You will pass this small town, about 220 km north of Chengdu, on the way to Jiuzhaigou.

First founded as a Ming Dynasty garrison outpost straddling the Min Jiang to guard a 8,200-ft mountain pass, it is today a busy marketplace for nearby Tibetan, Qiang and Hui (Chinese Muslim) communities, and a popular springboard town for horse-trekking tours to nearby villages and mountains. Songpan derives its ancient atmosphere and character from its surviving original cross-shaped street plan with high stone walls and massive stone gateways, three of which (the North Gate, South Gate and East Gate) are still intact.