Begin your adventure with a pickup from your hotel in city centre Chengdu.

Travel to Taoping Village, a living fortress frozen in time. Built in 111 BC, this is the best‑preserved Qiang settlement. It's a labyrinth of stone where 8 hidden entrances and winding passages only locals can navigate. At its heart rise 30‑metre stone watchtowers, built without nails or mortar, yet they've survived centuries of earthquakes. Beneath your feet, an ancient spring‑fed water network still flows, Visit local Qiang households, where the people keep alive their traditions and a way of life unchanged for generations.

Next, head to Ganbao Tibetan Village, the largest Gyalrong Tibetan settlement. Built entirely from river stones and giant boulders, this is also the birthplace of “Boba Senge” (Tibetan Lion Dance), a national intangible cultural heritage – a powerful, slow dance created by returning soldiers to commemorate their fallen comrades in battle.

Lunch in Tibetan family-run restaurant.