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Voykit pocket guide · China
Maoxian
茂县
One night is enough: walk the old town, visit a Qiang village, and use it as a stop between Chengdu and Jiuzhaigou or Songpan.
Maoxian is a small county town in Aba prefecture, known for its Qiang culture and as a gateway to the 2008 earthquake memorial at Beichuan. The town itself is walkable in a few hours; most travellers stay one night en route to Jiuzhaigou or Songpan.
- Country
- China
- Local name
- 茂县
- Best months
- Apr–Oct
- Avoid
- Nov–Mar (cold, some mountain roads may be icy)
- Stay
- 1 night
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- CNY
- Money
- Alipay and WeChat Pay accept Visa, Mastercard, JCB and Amex cards; single payments over ¥200 carry a fee of about 3% on a foreign card (smaller ones are free), and per-payment and yearly caps apply — check the app. Keep a second way to pay.
- Daily spend
- Budget ¥150–250 excl. bed · Mid ¥250–400 excl. bed · High ¥400+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- A roaming eSIM from outside China routes traffic through its home network, so Google, WhatsApp and Instagram work without a VPN — the simplest setup.
- Emergency
- Police 110 · Fire 119 · Ambulance 120
- Plugs
- Types A, C, I · 220 V · 50 Hz · Many sockets take flat two-pin (A), round two-pin (C) and angled three-pin (I) plugs; UK plugs need an adapter.
- Tipping
- Restaurants: No tip; upmarket hotels add 10–15% service.; Taxis and DiDi: No tip.; Tour guides and drivers: Expected on organised tours: about ¥100–200 a day for a guide, ¥50–100 for a driver.; Hotel porters: Not expected; ¥10–20 in luxury hotels.
- Water
- Not for drinking from the tap; bottled water ¥2–5, and kettles and free bottles in hotel rooms. Restaurants serve hot water or tea.
- Toilets
- Public toilets are frequent and free; squat toilets outside hotels and malls. Carry tissues — many have no paper.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee at San Bu Cafe | ¥15–25 |
| Local meal (noodles or stir-fry) | ¥15–30 |
| Bus Maoxian → Chengdu | ¥80–100 |
| Hired car to Beichuan (round trip) | ¥250–350 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- CTU · Chengdu Shuangliu International
- About 4–5 h by bus or car to Maoxian; check road conditions.
- TFU · Chengdu Tianfu International
- About 5–6 h by bus or car; less convenient than Shuangliu.
Typical fares
- Bus Chengdu → Maoxian
- about ¥80–100, 4–5 h (check)
- Hired car Maoxian → Beichuan
- about ¥250–350 round trip (check)
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
Maoxian is compact and walkable. For Beichuan or Qiang villages, hire a local driver or take a bus from the station; check road conditions before setting out.
See and do
Known for
- Qiang culture and villages
- Beichuan earthquake memorial (day trip)
- Walking street and local market
- San Bu Cafe
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Beichuan earthquake memorial | Bus or hired car from Maoxian, about 1 h each way | About 3–4 h including visit |
| Qiang villages (e.g. Taoping Qiang Village) | Hired car or local bus, about 30–40 min | About 2–3 h |
| Songpan | Bus or car, about 2 h | About 2.5 h |
| Jiuzhaigou | Bus or car, about 3–4 h | About 4–5 h |
Sleep
- Walking street area
- Bustling in the morning, close to shops and food. Best for a one-night stop.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | 你好nǐ hǎo |
| Thank you | 谢谢xiè xiè |
| How much? | 多少钱？duō shǎo qián? |
| Where is the bus station? | 汽车站在哪里？qì chē zhàn zài nǎ lǐ? |
| I don't understand | 我不懂wǒ bù dǒng |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake and a nod; use surnames with a title; avoid: Hugs and cheek kisses
- Face: Disagree privately and indirectly; avoid: Correcting or embarrassing someone in front of others
- Gifts: Give with two hands; expect the gift to be refused once or twice and opened later; avoid: Clocks, umbrellas, white flowers, sets of four
- Business cards: Present and receive with both hands, read it, keep it on the table; avoid: Writing on it or pocketing it at once
- Queues and crowds: Hold your ground politely in scrums at buses and lifts; avoid: Taking pushing personally
- Temples: Walk clockwise around Tibetan stupas and prayer wheels; remove hats; avoid: Touching statues or photographing where signs forbid
- Politics: Listen; follow your host's lead; avoid: Raising Tibet, Taiwan, Xinjiang, 1989 or the party leadership
- Numbers and colour: Red and 8 are lucky; red envelopes carry money gifts; avoid: Writing names in red; the number 4
Scams and watch-outs
- Road to Beichuan can be rough or closed after rain; check locally.
- Winter temperatures drop below freezing; pack layers.
- Few English speakers; have your destination written in Chinese.
Maoxian is safe for tourists. The main risks are road conditions to Beichuan and winter cold; carry cash as card acceptance is limited.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Maoxian yet. Suggested stay: 1 night. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Qiang culture and villages
- Beichuan earthquake memorial (day trip)
- Walking street and local market
- San Bu Cafe
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Wikivoyage: Maoxian, revision 4937171 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=4937171
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Printed from Voykit (/maoxian). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.