Mangkang County, rich in cultural history and natural beauty, offers a plethora of attractions along the ancient Tea Horse Road. The region is home to several notable sites, including Tibetan cliff sculptures dating back to the era of Princess Wencheng, ancient salt fields, a Catholic church, snow-capped mountains, grand canyons, Quka Hot Springs, the Yunnan Snub-Nosed Monkey Nature Reserve, Mangcuo Scenic Area, and Nigo Monastery.
Yanjing Nature Reserve: A Sanctuary for Biodiversity
The Yanjing Nature Reserve, sprawling over 1,853 square kilometers within Mangkang County, boasts a forest coverage of 47.9%. Its highest peak, Pengbola Mountain, reaches an elevation of 5,084 meters, with the river valley areas lying between 2,300 and 3,000 meters. The reserve is a haven for nearly 50 species of wildlife under national and regional protection, including the national first-class protected Yunnan Snub-Nosed Monkey, earning it the moniker “Home of the Snub-Nosed Monkey.”
Strategically positioned at the junction of Sichuan, Yunnan, and Tibet along the Lancang River, the Yanjing area is bordered by Mangkang to the north, Batang in Sichuan to the east, Deqin in Yunnan to the south, and Zogang in Tibet to the northwest. This region, with an average elevation of 2,500 meters, enjoys a mild climate, with average annual temperatures ranging between 20°C to 25°C.
The Renowned Salt Fields of Yanjing
Yanjing, which translates to “salt well” in Tibetan (“Chakarlo”), is famed for its prolific salt production. Salt springs, surfacing on the banks of the Lancang River within Triassic red sandstone and conglomerate layers and possessing a high salt content of 30.7 grams per liter, have made this site renowned. Local salt workers have expanded these springs, constructing square, flat-roofed wooden shelters over them, then covering these with a 10-cm-thick layer of impermeable red clay, forming the distinctive “salt fields.”
Currently, salt production is concentrated in two townships: Naxi and Quka. More than 320 households engage in salt production across over 3,000 salt fields. On the river’s west bank, over 2,600 salt fields stretch from the riverbank up the mountainside in terraced sequences; on the east bank, the steep terrain features salt fields resembling narrow mountain paths, tightly clinging to the mountain’s flank, creating a spectacular sight.
Dozens of salt wells, each 5 to 6 meters deep, line the riverbanks, their steaming openings shrouded in mist. This unique method of salt production is unparalleled globally. Salt brine, drawn from caves along the river, is carried in buckets to the salt fields atop wooden structures, several stories high. After clarifying in salt pools, the brine is transferred to the salt fields for drying. Once the water has evaporated, the salt crystals are collected, producing the renowned “Tibetan salt.”
