the Entertainment section. External Transport

From Chengdu’s West Gate Bus Station, the route passes through Dujiangyan, Wenchuan, and Mao County to Songpan, covering a total distance of about 400 kilometers, with tickets priced around 98 RMB. A chartered car costs 700–800 RMB one way.

Additionally, the Chuanlang Highway from Chuanzhu Temple to Ruoergai starts from Langmusi Township in Ruoergai County (at the Sichuan-Gansu border) and ends at Chuanzhu Temple Town in Songpan County, connecting to the Jiuhuan Highway. It passes through Langmusi, the Rierlang Mountain Pass, vast grasslands, Ruoergai County, and Gali Tai. The main route is 225 kilometers long. Food · Accommodation · Shopping [Dining]

Several well-known restaurants online include:

Yulan Restaurant, located downstairs in the Ancient City Hotel, has a good reputation. Its food prices, portions, and taste are all highly praised, with an average cost of 10 RMB per person.

Xingyue Lou offers innovative dishes with great flavor, but it is more expensive, with an average cost of around 40 RMB per person.

Little Europe Western Restaurant offers decent service, though the prices aren’t cheap—most of the patrons there are foreigners.

“Alibaba” Lamb Skewers. It’s famous, so there are many imitation shops. The real “Alibaba” can be identified by the following features: as soon as you enter, you’ll see a red cloth hanging on the wall that reads “Halal.”

Alibaba Plateau Red—The World’s Number One Roast

Whole Roast Lamb

Lamb Skewers

Lamb Thigh

Buttered Tea

Highland Green Food. The specific address of the shop is: after entering the ancient city gate (the one with the statues of Princess Wencheng and King Songtsen Gampo), count seven shops from the left (though it seems to be relocating soon).