Siguniang Mountain: the Four Sisters and Their Three Valleys
The four sisters
Mt. Siguniang — “Four Sisters Mountain” — is a skyline of four granite peaks rising to 6,250 m (Yaomei Feng, the youngest sister), the highest summit fully inside Sichuan. The range guards the eastern gate of the plateau: from Chengdu it is barely 3.5–4 hours by expressway and mountain road to Rilong, the town beneath the peaks at 3,200 m.
Three valleys, three different days
| Valley | How you visit | What it is | Pick it if… |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shuangqiao | Sightseeing buses + boardwalks | The postcard: waterfalls, granite walls, forest — zero climbing | you want maximum scenery for minimum legs (and altitude-safe pacing) |
| Changping | Shuttle + walk or horse | The classic trek corridor beneath the north face, out to the Yak lawn | you want a real walk under the peaks |
| Haizi | Horse or strong legs | High alpine lakes, quietest of the three | you have done the other two, or you hike |
A 2-day weekend that works
- Day 1: Chengdu → Rilong after lunch at Balang Mountain's new tunnel, then Shuangqiao Valley's bus-and-boardwalk loop until golden hour.
- Day 2: Changping Valley walk in the morning, back over the pass to Chengdu by evening — or add Catbi/Mao-Bi-Liang viewpoints if a third day appears.
Rilong has hotels from simple to four-diamond, and its 3,200 m altitude is a gentle first plateau night — which is exactly why we use Siguniang as the warm-up stop on longer western routes.
From reading to booking
See the journeys this guide feeds into — run pure-play (zero shopping, in writing) by a licensed Chengdu operator.
Frequently asked questions
How do I get to Siguniang Mountain from Chengdu?
About 3.5–4 hours: expressway to Wenchuan, then the mountain road over Balangshan (now largely via tunnel) to Rilong town. Licensed tours and buses both run daily.
Which Siguniang valley should I choose?
Short on legs or time: Shuangqiao (bus + boardwalk). Want a real trek under the peaks: Changping. Quiet high lakes: Haizi, by horse.
Is Siguniang good for acclimatisation?
Yes — Rilong sleeps at a mild 3,200 m, making it an ideal first plateau night before higher routes like Litang or Yading.
Keep reading
Western Sichuan Travel Guide: the complete overview
What “Western Sichuan” actually covers — Garzê and Ngawa — the headline landscapes, realistic day counts, and how a first trip should be shaped.
Western Sichuan itineraries: 5, 7 and 9 days from Chengdu
Three tested road plans with overnight stops chosen for altitude pacing — copy the route or hand it to us to run.
Altitude sickness in Western Sichuan: how to plan around it
Which towns sit above 3,000 m, how to pace a route upward, what AMS feels like, and the rules that keep first-timers safe.