Mangkang County, a region rich in history and natural beauty, offers a tapestry of attractions centered around the ancient Tea Horse Road. Within the bounds of Shangyanjing, visitors can find a range of cultural and natural wonders, from Tibetan cliff carvings dating back to the time of Princess Wencheng, ancient salt fields, the only Catholic church in Tibet, breathtaking snow-capped mountains, vast canyons, the Quka Hot Springs, the Yunnan Snub-Nosed Monkey Nature Reserve, the Mangcuo Scenic Area, and the Nigo Monastery.
Yanjing Nature Reserve: A Sanctuary of Biodiversity
The Yanjing Nature Reserve, spanning 1,853 square kilometers within Mangkang County, is a bastion of biodiversity, with forest coverage reaching 47.9%. The reserve’s highest peak, Pengbola Mountain, soars to 5,084 meters, while its river valleys lie between 2,300 and 3,000 meters in elevation. Home to nearly 50 species of nationally and regionally protected wildlife, it’s renowned as the homeland of the critically endangered Yunnan Snub-Nosed Monkey, a national first-class protected animal.
The Yanjing area, situated at the tri-junction of Sichuan, Yunnan, and Tibet along the Lancang River, is a low-lying area with an average elevation of 2,500 meters and enjoys a mild climate with average temperatures ranging between 20°C to 25°C.
The Ancient Salt Fields of Yanjing
Yanjing, meaning “salt well” in Tibetan (“Chakarlo”), is famed for its salt production, a tradition that dates back centuries. Salt springs on the banks of the Lancang River, with a high salinity of 30.7 grams per liter, have made this area a hub for salt production. Local salt workers have expanded these springs, constructing square wooden shelters with waterproof clay roofs to facilitate salt drying, creating the distinctive “salt fields.”
Currently, salt production is carried on in two townships: Naxi and Quka. Over 320 households manage more than 3,000 salt fields. On the river’s west bank, 2,600 salt fields stretch from the river’s edge to the mountain’s summit in terraced arrays, while the steep eastern banks are dotted with narrow, connected salt fields, resembling belts tightly wound around the mountain’s waist, presenting a spectacular sight.
Dozens of salt wells, each 5 to 6 meters deep and steaming with vapor, line the riverbanks, enveloped in mist. This unique method of salt production is unparalleled worldwide. Salt brine, drawn from caves along the river, is carried bucket by bucket to the salt fields atop wooden structures, several stories high. After allowing the brine to settle in pools, it is then transferred to the salt fields for drying. Once the water evaporates, the remaining salt crystals are gathered, producing the renowned “Tibetan salt.”
