Lunang means “valley of the dragon king” in Tibetan. It lies 3,700 m above sea level and is nestled alongside the Sichuan Tibet Highway. It is a narrow strip of typical alpine meadow, about 1 kilometer wide and 15 km long. The mountains on its sides are called the Lunang Forest Seas, made up of bushes, dragon spruces and pines at the highter altitudes, while at the mountains’ base are alpine meadows. Streams wind through the meadows, which are strewn with winter jasmine and various other wild flowers. Wooden fences, huts and bridges all remind people that they are in a forest area. The landscape is like a brush-and-ink Chinese painting of a serene scene. In summer, the area is a sea of green waves in the breeze. In autumn and winter, the pine trees remain green while the maple trees gradually turn form green to yellow, and finally to crimson.
Tips: From the Sichuan-Tibet Highway, Lunang can be seen a clearly in the distance. The best time to see Lunang at close range is from May to Novermber.