Perched
on an alpine plateau rising one thousand meters from the sheer Min
River valley, Luobo Zhai is claimed to be the biggest and oldest Qiang
village in China. Located 150km from Chengdu, on the way to China's
most famous park Jiuzhaigou, Luobo Zhai is undergoing rapid tourism
development now. Recently a brand new vehicular road, snaking along the
ledge of steep Minshan mountains, was finally built to the village.
Starting from July 2006, travelers will have to pay Y40 for visiting
the village.
Our rating:  .
Luobo Zhai is undergoing tremendous and ambitious development to
attract the thousands of tourists passing through the Min River valley
everyday on their way to Jiuzhaigou. We did not give Luobo Zhai a
higher rating because such development and eventual flooding by
tourists will affect its attractiveness. During the time of my visit,
Luobo Zhai was a peaceful, enchanting place.
Things to see
Take a look at the beautiful pictures on Luobo Zhai's website (in Chinese).
Defense
system: most houses in the village are connected by the roof so that
neighbours can help each other against any intruders. The flat roofs
also serves as a platform to dry and store maize. The best time to
visit the village is the maize harvest season in September when the
golden maize is stacked on the roof of each house.
From
the roof, visitors can enjoy wonderful views of the village as well as
the surrounding mountains. In addition to roaming in the village, one
can climb the sheer mountain behind the village.
Local people still have to fetch water everyday from the source outside the village. I only saw women doing this coolie.
Qiang Women did the embroidery while chatting with the neighbors outside their house.
Local Dance
Getting there
From
Chengdu Chadianzi 茶点子 Bus Station, regular buses leave for Wenchuan at
6:30;7:10;7:50;8:30;9:10;9:50;10:30;11:10;11:50;12:30;
13:10;13:50;14:30;15:10;15:40;16:10;16:40;17:10;
It
takes at least 4 hours to reach Wenchuan. In Wenchuan, ask for the
collective minibus heading for Luobo Zhai in Yanmen district.
(雁门乡，罗卜寨). See Map.
Accommodations
Several
Qiang houses have been transformed to guesthouses. There is a nice
restaurant called 'Yunduo Qiang Bar (云朵羌吧) at the end of the village,
overlooking the Min River Valley, serving delicious local food.
Link
- A brief introduction of Qiang Ethnic Minority on Chinaculture.org
- Report on the Qiang People of Sichuan by Emma Zevik
We visited Luobo Zhai in June 2006. |
