Hailuogou Glacier 海螺沟Hǎiluógōu

Why go to Hailuogou Glacier

Hailuogou is a glacier valley on the eastern flank of Mount Gongga, whose summit rises to more than 7,500 metres. Park buses wind up through fir forest to a cable car that rides over the ice to viewing decks facing an icefall more than 1,000 metres high, while the glacier's tongue reaches down below 3,000 metres among the trees. Stay in the small town of Moxi at the park gate, where hot-spring hotels make a perfect end to a cold day.

The story

Hailuogou means 'Conch Gully', and its glacier is one of the lowest-lying in Asia for its latitude, ending in forest only a few hours' drive from Chengdu. On clear mornings the first sun turns Gongga's snowy summit gold, the 'golden mountain' (rizhao jinshan) that Chinese photographers set their alarms for.

What to see at Hailuogou Glacier

• Great Icefall 大冰瀑布: An icefall from Gongga's slopes more than 1,000 m high, the focus of the viewing decks. Its blue cracks are the park's main sight.
• Glacier Tongue 冰川舌: The low end of Glacier No. 1 reaches into fir forest below 3,000 m, one of the lowest-altitude glaciers in the world at its latitude.
• Hot Springs 温泉: Three hot-spring areas (Camp 1, 2 and 3) between roughly 50 and 90 degrees Celsius feed pools in and near the park.
• Red Stone Beach 红石滩: A rust-red boulder bed in the Yanzigou valley outside the main park, coloured by algae and minerals.
• Moxi Old Town 磨西古镇: The mountain town at the gate with old streets and a Catholic church, and the usual place to stay.

How to visit Hailuogou Glacier

Park buses link the gate near Moxi with the camps in the upper valley, where the cable car and viewing decks overlook the icefall. Allow a full day for the glacier area and the cable car, and keep the evening for a soak in the hot springs. Weather, queues and seasonal closures change schedules, so check on the day.

How to get to Hailuogou Glacier

Moxi is about 3.5 hours' drive from Chengdu now that the Luding–Shimian expressway links the Ya'an–Kangding expressway to a Hailuogou exit; long-distance buses are slower. From the gate near Moxi, park buses climb about 30 km to the glacier area and the cable car.

Where to stay

Moxi town beside the park gate has the widest choice of hotels and guesthouses, many with hot-spring baths. Yanzigou is a cheaper alternative with fewer places to eat.

What to eat

• Moxi huangba 磨西黄粑: A steamed glutinous-rice cake wrapped in leaves, a snack of Moxi town.
• Butter tea 酥油茶: A salty Tibetan tea made with yak butter, common in Garzê and useful in the cold upper valley.

Tips for visiting Hailuogou Glacier

• The upper park lies above 3,000 metres and is far colder than Moxi, so bring warm layers even in summer and take the trails slowly.
• Summer rains (roughly Jun–Sep) can bring landslides on Garzê's mountain roads; check road conditions and park notices before you set off.
• Garzê is open to foreign travellers without a special permit, but rules for some areas can change at short notice; carry your passport, which hotels and road checkpoints ask for.

Nearby

• Kangding 康定 60 km
  An old tea-trading town where Tibetan and Han cultures meet, made famous by a love song
• Tagong Grassland 塔公草原 100 km
  Yak pastures, a revered monastery and the snow peak of Zhara Lhatse on the horizon
• Mount Mengding 蒙顶山 120 km
  Misty tea terraces and an imperial tea garden where tea growing is said to have begun

On the map

Open Hailuogou Glacier on the illustrated map to see the terrain around it, what else is close, and to add it to a trip and plan the days.

Learn more

• Wikipedia
• Wikipedia (Chinese)