Luding is a small town in west Sichuan about 30kms southeast of Kangding on the G318. It lies on the Sichuan-Tibet Highway Southern Route from Chengdu and makes a decent enough stop-off on the way to Kangding.
The best thing about visiting Luding is that it is one of the easiest places to get to in west Sichuan. It is directly connected to the capital, Chengdu, by bus in around six hours. There’s not much to see in town, though, bar the 300-year-old bridge and the many food vendors in the main street.
There are accommodation options conveniently located near the bus station for those finding themselves in between buses. The main attraction within reach, apart from the town of Kangding, is the huge Hailuogou Glacier.
Getting There & Away
Unless you have a hire car with driver, the only way to Luding is by bus and they run here daily from Chengdu in 6 hours, or 2 hours from Kangding, along the Sichuan-Tibet Highway. You can get to Chengdu by train and it has Sichuan’s busiest international airport.
Things to Do
Luding Attractions
- Luding Bridge
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An iconic sight on the long march, it was built in 1706 and features a 100-meter-long span via massive chains over the dadu river.
Side trips from Luding
- Hailuogou Glacier
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This huge glacier is the main attraction in the hailuogou national glacier forest park, to the northwest of luding. it has ancient glaciers, virgin forests and hot springs.