Beautiful Mount Niubei
Once claimed three lives
At around 11 a.m. on November 9, seven hikers were in a Chuan ANR444 Cheetah vehicle that plunged off a cliff at the Chunbian Valley entrance of Mount Niubei; three died and four were injured
Snowy Mount Niubei
Once trapped over a thousand people
On April 5, heavy snow suddenly fell on Mount Niubei, where the scenic area only had the capacity to receive a few hundred visitors, yet over a thousand arrived, leading to thousands being stranded
Recently, the People's Government of Yingjing County, Ya'an City, issued the "Notice on Implementing Temporary Traffic Control on Roads to Mount Niubei." Starting December 1, temporary traffic control has been enforced on roads leading to Mount Niubei, closing the mountaintop viewing platform and prohibiting all personnel and vehicles from entering. Additionally, according to information from the Tourism Bureau of Luding County, Ganzi Prefecture, roads from Luding County to Mount Niubei are also currently under temporary control. This means both routes to Mount Niubei have been restricted, and tourists are unable to enter the mountain.
It is reported that the road traffic control from Yingjing up to Mount Niubei will continue until March next year.
Once winter arrives
Roads on Mount Niubei begin to ice over
On November 9 this year, seven hikers were driving through Sanhe Township of Yingjing County en route to Mount Niubei when their vehicle plunged off a cliff at the Chunbian Valley entrance; three died and four were injured. The next day, traffic police in Yingjing County set up checkpoints in Sanhe Township in advance to prohibit tourists from driving up the mountain and discouraged those attempting to hike up. Under this road control, no hikers are allowed to enter, and the mountaintop viewing platform has been closed.
According to staff from the Yingjing County Tourism Bureau, after winter sets in each year, some roads start to ice over, and the high altitude and cold weather intensify the risk of altitude sickness. Yingjing County implements traffic control on the section of road from Sanhe Township to Mount Niubei, generally lasting until around March of the following year, adjusted according to specific seasonal conditions.
Additionally, according to the Tourism Bureau of Luding County, Ganzi Prefecture, the other road from Luding County, Ganzi Prefecture, to Mount Niubei has also been controlled following the November 9 traffic accident, prohibiting entry of vehicles and individuals. Currently, the road remains closed. As a result, both access routes to Mount Niubei are now under control.
The Traffic Police Corps of the Sichuan Provincial Public Security Department reminds tourists that Mount Niubei, located within Yingjing County, has not been officially developed. The roads leading to Mount Niubei feature numerous sharp turns, steep slopes, narrow lanes, and poor road conditions, and do not yet meet the requirements for tourism and sightseeing. With dropping temperatures, both hiking and driving pose significant risks.
Is the road up from Luding in better condition?
The road conditions are equally complex—best not to take the risk!
In fact, this is not the first time temporary traffic controls have been imposed on Mount Niubei roads during winter. Even during each winter’s control period, tourists still find ways to enter the mountain. Especially in Lengqi Town, Luding County, which has slightly better road conditions compared to Yingjing, it has become the main base camp for tourists attempting to climb the mountain in winter.
Yesterday, a reporter from Chengdu Business Daily contacted a local guide in Lengqi Town, Luding County. Although aware that Mount Niubei had entered winter control, the guide enthusiastically told the reporter that they could take tourists up the mountain in their own off-road vehicle.
Another Chengdu hiker, Mr. Song, rode to Mount Niubei on the 25th of last month via the route through Lengqi Town, Luding County. Mr. Song recalled that he didn’t see any checkpoints at the base of the mountain at the time.
Yesterday, a reporter from Chengdu Business Daily contacted the Law Enforcement Detachment of the Ya'an City Tourism Bureau. After hearing the reporter’s account, a staff member analyzed, “It’s likely that local villagers used their locally registered vehicles to secretly take tourists up the mountain.” The staff member stated that they would contact Yingjing and Luding to further strengthen checkpoint inspections on both ascent routes, as well as enhance awareness campaigns among local villagers.
Additionally, he cautioned more tourists who are planning to enter the mountain that although the hiking community says the road from Luding up to Mount Niubei is relatively better, in winter the conditions on both routes are actually quite complex. Therefore, for your own safety, do not take the risk of entering the mountain during the traffic control period.