Aba, Sichuan: Tibetan and Qiang Villages and Nature Parks
Compare Taoping's Qiang village heritage with Jiuzhaigou's lakes and Huanglong's colorful pools, with ticket steps and Jiuzhaigou prices.
Contents
Aba is a region, not a single sight: Tibetan and Qiang villages with stone watchtowers in the high valleys of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau’s eastern edge, and two famous nature parks, Jiuzhaigou and Huanglong. Pick the kind of day you want. For village life and architecture, go to Taoping, a Qiang village in Li County, or the Tibetan tower villages around Zhibo in Barkam. For scenery, choose Jiuzhaigou’s lakes and waterfalls or Huanglong’s colorful pools.
Choose the kind of visit you want
| Priority | What you see | Planning tip |
|---|---|---|
| Qiang village architecture and living heritage | Taoping is a Qiang village with three diaolou towers.[1] It is the core area of the national Qiang Cultural Ecology Protection Zone and the bureau calls its Qiang ancient building complex the best-preserved in the world. The village has an Old Village and a New Village.[2] | Choose Taoping when village architecture and Qiang culture are your focus. Ask locally about entry arrangements on the day. |
| Tibetan village and tower landscape | Zhibo, in Songgang and Zhibo villages of Barkam, has four diaolou towers among its Tibetan villages.[1] | Treat it as a separate trip from Taoping and agree transfers with your driver or guide. |
| Lakes, waterfalls and forests | Jiuzhaigou has 114 lakes, 5 major waterfalls and forests that cover more than half of the park, and its villages keep Tibetan customs alive.[3] | Peak season (1 April to 15 November) means 07:30 to 18:00 and 190 yuan entry plus 90 yuan for the park bus. In the off season (16 November to 31 March) it is 08:30 to 18:00 and 80 yuan plus 80 yuan. Some areas, such as the primeval forest, close in winter.[3] |
| Colorful pools and mountain scenery | Huanglong is known for its colorful pools, snow mountains, gorges and forests.[4] | Book through AbaTour, the ticketing channel linked from the park’s official website.[4] |
Things to Do
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GetYourGuide partner offers. GoAsia may earn a commission if you book through these offers. Check whether tickets or transfers are included, and follow the attraction's official booking and admission rules.
Understand the village architecture
Diaolou are tall stone watchtowers, usually 10 to 60 metres high. Qiang towers often have polygonal plans, while Tibetan towers are often star-shaped with 5, 6, 8, 12 or 13 corners. The earliest surviving tower dates to the Tang Dynasty, and most of them came through the 2008 Sichuan earthquake.[1] Look at the towers as part of a settlement with houses, terraced fields and alpine valleys, not as stand-alone monuments. People live here, so ask before entering homes or photographing residents.
Understand Taoping in its wider heritage context
Taoping is one component of a much larger nomination: Diaolou Buildings and Villages for Tibetan and Qiang Ethnic Groups, which China put on UNESCO’s Tentative List in 2013. It covers 225 diaolou and 15 villages across Sichuan’s Aba and Ganzi prefectures.[1] A Tentative List entry is not yet a World Heritage inscription. In 2025 the Aba culture and tourism bureau called for protecting the Old Village and keeping it in use alongside the New Village.[2] Treat Taoping as a living community, not a row of photo stops.
Park ticket steps
Jiuzhaigou sells tickets through its official WeChat account: follow the account, then open the ticket reservation item in the bottom menu.[5] Huanglong’s homepage links to AbaTour for online booking.[4] Book before you set out, especially in the peak season.
Build a realistic itinerary
Decide first whether you want a village day, one park or both parks, because these are separate destinations with their own approach roads. Ask your driver or guide to confirm the route, transfers and time needed for your dates before you commit to a combined circuit.
For more ideas beyond Aba, explore our China travel guide.
Sources and background
Numbers in the text such as [1] refer to these sources.
- [1] UNESCO World Heritage Centre: Diaolou Buildings and Villages for Tibetan and Qiang Ethnic Groups. Retrieved October 21, 2026.
- [2] Aba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture People's Government, Culture, Radio, Television, Sports and Tourism Bureau: Taoping Village and the Qiang Cultural Ecology Protection Zone. Retrieved October 21, 2026.
- [3] Jiuzhaigou Valley Scenic and Historic Interest Area Administration: Visitor Information. Retrieved October 21, 2026.
- [4] Huanglong National Scenic Area Administration: Official Website of Huanglong Scenic Area. Retrieved October 21, 2026.
- [5] Jiuzhaigou Administration: Ticket Purchase Information. Retrieved October 21, 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
It is a broad region with distinct cultural and natural stops. Taoping and Zhibo are Qiang and Tibetan village landscapes, while Jiuzhaigou and Huanglong are separate nature parks. Choose specific places before arranging transfers.
Not yet. UNESCO lists Taoping as one component in a 2013 Tentative List nomination for a much wider Tibetan and Qiang village property. A Tentative List entry is not an inscription on the World Heritage List.
It is a Qiang village with three diaolou towers and the core area of the national Qiang Cultural Ecology Protection Zone, with an Old Village and a New Village.
Jiuzhaigou is known for its lakes, waterfalls and forests, with Tibetan villages in the park. Huanglong is known for its colorful pools, snow mountains, gorges and forests. Choose based on the scenery you most want to see.
Through the park’s official WeChat account: follow it, then open the ticket reservation item in the bottom menu.
Huanglong’s official website links to AbaTour for online booking.
In the peak season (1 April to 15 November) entry is 190 yuan plus 90 yuan for the park bus. In the off season (16 November to 31 March) it is 80 yuan plus 80 yuan. Insurance is an optional 10 yuan.
