Sunrise Ridge Hot Springs

Sunrise Ridge Hot Springs

Sunrise Ridge, meaning "prosperous mountain garden," is located in Ganzi Town, within the territory of Ganzi County in Garzê Prefecture. It borders the Yalong River to the southwest, is close to the county town to the northwest, spans over a thousand hectares, and sits at an elevation of 3,371 meters. The renowned Ganzi Zhuode Hot Springs are situated here. Legend has it that long ago, there was a fierce and jealous dragon who spread plagues and harmed all living beings. This evil dragon took over the beautiful and fertile land of Sunrise Ridge, which was then called "Lido," meaning "Dragon Land." Although there were hot springs that people longed for, no one dared to bathe there for fear of angering the dragon. Later, Phagpa, the Tibetan Buddhist leader and imperial preceptor, was ordered by the emperor to create the Mongolian script at the Sakya Monastery in Tibet. Carrying the newly created script, he traveled from Lhasa to Beijing to meet Kublai Khan, the Yuan Dynasty emperor. On his way through Ganzi, he preached to the local people and set up camp at the Dragon Land of Ganzi for three days. During this time, he drank the holy water of Wude Shen (Gongbu Xiaqu, now located behind the friendship statue pavilion of Hegda). Fearing that Phagpa might fall ill, the locals urged him not to stay on the forbidden land of the dragon. However, during his afternoon rest, Phagpa bathed with the evil dragon and told Buddhist stories from the Vinaya Sutra, focusing on embracing virtue, abstaining from vice, choosing righteousness, and rejecting evil. As the dragon listened, it had an epiphany and developed a desire to convert to Buddhism. It bowed to Phagpa and presented him with a pure khata (it is said that the tradition of exchanging khatas as a gesture of highest respect among locals began at this time and has since become a customary form of reverence in Tibetan regions). When Phagpa and his entourage were about to leave, the dragon came again to offer a farewell khata and prayed for their safe journey. To prevent the evil dragon from reverting to its wicked nature, Phagpa recited scriptures and blessed the dragon, appointing it as a mountain deity. The dragon was enshrined on the mountain, and the mountain and the surrounding plains were collectively named “Sunrise Ridge,” a name that has been used ever since.

Legend has it that after the construction of Zhan’en Temple (the predecessor of Ganzi Temple) on Sunrise Ridge, the original mountain deity (the evil dragon) was promoted and revered as a divine spirit. In 1991, Ganzi County built the...

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Memorial Hall for Luo Rongdanzeng Zhapayagye, with the inscription of the hall’s name personally written by General Secretary -. The plain is shaded by green trees, covered with lush grass, and traversed by a clear stream flowing from the northwest to the southeast—offering exceptionally beautiful scenery. Currently, Zhuode Hot Springs features bathing facilities of varying grades, making it a great destination for leisure, entertainment, and vacation. Every year, shortly before the autumn harvest, people of all ethnic groups in Ganzi County gather here to celebrate the Harvest Welcoming Festival. Sunrise Ridge has long been known as the “Ganzi Park.”