Ganzi Transport
Ganzi is an autonomous region that is located on the west side of Sichuan Province. It is found within a plateau of the Himalayas, which explains the cold temperature but a lot of sunshine for most days of the year. It is composed of 18 counties with Kangding as the capital. It may be a bit far from the rest of China, but it’s actually not that difficult to reach as over the years more transport options are being provided. Normally you can reach the area through air, bus, and train. When you’re in the prefecture, you can then travel by bus, private vehicle, horse or mule, and walk.
By Air
Ganzi can ba easily reached through its main airport located in Kangding. It has an airport code of GKT. It opened in 2009 and is around 14,000 feet above sea level, which makes it one of the highest airports in the world. The airport, however, is quite far from the center, and it can take around an hour to reach it. Since the airport is very small, only two airlines are allowed to travel there: China Eastern Airlines from Chengdu and Sichuan Airlines from Chongqing. Unless you’re willing to go to these places to fly to Kangding, then you need to travel by bus or train.
Lately, there’s another airport that is reported to open. This one is located in Daocheng County and is aptly called Daocheng Yading Airport. It is roughly 4,000 meters above sea level, making it higher than Bangda Airport. It took two years for the government to build an airport, which currently has one runway. It serves almost the same routes as the airport in Kangding, though the government is hoping it can add more flights from more popular cities such as Guangzhou and Shanghai. Nevertheless, the new airport is expected to boost the tourism of Ganzi, which is often not discussed in several tourism magazines and websites. The airport shall also bring the travelers a lot closer to the nature reserve of Yading, which is popular for its camping grounds.
Although it may not be the best route, you can choose to travel to the other nearby airports. One of the closest is Guanghan Airport, which is only 37 kilometers away from Ganzi. There’s also Liangping Airprot and Nanchong Airport. As implied, you can take a connecting flight to Chonqing Jiangbei Airport. Do take note that because of the location of the airports around Ganzi, it’s possible they are closed during winters.
By Bus
One of the most reliable ways to enter Ganzi is by bus, and you can begin your trip at Chengdu, the capital of the Sichuan Province. You need to proceed to the Xinanmen Bus Station, which is located at Linjiang Lu. It is just within the city center and close to the square. There are different schedules and buses to take depending on where you want to stop. For example, if you want to arrive at Daofu County, you need to leave at 6:30 a.m. The fare is around RMB 160. You can also choose to arrive at Yaijang County, which has two schedules available: 7:00 a.m. and 8:00 a.m. The regular fare is RMB 148. There’s one bus schedule for Ganze, Jiulong, Batang, and Daocheng, respectively. Most of the buses from Chengdu are going to Kangding. The earliest leaves at 7:10 a.m. and the last at 2:30 p.m. There is one bus that departs every hour. The fare depends on your preferred seat, though it can range from RMB 105 to RMB 127. It may take around 7 hours to travel from Chengdu to Kangding.
If you are coming from Manigango, it may be a lot harder to ride a bus bound for Ganzi, since they don’t have exact time of departure and arrival, but you can always inquire from the locals as to when the last bus has passed.
Around Ganzi, you can ride a bus. Two known stations are found in Kangding and Daocheng. There may not be some stations in other counties, but at least these buses pass by the area. Currently the government is working on improving its road network, and one of the agendas is to link most of the tourist spots to make them more accessible and traveling a lot easier.
The public bus can get to Dege for only CNY 60. You can also pass by Yushu for CNY 117. The trip can last for about 9 hours, and the earliest schedule is 6:00 a.m. If you are looking for more comfort, you can try the private mini buses, but certainly they are pricier. For example, a Litang trip that passes through Xinlong can already cost you CNY 110. The trip can last for 10 hours.
The duration is just an estimate; it can take much longer if the road just happens to experience a landslide.
Train
While bus stations are mostly in Daocheng and Kangding, the railway station, meawhile, is near Jiulong. The station is also where the lines of Kunming and Chengdu meet. Only passengers are allowed to use the railway station.
The trains, on the other hand, can come from Chengdu and Chongqing, as well as in other areas. The farther they are, the lesser is the frequency of their travel. For example, Chengdu-Ganzi train schedules happen to be very hour, beginning at 6:00 a.m.
Horse Riding
One of the most interesting modes of transport in Ganzi is horseback riding. This should not be too difficult since the terrain you’ll be passing through is flat. That should also be a great way to start immersing yourself to the beauty of Ganzi Prefecture.
There’s no definite rate for horseback riding, so be careful and learn to haggle with the owner. The basic rule is that the distance matters. The farther you need the travel, the more money you need to pay. This is because horse owners don’t really enjoy traveling in such long distances, especially if they have to be away for a day or two. Horses, on the other hand, have to be well taken care of, as the animals come in handy during the harvest season. If you’re in the area during springtime, you need to be more patient. Usually, owners will let their horses feed for a day or more so they can regain their strength; the winter season can actually limit their food supply.
Never ride the horse all by yourself. Make sure that the owner can accompany you during the ride; he usually just walks beside you throughout the journey. Be clear about what items you wish the horse to carry. If the weight becomes too heavy, the owner has the right to refuse a ride to avoid injuring the horse and even you.
Taxis and Cars for Hire
Although they don’t come often, taxis can be found in Ganzi, and you can choose to ride it from the airport. The fare should be around CNY 6. If you want a car for hire, you need to secure one even before you can arrive in Ganzi. There are cars for rental in the area, but they are not openly advertised, and so you have to spend some time for it.