Purple is perhaps the most dreamy and mysterious color. Every April, the jacarandas in Xichang will bloom a sea of purple flowers~ and the charm of Xichang is far more than that.
There is a unique culture blending Yi and Han, lakes and mountains that can be enjoyed from the door of the house, and various mouth-watering delicacies…
# Xichang Quick View #
Jacaranda – Ancient City of Xichang – Qionghai – Lushan
In addition to the well-known name of “Space City”, the essence of this Sunshine City located in the hinterland of the Western Sichuan Plateau is unknown. From the “Labo Zhuo” mentioned by the ancestors of the Yi people, to Qiongdu in the Western Han Dynasty, Jianchangwei in the Ming Dynasty, and then to Xichang City, which continued in the Yongzheng period of the Qing Dynasty, for more than two thousand years, this place has always been an important town in the southwestern border. And a mystical realm full of oddities.
The opening of the Yaxi Expressway allows travelers to jump from the haze of Chengdu to the warm sun of Xichang in just 5 hours, but even so, most backpackers still only use Xichang as a transit point to go to Lugu Lake, and then enter Yunnan. northwest. In fact, Xichang is worth spending a few days to feel its true pulse.
This city of pleasure and enjoyment, which blends Yi and Han, strives to maintain its friendly charm and unique charm. In the early morning, you may still be immersed in the extreme beauty of “grass growing, flat lake and egrets flying” by the Qionghai Sea, and at night you will be completely lost in the brazier barbecue. Smoky. When you walk in the old streets of the ancient city full of the atmosphere of the city, and pass by fashionable young people and old Yi people in charwa, you may suddenly understand the charm of Xichang.
-Jacaranda Blooms in Moon City-
In the 1970s, Xichang began to introduce and plant Jacaranda on a large scale. Now, without going abroad, you can still enjoy the exotic atmosphere of the city filled with purple flowers. Hangtian North Road is the area where Jacaranda was first planted, and now it has grown into a towering tree. It is the best viewing spot in the urban area.
Wenhui Road, Jianchang Road, Shengli South Road, Binhe South Road, Changban Bridge River, First Ring Road, North Campus of Xichang University and around Qionghai are also planted on a large scale. Don’t miss the best viewing period at the end of April every year.
-Xichang Ancient City-
Even if you don’t plan to explore the whole of Xichang, this 2,000-year-old ancient city in the northeast corner of the city is worth adding to your itinerary. Although the political and cultural center of Liangshan, once known as Qiongdu, is now submerged in the city’s high-rise buildings, there are traces of it from the three iconic city gates and the nine streets and eighteen lanes that carry tourists from south to north. The prosperity of the past can still be imagined in the temple buildings and the prosperous ancient business.
The preserved ancient city was built in the 20th year of Hongwu in the Ming Dynasty (1387), with four gates: Jianping Gate (North), Datong Gate (South), Anding Gate (East) and Ningyuan Gate (West). Except for the Ningyuan Gate, which was destroyed in the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty, the other three gates have been preserved to this day. The streets in the city still maintain the layout of the Ming Dynasty, with the four arches (now Dashizi Jiekou) as the center and radiating out North Street, South Street, Cang Street and Fu Street.
Datong Gate is the main gate of Jianchang City. It has restored the long-disappeared attic and urn city, and repaired the old city wall. It is currently the only city gate that can climb the tower. In 2016, when the Andingmen tower and the ancient city wall were being repaired, a section of the ancient city wall of the Ming Dynasty and the ruins of an ancient artillery tower were discovered.
The Jiyangxiang Chapel is the largest mosque in Panxi. It was built in the second year of Wanli in the Ming Dynasty (1574) and rebuilt in the first year of Guangxu in the Qing Dynasty (1875). Large characters, entering through the door, you can see towering ancient cypresses, a 2-meter-high wooden tablet of the Qur’an, and several ancient plaques from the Guangxu period. The temple is not open every day, so it is recommended to come on Friday afternoon for worship.
End point: Chase Gate
Distance: about 5 kilometers
Time needed: 3~4 hours
The ancient city of Xichang is not big. First, climb to the urn city full of bougainvilleas and firecracker flowers, and then enter the ① Datong Gate Tower to overlook the ancient city. On the tower, there is an exhibition about the large stone tomb of Anning River that is open all year round. Come down to soak up the sun and kill time.
Come down from the city tower, enter the South Street where there are many herbal medicine stalls at the intersection, pass the old teahouse of Jiu Restaurant and Zuoying Lane named after the garrison of the Qing Dynasty, pass through the bustling crowd, and walk north to the center of the ancient city ② Dashizi Street , then go east into Fu Street, turn right into Jiyang Lane to visit the oldest Islamic temple in Liangshan ③Jiyang Lane Chapel.
Go east along Fu Street to the east gate ④ Anding Gate of the ancient city, turn north from the east gate along the inner city, pass through Houying Lane and enter a small path, ⑤ Donglin Temple is hidden in it. Go back to Houying Lane, turn to the north to the 600-year-old Jianping Gate, which is covered by weeds, and then go south to Dashizi. Go west to Cang Street and take a look at ⑦Gospel Church of Christ, turn west along the road to Shizi Street, turn south, and go west after arriving at Sanya Street, and you can see ⑧ Catholic Church with a combination of Chinese and Western styles not far away.
Continue to go south through the shaded ⑨Xichang Lianzheng Culture Street. The fences on both sides of the street are engraved with great deeds and reliefs of anti-corruption. If you are tired from walking, you can sit on a bench and rest. After getting up, you can enter ⑩ Go up Shuncheng Street, go shopping for some treasures in the specialty shops of the Yi nationality, and finally go back to Datongmen, order a cup of tea, and end the hike in the warm sunshine.
-Qiong Sea-
Few cities can enjoy the scenery of lakes and mountains that you can enjoy from the door of your house like Xichang. As a huge natural lake adjacent to the city, Qionghai can indeed arouse urban people’s yearning for pastoral life to some extent.
Although the annual Qionghai Marathon and the International Sailing Regatta have made the country’s largest urban wetland known to more people, but fortunately, it has not been occupied by a large number of tourists. The northwest coast closest to the city is a sightseeing spot. If you want to find another way or enjoy the beautiful scenery alone in the area where tourists gather, it is recommended to go to the southeast coast of Qionghai.
Qionghai consists of six wetland parks of different styles. Bird Watching Island is located at the northern end of the west coast of Qionghai Sea. It is the closest to the urban area and was the first to open. The Liuyin Diaolong Bird Watching Area is the core of the park. When you are lucky, you will see flocks of white cranes. Find it here. Mengli Water Town, which is connected to Bird Watching Island, is mainly a water sightseeing belt. In spring, you can take an antique fishing boat to feed red-billed gulls. In summer and autumn, flowers are in full bloom, and there is a rare wetland flower sea.
A large number of rare plants are distributed in Yanyu Luzhou at the northernmost point of Qionghai. There is a wide waterway leading to the Haihe River. Reeds grow on both sides. When the reeds are in full bloom, white flowers are flying, which is very romantic. From Bird Watching Island to the south, you will reach Xibo Heying. Don’t miss the 700-meter-long stepping plank road that extends to the water surface. Here you can enjoy the Qionghai Sea more closely. On the bank not far to the east, there are several boulder groups from the Yalong River and Jinsha River, which are very spectacular.
Connected with Xibo Crane Shadow, Menghui Tianyuan is 6 kilometers long. Although it is small in scale, it is the most wild. In the wetland where calamus and irises grow, egrets can often be seen playing. It starts from a small fishing village in the west and connects to Mengxun Flower Sea in Menghui Garden in the south. It is the largest of the six phases of wetlands. Every April, the sea of flowers in full bloom is like a grand visual feast.
The Moonlight Town is just opposite the Lushan Mountain Gate, marked by the sculpture of the Moon Girl on the Linhai Moon Platform, which is being transformed into a multi-functional leisure, shopping and entertainment area. From the Quqiao Wharf here, you can take a boat or yacht (60-100 yuan) for a misty and rainy Luzhou wetland tour or a lake tour.
Guanhai Bay is located on the hillside on the south bank of the Qionghai Sea. It used to be a gathering place for tile vat workshops. It has the world’s first vat scenic spot. It is actually a giant vat water spray sculpture landscape. The fountain is only open on weekends and festivals. Due to its relative remoteness, it is not as crowded with tourists as other scenic spots in Qionghai, so you can enjoy the rare tranquility. If you want to overlook the charming sunrise scenery of Qionghai, you can stay here for a day. There are several youth hostels and inns on the mountain to choose from.
Qinglong Temple is located in the middle of the mountain on the southeast coast of Qionghai. It was first built in the Wanli period of the Ming Dynasty, and it was the first to enshrine the Qinglong King. Over the past 500 years, the temple has been rebuilt several times, and now there are three floors of main halls in the front, middle, and back. On the walls of the Dragon King Hall on the second floor, there are colorful pictures about the legend of Qinglong in Qionghai. Qinglong Temple offers the popular Zhaifan, which is served from 12:00 noon to 14:00 every day.
Moon Bay is located on the northeast coast of Qionghai Lake. It is named for its shoreline resembling a crescent moon. If you want to have a panoramic view of the beautiful scenery of Qionghai and Lushan, you can climb Xiaohuashan, 4.4 kilometers away from Moon Bay. Before and after the Waking of Insects, the peach blossoms on the mountain are in full bloom, and the scenery is particularly pleasant.
-Lushan-
Mountaineering ticket 3 yuan 8:00～17:00, extended for half an hour on holidays
Known as Waxi Mountain in ancient times, it got its name because it looks like a green frog crouching on the west bank of Qionghai Sea. Gaojiashan, the main peak of Lushan Mountain, is 2317 meters above sea level, which is very suitable for one-day mountaineering activities. There are dense forests on the mountain, and there are many birds and animals. The winding path in the forest connects 12 ancient temples belonging to Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism. It is very rare for multiple religions to coexist in one mountain and live in harmony for thousands of years.
Lushan Mountain Gate is opposite the Moonlight Town, and you can walk along the mountain road for about 15 minutes to reach the Liangshan Yi Nationality Slave Society Museum. As a place to review the history of the Yi people in Liangshan for thousands of years, the museum elaborates on the process of the Yi people stepping from slave society to modern civilization through 7 different themes.
Among the attractive collections are the ancient cold weapons of the Yi people, the anti-evil objects used in Bimo practice, ghost images, folk self-made looms, and more than 50 old photos taken by the French Consul General in Yunnan, Fang Suya, at the end of the 19th century. In addition, the residential courtyards showing the architecture of the Yi village and the moving video materials recording the folk customs of the Yi people are also worth seeing. After the visit, you can go to the viewing platform to have a glimpse of Qionghai and Lushan.
Going up for another 5 minutes, you will find Guangfu Temple, which was built in the Tianyou period of Tang Dynasty. This is the most popular and largest Buddhist temple in Xichang. The temple is built in seven levels according to the terrain. There are four big characters in seal script “Scenic Spots in South Sichuan”. The Wanghai Tower on the second floor of the temple can enjoy the scenery of Qionghai.
There is also the Xichang Earthquake Forest of Steles in the temple, which is known as one of the four major forests of steles in China. several major earthquakes. If you don’t go to Guangfu Temple, you can buy tickets on the nearby hiking trail and go directly to Lushan Mountain. There is a large open platform in front of the Sanqing Temple located on the mountainside, which is the best place for Lushan to enjoy the panorama of Qionghai.
Wuzu Temple is the last ancient temple after going up the mountain, and it is also the source of the holy spring of Lushan Mountain. There is an independent mountain gate here, but the road up the steps has collapsed, and most people will stop here. Most of the ancient temples along the way provide vegetarian meals, among which bean curd rice is the most popular, and a serving is 10 yuan.
Hushan monkey disease
There used to be no monkeys on Mount Lu. In 1998, in order to increase the fun of viewing, the scenic spot introduced 101 macaques from Muli County to stock in the mountains. Today, the monkey group, which has reached 600 or 700, is still wild, and incidents of attacking tourists occur from time to time. When visiting, do not disturb, tease, feed or hold food or plastic bags in your hands. If you are unfortunately bitten or scratched, you can register at the Lushan Scenic Area Management Office, go to the hospital for treatment first, and then take the relevant bills to the Scenic Area Administration for reimbursement.
# Must-Try Food List #
-Roasted Potatoes-
As a specialty of Liangshan, potato is almost synonymous with food in the eyes of local people. Fire-roasting is the most primitive and common cooking method of the Yi people. The yams baked in the firewood pile have a strong aroma and the sand is soft and glutinous. The authentic way of eating is to cut the yams and add salt and sea pepper noodles.
-Cold crucian carp-
Marinate the Qionghai crucian carp with rice wine, salt, green onion and ginger, and steam it in a pot for seven or eight minutes. After the fish is steamed, let it cool and put it on a plate. and pickle water, ready to eat. Although it is cold, it has no fishy smell at all, and all kinds of spicy and delicious rich flavors are integrated into the tender fish, which is very refreshing. Crucian carp has many spines, so you should pay special attention when eating.
-drunk shrimp-
Put the live river prawns in rice wine filled with seasonings, cover and simmer for a few minutes before eating. Although there are similar practices in the south of the Yangtze River, the drunken shrimp in the Qionghai Sea focuses on the stimulation of seasonings-red spicy millet, green coriander, pepper, green garlic, and ginger vinegar. The prawns are fresh and tender, and the spicy millet strongly impacts the taste buds. Although it is spicy, it still makes you unable to stop eating.
– Tuo Tuo meat and piglet meat –
They are all specialties of the Yi people, made from piglets weighing about 30 jin. The weight of each piece of Tuo Tuo meat is about two or three liang. Put it in cold water without any seasoning and cook it. After the meat is cooked, put it in a dustpan, sprinkle salt, pepper, and garlic water and shake it back and forth. It is edible; the piglet meat is also cut into large pieces, after several hours of marinade, it is grilled directly on charcoal fire, the pork skin is crispy, and the pork is tender. Tuotuo meat can be eaten in Yi restaurants, and piglet meat can be found in barbecue restaurants.
-rice flour-
Xichang people usually start their morning with a bowl of rice noodles. The main ingredient is fine rice noodles with a smooth taste, and the soup base is beef and mutton or pork bone soup without any seasoning. The hot rice noodles are served, and there are up to twelve kinds of seasonings in front of them: onion, coriander, dried vegetables, salt, monosodium glutamate, sea pepper, millet spicy, dried chili, green pepper, fermented soybeans, pepper powder and hot and sour kimchi, a bowl of noodles The flavor of the soup depends on them.
-roll powder-
A famous snack in Xichang, rice skin is made of rice that is chewy and elastic, rolled in red pepper, chopped green onion, sesame oil, kohlrabi, sour pickles, crushed peanuts, shredded kelp and other condiments, and can be enjoyed after being folded in half. In addition to wrapping and eating, you can also cut the roll powder into rolls and add vinegar to the salad. You can choose salty or sweet according to your taste. All jelly noodle shops in Xiama Shuihe Lane sell roll noodles. If you don’t know which one to choose, it is recommended to go to the one with the most people.
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