At 1,600 metres on the Chongqing-Guizhou border in 石壕镇 (Shihao Town), the rolling meadow of 花坝 (Huaba) has earned the name Chongqing Shangri-La, and the altitude is the first thing you notice. The grassland opens under a sky that feels closer than it does in the city, and the cool air at this height turns a summer afternoon into something almost alpine. The area is composed of 花坝草原 (Huaba Prairie), 李公坝 (Ligongba), and 鲜花谷 (Fresh Flower Valley), each a slightly different face of the same high meadow, so a stay here is really a stay inside the open country rather than at a single address. Tents and bubble houses dot the grass, and the whole place is built around looking up rather than looking around.
The camping itself is the draw, and the meadow offers 星空泡泡屋 (starry bubble houses) for those who want a clear view of the night sky without losing a wall, and 蒜瓣帐篷 (clove tents) for a closer-to-the-ground night under canvas. Both sit out on the grass where the wind moves the stems and the stars come out sharp and cold. For travellers who prefer walls, simple inns stand nearby, so a family can mix a tent night with a solid roof without leaving the area. Days are for walking the prairie, finding the flower valley in season, and watching the light move across 李公坝 (Ligongba) toward the border hills. Evenings gather everyone around the open sky, and the bubble houses turn the ceiling into a planetarium when the clouds clear.
The reference ticket has been about 30 yuan, which keeps the meadow accessible as a day visit even if you only come to walk it. Mountain roads lead in, and self-drive is recommended, because the bus options are thin and the last stretch is easiest with your own wheels. Bring warm layers no matter the month, since 1,600 metres turns a clear night genuinely cold, and pack for weather that can shift from sun to drizzle in an hour. The flower valley is best in its season, but the prairie and the starry bubble houses are the year-round prize. Stay two nights if you can, because one clear sky is never enough and the meadow shows a different face at dawn. All checked October 2026.
Getting to 花坝 (Huaba) means driving to 石壕镇 (Shihao Town) and climbing the border road onto the grassland, so a confident driver and a full tank help. Once on the meadow, everything is on foot or by the site’s own shuttles, and the stays are scattered across the grass rather than in a single block. The experience asks for flexibility, because weather and crowding shift with the season, but it pays back with a kind of open sky that the rest of Chongqing rarely offers. Come for the stars, stay for the cold clean air, and let the prairie set the pace. All checked October 2026.
Words and Names
- 花坝 (Huaba) — the alpine grassland at 1,600 metres, called Chongqing Shangri-La.
- 石壕镇 (Shihao Town) — the Qijiang border town that holds the grassland.
- 花坝草原 (Huaba Prairie) — the main open meadow of the area.
- 李公坝 (Ligongba) — one of the grassland’s open basins.
- 鲜花谷 (Fresh Flower Valley) — the flower valley within the Huaba area.
- 星空泡泡屋 (Starry bubble house) — a transparent dome for stargazing nights.
- 蒜瓣帐篷 (Clove tent) — a rounded tent for canvas camping on the meadow.
What the Locals Know
Summer and early autumn are the favourite windows, and a bubble house booked for a clear night is the prize, because the stars at 1,600 metres are the reason most people come. Regulars self-drive, arrive before dusk to set up, and pack real warm layers, since the cold surprises first-timers even in August. The flower valley is seasonal, so ask locally what is blooming before you build the day around it.
The honest caveat is the mountain road and the weather, because the last stretch is winding and a sudden drizzle can flatten the stars for a night. Facilities are basic on the meadow, and the simple inns fill fast on holiday weekends, so book ahead and do not count on phone signal everywhere.
Price. A reference entry ticket has been about 30 yuan; confirm camping and bubble-house rates with the site.
Address. The grassland stays are on 花坝 (Huaba) in 石壕镇 (Shihao Town), Qijiang District, at 1,600 metres on the Chongqing-Guizhou border.
Rooms. Starry bubble houses, clove tents, and simple inns for those who prefer walls.
Getting there. Self-drive to Shihao Town and up the border road; a car is recommended for the mountain stretch.
flowcloud would say that sleep under the stars in a bubble house on the Huaba grassland and let Chongqing Shangri-La cool your night. All checked October 2026.
Where to stay: These stays are in 綦江区 / Qijiang District, Chongqing, on 花坝 (Huaba) alpine grassland in 石壕镇 (Shihao Town) at 1,600 metres. All checked October 2026.