China

INTRODUCING THE SOUTHWEST 347

YUNNAN

Yunnan’s tropical climate Stall selling zongzi, parcels of sticky rice wrapped in bamboo leaves
means the province is a
haven for vegetable lovers – GUIZHOU & GUANGXI ON THE MENU
lotus roots, bamboo shoots,
beans and garlic shoots. RELATIVELY POOR provinces, Aromatic & Crispy Duck
Several products distinguish Guizhou and Guangxi Quite different to Peking
Yunnan on the map of are known for their famine Duck, this is marinated,
gastronomy – firstly the cuisine especially among the steamed, and then deep-fried.
highly-prized pu’er tea. Dried minorities, but despite the A special version – Tea Smoked
into bricks, this is strong and stories the average visitor Duck – is created when it is
black and often taken as a will be hard pressed to find smoked with tea, cypress and
medicine. Just as famous is bee grub stir-fries and the like. camphor wood chips.
Yunnan ham, which rivals
the ham from Jinhua in Fiery hotpots are a specialty Twice-cooked Pork Another
Zhejiang. Unusually for of Guizhou, including those traditional Sichuan dish that is
China, Yunnan is also known made with dog but these can extremely popular. The secret
for its milk products especially easily be avoided (see p399) is that the pork is first boiled,
a type of goat’s cheese. if not wanted. The cooking then stir-fried till tender.
here is spicy and sour. The
When the rain finally stops, province’s most distinguished Steamed Beef in a Basket
a profusion of mushrooms product is Maotai. A strong Spicy beef coated with ground
fills the hills and forests of spirit distilled from sorghum rice and steamed – served in
and other grains, it is drunk the bamboo steamer basket.
Vegetables on sale in a street at formal occasions.
market in Guizhou Toban Fish A whole fish deep-
Guangxi cuisine includes fried then braised with chilli,
the region, sending the locals Cantonese-style sweet and garlic, ginger, scallions, soy,
out to collect these delicacies. sour dishes along with more sugar, wine, chili bean paste
Finally, the tropical climate rustic Zhuang minority food. (toban jiang), and vinegar.
means that all sorts of exotic Zongzi are also a favorite
fruits grow here and many and the pyramids of sticky Ants Climbing Trees Minced
turn up in the area’s dishes. rice can be savory or sweet. pork with rice vermicelli – the
minced pork forms the “ants”
and the vermicelli the “trees”.

Ma Po Doufu: pock marked Hot & Sour Soup: this dish, Fish-fragrant Aubergine:
tofu – is a classic dish that when made properly, derives “fish-fragrant” is a cookery
combines ground meat, tofu, its pungency solely from the term indicating that the dish
and chilies in a ginger broth. use of ground white pepper. used to be a recipe for fish.



THE SOUTHWEST 349

SICHUAN & CHONGQING

THE PROVINCE of Sichuan The wealth generated by this fer-
and the neighboring
municipality of Chong- tile land helped sponsor the
qing cover 220,078 sq miles
SICHUAN temples on Emei Shan’s

CHONGQING forested slopes and the

(570,000 sq km) and are startling Buddhist sculp-

home to over 110 million tures at Dazu and Le Shan.

people. This vast region can In contrast, Northern and

be divided into three distinct Western Sichuan are covered

geographical zones. In the east by the snow-capped foothills

is Chongqing, a municipality based of the Himalayan range, rising well

around the heavily industrialized over 16,400 ft (5,000 m), a thinly

Chongqing city, with a rural strip run- settled region whose culture is

ning east along the Yangzi River and its predominantly Tibetan. Northwest of

famous Three Gorges (see pp352–4). In Chengdu is the Wolong Nature

the center lies the hugely fertile Preserve, home to the critically

Red Basin, whose laid-back capital endangered giant panda, while to the

Chengdu sits surrounded by chequer- far north is the beautiful alpine scenery

board fields and well-irrigated plains. around Songpan and Jiuzhai Gou.

SIGHTS AT A GLANCE

Towns & Cities Historic Sites Mountains, Grottoes & Caves

Chengdu 4 Dafo, Le Shan pp364–5 9 Baoding Shan pp356–7 3

Chongqing 1 Dujiangyan w Emei Shan pp362–3 8

Huanglong Xi 0 Luding u Qingcheng Shan q

Kangding o Sanxingdui Museum 7

Songpan r National Parks & Zoos

Zigong 2 Temples & Monasteries Huanglong t

Baoguang Si 6 Jiuzhai Gou Tour p370 y

Moxi Xiang & Hailuo Gou

Y along • Zoige Glacier i
• Jiuzhaigou Panda Breeding Center 5
• Wolong Nature Preserve e
y
Serxu t
Jiang a HeAba •

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Major road

• Minor road
•

Panzhihua Huili

Railroad

0 km 200 International border

0 miles Provincial border
200

The mineral-rich waters and thick forests of Jiuzhai Gou (Nine Stockades Gully)

350 THE SOUTHWEST

Chongqing 1

BELIEVED TO HAVE BEEN founded as the cap- The Victory Monument (Jiefang-
ital of the shadowy State of Ba in 1000 BC,
this port is situated on a peninsula at the bei) in downtown Chongqing
junction of the Yangzi and Jialing rivers. Also
known as Shan Cheng (Mountain City), due the Communists’ defeat of
to the hills covering the peninsula, it is one Kuomintang forces in 1949.
of the Yangzi valley’s “three furnaces” owing It is surrounded by a busy
to its stifling summer humidity, made even shopping district.
worse by pollution. The main reason to visit
Chongqing, a lively, rapidly modernizing city E Chongqing Museum
Calligraphy, with few historic sights, is to catch a Yangzi
Luohan Si ferry downstream through the Three Gorges Opposite Great Hall of the People.
(see pp352–4). In 1997, Chongqing became the adminis- # daily. &
trative center of the new city-province of Chongqing
Shi, which stretches 311 miles (500 km) east to Hubei. This museum houses a superb
collection of Eastern Han tomb
t Luohan Si relics (AD 25–220) from sites
around Sichuan. Peculiar to
South off Cangbai Lu. the region are 20-in (50-cm)
long mausoleum bricks, illus-
# daily. & ^ trated with figures depicting
religious and secular themes.
This Ming-era temple is A recurrent image is that of
the dragon-bodied sun god,
famed for its hall crowd- Rishen, associated with Fuxi,
legendary ancestor of the
ed with luohan (those Chinese. The highlight is a
39-ft (12-m) long frieze of
freed from the cycle of soldiers and chariots passing
a nobleman being entertained.
rebirth). The Indian Upstairs is a display of Ba-era
(500 BC) boat coffins.
Buddhist pantheon has
P Great Hall of the People
just 18 luohan, but the
173 Renmin Lu. # daily.
Chinese have added
This 213-ft (65-m) high
hundreds of their own, rotunda, seating 4,200 people,
was built in 1954 as a confer-
including Buddhist fig- ence hall to commemorate
Chongqing’s important war-
ures, folk heroes, and time role. Inspired by

People and goods coming off river-ferries, even Daoists. The hall

Chaotian Men Wharf has 524 life-sized stat-

ues; some sit serenely,

P Chaotian Men while others have grotesque

Chaotian Men (Gate Facing faces. The most easily identifi-

Heaven) is Chongqing’s wharf able figure is Ji Gong, a comic

district right at the tip of the peasant hero near the exit.

peninsula, where cruise boats

line the muddy banks, ready- P Victory Monument

ing themselves for their jour- Situated in the heart of down-

ney into Eastern China. A town Chongqing, the Victory

viewing platform overlooking Monument is a plain-looking

the river junction was built in clocktower that commemorates

2000, and offers splendid

views on a windy day, though

often visibility is impaired by

the heavy fogs caused by

intense pollution.

The extravagant Great Hall of the People, now the Renmin Hotel

CHONGQING 351

Beijing’s Temple of Heaven “United Front” government VISITORS’ CHECKLIST
(see pp96–7), it is now a part of during World War II. Among
the Renmin Hotel and is occa- the prominent people based 160 miles (258 km) SE of Chengdu.
sionally used for concerts. Its here were the Communist * 7,500,000. k Jiangbei Air-
striking exterior, with three tiers leader Zhou Enlai and his wife, port. £ c Caiyuanba Bus Sta-
of red-pillared eaves beneath Deng Yingchao. Chairman
a blue canopied roof, stands Mao briefly visited Hongyan tion, Hongyan Bus Station, CAAC
out from the modern high-rises Cun (Red Crag Village) after (to airport). g Chaotian Men
that are slowly encircling it. Japan surrendered in 1945, to docks. n 8th fl, Zourong Plaza,
attend the US-sponsored talks
E Stilwell Museum with the Kuomintang forces 69 Linjiang Lu, (023) 6389 4055.
led by Chiang Kai Shek. The
3 miles (5 km) SE of city center. & buildings now house a collec- P Ciqi Kou
tion of sparsely-captioned
This is the former home of wartime photographs. More 9 miles (14 km) W of Chongqing.
General Stilwell (1883–1946), appealing is the hilly park- c from Chongqing Hotel.
who was based here between land surrounding the site.
1942 and 1944 as Commander Founded 1,700 years ago on
of the US forces and Chiang A colorful snack and fast food the banks of Jialing Jiang,
Kai Shek’s Chief of Staff. The stall in town Ciqi Kou (Porcelain Port) was
US was instrumental in help- a famous porcelain produc-
ing China overthrow the tion center during the Ming
Japanese, and Stilwell led the era, and is something of a
effort. Exhibits include maps museum piece. Its riverfront
and photographs, as well as a lanes, preserved in their orig-
display on the legendary inal flagstoned state, are
Flying Tigers, a volunteer flanked by old timber, adobe,
group of US fighter pilots who and split-stone buildings with
held off the Japanese along the carved stonework, latticed
China-Burma border between windows, and gray-tiled roofs.
1941 and 1942. The museum Teahouses are the town’s
also sells T-shirts emblazoned main feature, and there are
with the Tigers’ logo. about 100 to choose from. A
couple of the more traditional
P Hongyan Cun ones overlook the river and
occasionally host opera
52 Hongyan Cun. 3 miles (5 km) W of performances. Porcelain
Chongqing. # 8:30am–5pm daily. & isn’t made here any more, but
Ciqi Kou has become the
This group of whitewashed haunt of painters in both
buildings was the base of the modern and traditional styles.
Nationalist-Communist

CHONGQING CITY CENTER 0 meters 800 KEY
0 yards 800
Chaotian Men 1 £ Train station
Chongqing Museum 4 c Long distance bus station
Great Hall of the People 5 g Ferry terminal
Luohan Si 2
Stilwell Museum 6 a Cable car
Victory Monument 3 n Tourist information

N Post office

Jiangbei
g Airport
g Jialing a g
Chaotian Men1
CHANGLJUIANGJiang
4n5AN SI LU I LUDocks

Z HONGSH LURENMIN LUBEIQ U LUHongyan
LU U
ZHON GSHAN YI L Bus Station CA NG BA
HONGSHAN SAN LU PIPA SHAN
cB E I QU
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6 ZH O NGS GONGYUAN LU G
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£ N A N QU L U NAN JIANG
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IN JIA N G LU zi

352 THE SOUTHWEST

Yangzi Cruise

BEFORE THE 20TH CENTURY, rugged mountains would Beijing•
have virtually isolated Sichuan from eastern China
if it hadn’t been for the 400 mile (650 km) stretch of Chongqing • Shanghai
the Yangzi linking Chongqing with Yichang in Hubei
Province. The journey was a perilous one, the river •
tearing through the sheer-sided Three Gorges. Today,
with the shoals cleared, the journey makes a popular • Wuhan
cruise through spectacular scenery, with regular stops
at famous sights. The landscape has been irrevocably Hong Kong
changed by the filling of the Three Gorges Dam, due •
for completion in 2009, gradually making the cruise
even more leisurely and extending the cruising season. LOCATOR MAP

Area illustrated below

. Shibao Zhai
This outstanding monastery
(see p354) sits on an island,
with Lanruo Dian (Orchid
Palace) built into the
cliff above.

Landscape near Chongqing Wanxian •
The gentle farmland around Chongqing, fascinating
for its depiction of day-to-day life, does little to Wulingzhen
prepare you for the wild, spectacular gorge
scenery downstream. •

Ancient Ba Kingdom CHONGQING
Tombs have been
inundated by the Zhongxian • YANGZI
rising waters.

CHONGQING • Fengdu

• Fengdu was
recently moved here
Fuling • from the opposite shore.
KEY
STAR SIGHTS Provincial border

. Shibao Zhai The City of Ghosts
. Mini Three Gorges Ming Shan, a mountain dedicated
. Qutang Xia to the afterworld and its ruler, Tianzi,
is scattered with temples, shrines,

and waxworks depicting the gorier
sides of hell, including various
tortures awaiting sinners.

CHONGQING 353

VISITORS’ CHECKLIST

Chongqing to Yichang or Wuhan.
n 120 Zaozi Lanya Zheng Jie,
Chongqing, (023) 6385 0693 (CITS
for bookings). & excursions extra.
∑ www.travelchinaguide.com/
river/index.htm

The Three Gorges

Though the river is no longer the vicious torrent described

by countless travelers, the steep walls and tight channels of

Qutang Xia, Wu Xia, and Xiling Xia still present an

awesome spectacle.

0 kilometers 30

Zhang Fei Miao (see p354) is

dedicated to the Shu warrior 0 miles 30 . Mini Three Gorges
Along the shallow, clear-
Zhang Fei (AD 168–221). flowing Daning River, the
Mini Three Gorges feature the
Daning Shennong Xi cliffs of Longmen Xia and
troupes of wild monkeys.
New QUXTIAANG He New
Fengjie • • Wushan Shennong Xi
• Yunyang (see p354) makes a
WU XIA spectacular sidetrip.

• Guandukou

HUBEI XILING XIA

. Qutang Xia • Yichang
The first and shortest of
the stunning Three Gorges, WUHAN
the once violent waters of
Qutang Gorge were described by
the Tang poet Li Bai as “a thousand
seas poured into a single cup.”

Three Gorges Dam
Before reaching Yichang,
there’s a chance to witness one
of the world’s largest construc-
tion projects (see pp268–9), as
the boat passes through a

complex system of locks.

354 THE SOUTHWEST

Cruising the Yangzi CHOOSING A CRUISE

ONCE COMPLETE, THE Three Gorges Dam will have raised Which itinerary: Some cruises sail
water levels upstream by up to 575 feet (175 m); to Shanghai, but scenery is bleak
even now the water is rising, making each cruise unique. east of Wuhan. Book Chongqing
Millions of people have been relocated, several towns to Yichang or Wuhan (extra day).
have been rebuilt above the new waterline, and some Cruises upstream (west) are cheap-
archeological sites have been drowned. Some buildings er, but may sail through the night.
have been relocated; where this isn’t feasible, protective Cruises: Some English spoken,
dikes are under construction. The drama of the landscape accommodation varies (dorm to 4-
will undoubtedly be lessened, but the new reservoir is star), check excursions on itinerary,
so large that the impression of being on a river will book privately (cheaper than CITS).
remain, as will the key elements of history and scenery. Public ferries: No English, very
basic conditions, food is bad (bring
some), no excursions, tickets from
Chaotian Men Dock, Chongqing.
When: Sep & Oct are best; May &
Nov riskier; rainy season in summer.

t Shibao Zhai .

The most striking aspect of

Shibao Zhai (meaning Precious

Stone Fortress) is the beautiful

12-story Lanruo Dian, whose

curly eaves are said to resem-

ble an orchid, built in 1750

and rising 184 feet (56 m) up

the rock wall above the small

Tour sailing up the narrows of Shennong Xi in a sampan temple. The “Precious Stone”

of the name relates to a legend

} Shennong Xi advancing enemy horde with about a rock in the monastery

One of the highlights of the such blood-curdling ferocity with a hole, through which

whole Yangzi cruise is detour- that one of their leaders drop- every day trickled just enough

ing up the ever-narrowing, ped dead on the spot. After his rice to feed all the monks. But

ever-more shallow waters of brother Guan Yu was killed, when one of them greedily

Shennong Stream. The cliffs Zhang Fei became morose and enlarged the hole, hoping to

are pocked with post-holes overworked his troops, who sell the surplus, the rice

marking the route of a Han- eventually assassinated him in stopped flowing. Shibao Zhai

dynasty plank road, built for his sleep. This temple – due to will be protected from rising

military access. There are also be relocated as water levels waters by a large dike, but

at least three hanging coffins rise – is full of colorful statues sadly, the medieval village at its

here, which the now-vanished recounting scenes of his life. base has been drowned.

Bai people mortised into the

gorge walls over a thousand TRACKERS
years ago. Burial goods and

cliffside paintings link the Bai Before the rapids were cleared in the 1950s, boats could only

with both Sichuan’s earliest make it upstream with the help of trackers, teams of barely-

known civilization, the Ba, paid men who were harnessed together to literally pull the

and also the local Tujia boat, inch by inch, through the Three Gorges’ torrents. Paths

nationality (see pp24–5). cut into the bank to make their work easier and slightly less

If the waters are too low hazardous – or copies of them above the new maximum

to navigate this stream, most waterline – can be seen in several places through the gorges.

cruises will ensure a trip up

Daning He is included

instead (see p353).

t Zhang Fei Miao Present-day trackers heaving a boat up Shennong Xi
Zhang Fei (AD 168–221) was
a sworn brother and general
of Liu Bei, leader of the State
of Shu during the Three King-
doms era. Violent, tactless,
courageous, and prone to
drink, he once famously
defended a strategically-
placed bridge single-handed,
roaring out a challenge to the

SICHUAN & CHONGQING 355

illustrations, to still produced and packed on

huge metal drill-bits site. Zigong’s other forms of

and cutaways subterranean wealth are its

showing the drilling fossils, found at a major

process. Other con- Jurassic site in the north-

temporary buildings eastern suburb of Dashanpu,

of interest are two that has now been roofed

teahouses with over as a Dinosaur Museum.

charming antique In 1985, extensive excavations

interiors, where were carried out with British

locals sit and chat. assistance, unearthing hun-

The most attractive dreds of skeletons, including

of these is the 19th- the stegosaur-like Gigant-

century Wangye spinosaurus sichuanensis,

Miao, a smaller ver- and the 30-ft (9-m) long,

sion of the Xiqing carnivorous Yangchuano-

Guildhall, which saurus hepingensis. Assem-

perches castle-like bled skeletons are displayed

on a rocky outcrop in the main hall, along with

overlooking the partially excavated remains in

Fuxi Jiang on the original diggings.

Binjiang Lu. The

Gateway to a teahouse in former Guildhall other is a former E Zigong Salt Museum

Zigong 2 City Storekeepers’ Jiefang Lu. § (0813) 230 1247.
Guildhall on Zhonghua # 8am–6pm daily. &

Road, whose carved entrance- P Xinhai Well

way opens into a sloping, Da’an Jie. # 8am–6pm daily. &

106 miles (170 km) SW of flagstoned courtyard sur- E Dinosaur Museum
Chongqing. * 477,000. £ c n rounded by private wood-
paneled booths. Dashanpu. § (0813) 580 1234.
3 Tanmu Binguan, (0813) 220 7313.
The Xinhai Well, just east # 9am–2:30pm daily. &

SALT HAS BEEN MINED in of the center, was easily the
Sichuan for at least 2,500 deepest in the world when

years, and for much of that drilling reached a depth of

time Zigong has been at the 3,285 ft (1,001 m) in 1835,

center of its production, producing a daily output of

luring traders from all over 494 cubic ft (14 cubic m) of

China. Brine is drawn from brine and 300,175 cubic ft

artesian wells beneath the (8,500 cubic m) of natural

city, along with natural gas gas. The 59-ft (18-m) high

used in the evaporation timber derrick, bamboo pipes,

process. Chinese well-drilling cables, and buffalo-powered

techniques, mainly the use of winches used in the drilling

bamboo cables and heavy and retrieving processes are

iron drill-bits, were borrowed on show, along with gas-

by the West during the 1850s, powered evaporation pans The main entrance of the Zigong

and later adapted for mining used to refine salt, which is Salt Museum

oil reserves. Until the 1960s,

Zigong was full of bamboo MINING SALT IN SICHUAN
pipelines and 328-ft (100-m)

high wooden derricks. Even An essential part of imperial tax since the Western Han era,

today one can visit some of salt was extracted from salt-water pools on the coasts. In

these older mines and vintage Sichuan, however, mining from briny grounds (using an

architecture built to display ingenious method that far pre-dated

the salt-merchants’ wealth. Western techniques), was cheaper than

The Zigong Salt Museum importing heavily taxed salt from the

was built in 1736 as the coast. With deep drilling and the

Xiqing Guildhall, a meeting installation of bamboo pipes in the

place for salt merchants from 11th century, production peaked.

Shaanxi province. This lavish Entrepreneurs opened up mines and

building features elaborate workers flocked to the area, leading a

flying eaves, and a gilded, bureaucracy alarmed at the tax losses to

wood-carved interior based ban deep drilling – although they were

around a large galleried atri- soon opened again. By the 17th century,

um, where plays were once the Sichuanese had devised a method

performed. Exhibits cover the Salt mine model, of capturing the natural gas that escapes

entire history of salt mining, Xiqing Guildhall from briny deposits to fuel their stoves.

from Han dynasty

356 THE SOUTHWEST

Carvings of Dazu Wheel of Transmigration 3
A giant, toothy demon holds
COMBINING ELEMENTS from Confucianism, a segmented disc depicting the
Daoism, and Indian Tantric Buddhism, possible states of reincarnation,
the carvings at Baoding Shan, Dazu are from Buddhahood down to
a unique example of the harmonious animals and ghosts.
synthesis of these philosophies and
religions. Though most are religious
Figure in in theme, the carvings vary greatly in
meditation style. A few are naturalistic depictions
of daily life, but most of them are monumental
and even surreal, with fanged guardian gods and
serene Buddhas at the point of Enlightenment
surrounded by cartoon-like details of Buddhist

parables. The main
colors used are reds,
blues, and greens.

1000-armed Guanyin 8 In Reclining Buddha q This 50-ft (15-m) long Buddha lies on
fact it has 1007 gilded arms that his side, his stylized face making the life-like busts of officials
seem to flicker like flames from and donors arranged in front appear even more striking. The
the central figure of Guanyin, adjacent Nine-dragon Spring refers to the legend of Buddha
each palm holding a different being washed at birth by dragons.
symbol of the bodhisattva.

Filial Duty u A Confucian Buddhist Hell p
theme of honoring parents for Buddha and
the sacrifices they make for their bodhisattvas
children illustrates the flexible gaze down at
nature of Chinese belief at this
predominantly Buddhist site. drunken sinners,
while animal-

headed demons
mutilate others on

Knife Mountain
and in Knee-

chopping Hall.

Dao Sages f These Stone Lion k The lion is
ancient figures of wise assigned to Wenshu, the
old men appear to be incarnation of Wisdom in
representatives of Buddhist teaching. Here, this
Daoist philosophy. twice life-sized statue guards
the entrance to the Cave of
Full Enlightenment.

SICHUAN & CHONGQING 357

BAODING SHAN 0 meters 30
0 yards 30
There are 30 caves in total so be
sure to allow enough time to r
explore the site fully.

d po ut w

The Three Sages 4 Three q
serene figures sit in eternal
contemplation of life, the fk 34 8
infinite, and everything. The l
Chinese characters declare
the site as Baoding Shan. The bullet numbers refer to the most significant caves

Parental Care t This Baoding Shan, than other grottoes – that is to
expression of the Confucian Dazu 3 say, they relate the abstract
theme of the duty of parental Buddhist doctrines through
love at this Buddhist site is an 9 miles (15 km) NE of Dazu. c from the lives of ordinary people.
illustration of how religious Caiyuanba Station, Chongqing (2hrs) to The realistic carvings include
philosophies could co-exist Dazu; minibus to caves (half hr). ª not only the statues of Buddha
during the Tang dynasty. # 8:30am–5pm. & includes Bei and bodhisattvas, but also
Shan. 6 fee required for video. monarchs, ministers, military
Enlightenment Buddha l officers, officials, monks, the
The centerpiece of Baoding THE HILLS AROUND Dazu are rich, and even the poor.
Shan’s only true cave, this riddled with caves and
represents the reward of grottoes decorated with more In December 1999, the site
perfecting the self through than 50,000 carvings dating as was listed as a World Cultural
cycles of reincarnation. far back as the Tang dynasty Heritage Site by UNESCO.
in the 7th century. The best
collection of statuary with the ENVIRONS: Bei Shan, situated
finest craftsmanship and just over a mile (2 km) north
richest content can be found of Dazu, was originally a
at Baoding Shan; the monk military camp whose carvings
Zhao Zhifeng oversaw the were commissioned by the
work between 1179 and 1245. general in AD 892. The caves
The bulk of these carvings are somewhat dark and few
decorate thirty separate sculptures stand out. The
niches carved into the soft most outstanding sculpture is
limestone walls of a 28-ft (8-m) in Cave 136 which houses a
high, horseshoe-shaped gully Wheel of Life carving, Puxian
known as Dafo Wan (Big the patron Saint of Emei
Buddha Bend) after the large Shan, and the androgynous
sculpture of the reclining Sun and Moon Guanyin.
Sakyamuni Buddha.
One of the sculptures Bei Shan
Other carvings worth noting grottoes, Dazu
at Baoding Shan are the
pastoral scenes of buffalo
herding in Cave 5, a whole
tableau of activity that stands
as a beautiful allegory of the
search for enlightenment. The
Cat and Mouse between Caves
3 and 4 is a light-hearted
carving with a wonderfully
naturalistic cat looking up at
a mouse climbing a bamboo
stalk. The Dazu grottoes are
more secular and real to life

358 THE SOUTHWEST

Chengdu 4 outskirts of the city, where he
wrote around 240 soulful
THE CAPITAL OF SICHUAN, Chengdu is a modern poems contrasting the forces
city with a relaxed culture, typified by its of nature with the turmoil of
pleasant gardens and teahouses. A distinct contemporary life, such as
part of city life, teahouses are found in parks when his roof blew off during
and other spaces, and are often no more than a storm. Admirers first founded
a collection of rickety chairs and tables. The gardens here in the 10th cen-
tury, although the traditional
city’s roots go as far back as the enigmatic arrangement of pools, bridges,
Ba-Shu era (see p360), though it first became trees, and pavilions dates from
a capital during the Three Kingdoms (AD 1811. Simple whitewashed
Statue, Liu 221), later gaining a reputation for its silk halls display antique collec-
Bei’s Tomb brocade and for being the first place that tions of Du Fu’s poems, and a
printed paper money. By Chinese standards, museum gives an outline of his
Chengdu is a fairly compact city, stretching 4 miles life in models and paintings.
(6 km) across, with most sights within its central area.
t Qingyang Gong
Business as usual at the bustling teahouse in Wenshu Yuan
9 Xi Er Duan. # daily. &
t Wenshu Yuan the Tomb of Wang Jian, self-
Founded in the ninth century,
Wenshu Yuan Jie. # daily. & appointed emperor of Sichuan, Qingyang is Chengdu’s main
Daoist temple. Its name, mean-
Down a small alley, this is the who fought his way to power ing Green Goat, refers to the
obscure final words of
headquarters of Sichuan’s Chan in AD 907 and died in 918. The Daoism’s mythical founder,
Laozi, that those who under-
Buddhist sect and is dedicated relics include a 20-ft (6-m) long stood his teachings could find
him at the Green Goat market.
to Wenshu, God of Wisdom – stone platform which formed The most distinctive building
is the 1882 Bagua Pavilion,
usually depicted riding a blue the base for a multi-layered whose stone pillars carved
with 81 dragons enclose a
lion. The temple was founded wooden sarcophagus, carved life-sized statue of Laozi
riding his buffalo. Inside the
around AD 700, although the with a 22-figure female orches- Three Purities Hall, three
massive bearded statues rep-
current arrangement of five tra. Life-sized busts of warriors, resenting the deities Original
Nature, Virtue, and Wisdom,
halls dates to the Ming era. sunk up to their waists in the loom over two bronze statues
of what are supposedly goats,
The austere flagstoned floor, support the platform. although the right-hand
animal has tiger paws, a uni-
buildings are filled A simple statue of Wang corn’s horn, a snake’s tail,
and other attributes of ani-
with statuary and the Jian and faint traces of mals in the Chinese zodiac.
Around the back of the next
courtyards with bronze floral frescoes enforce the hall, crowds line up to touch
one of the three auspicious
incense burners. The impression of a cultured, characters painted on a wall,
and thus receive good fortune.
temple’s importance is modest man, though
Worshipers outside the Daoist
reflected not in its Incense for sale his self-indulgent son Qingyang Gong

opulence but in its at Wenshu Yuan lost the empire to the

activity and constant Late Tang in AD 925.

chanting of prayers. After a

visit, people relax at the tea- E Du Fu’s Thatched Cottage

house or vegetarian restaurant. 38 Qinghua Lu. # daily. &

The Tang dynasty’s most

E Yong Ling Museum celebrated poet, Du Fu,

Yong Ling Lu. @ 42, 48, 54. arrived in Chengdu during a

# daily. & nationwide uprising in AD 759.

A large mound in the north- He spent the next five years

west of town was excavated living in poverty in a tumble-

in 1942 to uncover Yong Ling, down thatched cottage on the

SICHUAN & CHONGQING 359

Bei’s Tomb. The Three King- VISITORS’ CHECKLIST
doms Hall has statues of Liu
Bei, robed in gold along 160 miles (258 km) NW of
with his grandson, while Chongqing. * 3,620,000. k
another room has statues Shangliu Airport. £ North Train
of Zhuge Liang. The last Station, South Train Station. c
hall is used for perfor- North Bus Station, Xi Men Bus
Station, CAAC (buses to airport),
Detail from monument at Renmin Park mances of Sichuan theater. Xin Nan Men Bus Station.
n Room 320, 65 Renmin Nan
Y Renmin Park E Sichuan University Lu, (028) 8665 9708.
Museum
12 Xiao Cheng Lu. # 7am–9pm daily. & Tibetan religious items. Antique
Liberal Arts Bldg near University’s east paintings, stone carvings, and
This is the best of Chengdu’s gate off Wangjiang Lu. @ # daily. & texts are also on show. Nearby,
parks, with year-round floral Wangjiang Lou Park is set
displays, ponds, terraces Founded in the 1920s by the along the river and has a tall
draped in wisteria, and a hall American scholar D.S. Dye, pagoda dedicated to the 9th-
hosting weekend shows of this Sichuanese ethnographic century poetess Xue Tao.
shadow-puppetry. The Martyrs’ museum was recently torn
Monument, commemorates the down and rebuilt. It displays
1911 rail dispute that mobilized cultural artifacts such as
opposition to the Qing and embroidery, leather armor, and
eventually led to their demise.

t Wuhou Ci A striking moon gate at Wuhou Ci

231 Wuhou Ci Dajie. # daily. &

Meaning “Shrine to the Minister
of War,” Wuhou Ci commem-
orates Zhuge Liang (AD 181–
234), a brilliant military strate-
gist from the Three Kingdoms
period. The site dates to AD
223, when Liu Bei, Zhuge’s
commander was buried here.
In 1672, the complex was
expanded to include its series
of temple-like halls, filled with
statuary of Three Kingdoms’
characters, all guarding Liu

CHENGDU CITY CENTER North Bus North Train 0 km 1
Y I H U A N L U Station 0 miles
Du Fu’s Thatched Cottage 3 Station LU BEI RENMIN BEI LU Panda Breeding 1
YI HUAN BEI Center
Qingyang Gong 4
c Xi Men Fu He Fu He
Bus Station
Renmin Park 5
YI HUAN LU XI SHIHU
Wenshu Yuan 1 I JIE
Wuhou Ci 6 JIANGHAN LU 1 BEI DA JIE
Yong Ling 2 XIAN LU QINJGIELONG

Museum 2

LU

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RENMIN
STADIUM

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34 DONG CHENGGEN JIE
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KEY Y

c Long distance bus station H
n Tourist information
N Post office QINTAI LU TONLGUHUMEN LU

G
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GDXUI

RENMIN ZONGFU LU ON
ER
DACI SI LU
5 LU H

HONGYAN L U HDLUOUANSNGAXNING
XDIAA LNUAN DONG DAJIE
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c CAAC

6 U CI D AJIE BI NJIANG LU

W UH O Shuangliu Xin Nan Men c
Airport, Bus Station

South Train Sichuan
University
Station Museum

360 THE SOUTHWEST

Sanxingdui
Museum 7

A bizarre yet exquisitely crafted Sanxingdui mask 15 miles (24 km) N of Chengdu in
Guangshan. § (0838) 550 0349.
Panda Breeding quake. The temple has well- c from Chengdu to Guangshan. &
Center 5 tended gardens planted with # 9am–5:30pm daily.
ginkgos, besides a dozen or
6 miles (10 km) NE of Chengdu. more halls filled with holy IN THE 1980S archeologists
c or taxi. # 8:30–5pm daily. & relics, including a room ded- began excavating at
icated to the Tsongkhapa sect Sanxingdui, where farmers had
THIS RESEARCH BASE set up in of Tibetan lamaism, and a been finding ancient pieces
1987 has bred and raised stone stele carved with since 1929. They unexpectedly
over 27 giant panda cubs, Buddha images from AD 540. uncovered traces of an ancient
scoring well over the usual Baoguang Si’s biggest draw is city, over 3,000 years old, ten-
captive survival rate. While so its Qing-era Luohan Hall, tatively believed to have been
far this has been for the bene- where 518 brightly painted, the capital of the Ba-Shu cul-
fit of zoos, the center’s main life-sized sculptures of Bud- ture. Numerous sacrificial pits
aim is to start returning pandas dhist saints are joined by 59 were found containing an
to the wild. One of the best Buddhas and Bodhidarma – extraordinary trove of bronze,
places to see pandas in China, the Indian founder of Zen gold, and jade artifacts. Key
the center currently displays Buddhism – along with a huge pieces in the museum include
around 20 red and 21 giant phoenix statue. Among the a 7-ft (2-m) high bronze figure
pandas. Mostly inactive, they statues are the emperors with huge, coiled hands, a
can be seen chewing piles of Kangxi and Qianlong, with giant “spirit tree” hung with
arrow bamboo or sleeping. their distinctive beards, boots, mystical animals, and several
and capes. Also within the leering, 3-ft (1-m) wide masks
Baoguang Si 6 compound is a little restau- whose eyes protrude on stalks.
rant offering vegetarian fare. Also on display are smaller,
finely detailed pieces, along
SICHUAN OPERA with accounts of the excava-
tions. Highly individual in style,
though evoking the contem-
porary Shang bronzes of
eastern China, the Sanxingdui
artifacts reveal a very high
degree of craftsmanship. The
finds perhaps challenge the
popular theory that China
evolved from a single culture
living by the Yellow River.

Sung in the Sichuanese

12 miles (19 km) NE of Chengdu. c dialect, this 300-year-old
or taxi. # 8am–5pm daily. &
tradition is immensely pop-
APLACE OF WORSHIP since the
Han dynasty, Baoguang ular. Lacking the formality
Si owes its current name and
reputation to the Tang of Beijing Opera, but filled
emperor Xizong, who took
refuge here in AD 881, during with wit and dynamism,
a rebellion. He called the tem-
ple Baoguang, or Shining the Sichuan style portrays
Treasure, after he saw a light
underneath a wooden pagoda local legends, while its
in the temple, which was
supposedly emanating from high-pitched singing is
the buried holy relics. The
pagoda, which he ordered to accompanied by percus-
be rebuilt in stone, still stands
as the 13-story, 98-ft (30-m) sion and wind instruments.
high Sheli Ta, just inside the
entrance. Its top, however, Acrobatics are a major part
broke off during an earth-
Elaborately costumed actors at of the performance. Bian-

an opera performance lian, the Sichuanese trick

of face-changing, allows

each actor to portray many characters; with a swift move of

the hand, makeup is added, or a layer of mask removed.

Sichuan Opera is usually performed in small, casual theaters,

even teahouses. In Chengdu, tickets are available at Jinjiang

Theater on Xianliong Jie and Shudu Theater down Yushuang

Lu. Many tour operators run excursions to theaters, giving an

explanation of the plot and a fascinating glimpse backstage.

SICHUAN & CHONGQING 361

Giant Pandas

THE FAMOUSLY RARE giant panda and so spend almost all their
occurs only in China, and, waking hours eating. Bamboo

according to recent genetic tests, flowers and dies off simulta-

is distantly related to the bear. neously over huge areas,

The wild panda population of periodically depriving giant

around 1,200 seems to be pandas of their local food

increasing, though with perhaps source. In the past, they could

only another 120 in zoos world- Hard Rock Café simply travel to other regions to

wide, they remain seriously logo find more bamboo to eat, but

endangered, despite recently now their habitat has been

successful breeding programs in carved up by development. Some 12

China. The animals feed primarily on reserves are dedicated to panda

bamboo. They have developed large preservation in Shaanxi, Guizhou, and

molars for grinding up the stalks, but Sichuan, including the Wolong reserve

are not well adapted to digesting them near Chengdu (see p369).

Pandas eat between 35 The panda’s paw is adapted to its
and 65 pounds (15 and special diet. The wrist is modified into a
30 kg) of bamboo a day, sort of opposable “thumb” that helps it to
grasp delicate bamboo stems.
despite having a
carnivore’s digestive
tract. They only digest
20 per cent of the
nutrients, so spend the
rest of the day asleep,
conserving energy.

Pandas are not prolific breeders,even Pandas in the wild
in the best equipped zoos, as they only are occasionally seen
have a brief breeding window (once a in family groups, but
year in spring) and they are extremely mostly they live a
choosy about whom they mate with. solitary existence for
much of their 25 years
in a clearly defined
territory marked out by
scent. One theory for
their striking coloration
is that it helps them
recognize each other
in the forests.

Breeding programs in Sichuan saw a record A panda baby weighs
ten births in 2004. Artificial insemination just 31⁄2 oz (100 g) at
was usually used. Incubators help to reduce birth – compared to
the high infant mortality found in the wild. the adult’s 440 lb
(200 kg). The cub
is carried by the
mother for 90
days and
stays on with
her for up to
three years.

362 SOUTHWEST

Emei Shan 8

RISING TO 10,167 feet (3,099 m), Emei a
Shan has been considered holy by
both Daoists and Buddhists since the

Eastern Han dynasty. Many of the tem-

ples nestled on the mountain’s lush

slopes are dedicated to the Bodhisattva

of Universal Benevolence, Puxian,

who is said to have ascended the

Puxian on his mountain during the 6th century atop
elephant
a six-tusked elephant. Emei Shan is
also a storehouse of botanic diversity,

with over 3,200 plant species found on the moun-

tain – 10 per cent of China’s total. Many can be seen

in monastery gardens, including the white-petalled

handkerchief tree; the ginkgo, which is extinct in . The summit
Emei’s three main peaks are the
the wild; and the straight-trunked nanmu, a favored crests of an undulating ridge,
with a sheer drop of over 3,000
wood for temple pillars. The most visible of Emei’s feet (1,000 m) on the front face.

animals are the aggressive monkeys, who pester

hikers for handouts – keep food packed away.

Hikers
Hawkers hoist sedan chairs for
those who have had enough of
walking. To cut down some of

the trekking, take a bus from
Baoguo to the cable car leading
to Wannian Si, or, easiest of all,
to the cable car going all the way

to the summit at Jieyin Dian.

t

Hong Chun
Ping

Baoguo Si
One of the most important temples on
Emei, Baoguo Si contains a massive
bronze bell. Cast during the Ming
dynasty, it is rung with a large
swinging tree trunk and is said to
be audible for 10 miles (16 km).

t
Leiyin Si

t
Fuhu Si

c

0 kilometers 3 3 t Emei He
0 miles c
Baoguo

STAR SIGHTS EMEI TOWN

. The summit
. Wannian Si
. Qingyin Ge

SICHUAN & CHONGQING 363

Wanfo Ding VISITORS’ CHECKLIST
10,167 ft
89 miles (143 km) SW of Cheng-
Qianfo Ding du. n near Baoguo Si, (0833)
9,990 ft 552 0444. £ to Emei Town. c
from Chengdu or Le Shan to Emei
Jin Ding Town or Baoguo; Emei Town to
10,095 Baoguo (20 min). # daily. &
at
a Jin Ding Si KEY
The terrace in front of this temple is
c c Bus stop
a a favorite spot for watching the a Cable car
t sunrise, cloud seas, and other t Temple
Jieyin Dian
atmospheric phenomena. Path
Road

Xixiang Chi (Elephant
Bathing Pool) is at the
spot where Puxian is said
to have stopped to wash
his elephant.

t t . Wannian Si
Xianfeng Si The oldest surviving

building on Emei
dates to 1611 and

houses a famed
golden statue
of Puxian.

THE SUMMIT EXPLORING EMEI SHAN

t at It takes about three days to climb and
ac descend Emei Shan; basic accommodations
and food are available at numerous
temples. Pack rain gear and wear stout
footwear as the flagstone paths can be
slippery, particularly from October to April
when hawkers sell straw soles and metal
crampons to attach to boots. Warm clothing
is essential at the summit year round.

. Qingyin Ge
Reached over a pair of arched

bridges, the Pure Music
Pavilion is set in lowland
forest at the junction of two
streams. The nearby temple is
the most romantic place to
spend a night on Emei Shan.

364 SOUTHWEST

Dafo, Le Shan 9

THE ENORMOUS 230-ft (71-m) high Dafo Jiazhou Huayuan
(Great Buddha) is carved into the red This museum, located in a
sandstone face of Lingyun Hill overlooking pretty temple, gives a full
the treacherous confluence of the Min, Dadu, account of Dafo’s history
and construction, with
and Qingyi rivers below. In AD 713 a monk, interesting models.
Haitong, decided to safeguard passing
Heavenly King, boats by creating a protective icon in the
Dafo Temple cliffs – though he was also practical
enough to realize that the resultant rubble would fill in
the shoals. By the time Dafo was completed, other temples
had been built around it and on the adjacent Wuyou Hill,
and today a network of
paths links this UNESCO
World Heritage site.

. Dafo (Great Buddha)
Up close, the remains of a
drainage system can be seen.
The statue must be restored
every decade to survive plant
invasion and pollution.

Nine Turns Staircase
is a steep, narrow set of
steps down to the toes.

STAR SIGHTS

. Buddha’s Feet

. Dafo (Great Buddha)

. Haoshang Bridge

. Buddha’s Feet
At his huge 26-ft (8-m) feet you can
really appreciate one of the world’s
biggest Buddhas. His other statistics are
equally impressive: each ear droops 23 ft
(7 m), his shoulders span 92 ft (28 m),
while his nose measures 18 ft (5.6m).

SICHUAN & CHONGQING 365

HAITONG, SCULPTOR AND MONK VISITORS’ CHECKLIST

When Haitong’s idea was accepted, funds Le Shan, 96 miles (154 km) SW
were raised by public subscription and of Chengdu. c from Chengdu
regional government contributions from Bus Station to Le Shan, then bus
the salt revenue (see p355). The monk no. 3 to Dafo. 4 from Le Shan
to Wuyou Si, then walk to Dafo.
lived in a cave behind Dafo’s head and # 7:30am–7:30pm May–Sep;
when a local official threatened to blind 8am–6pm Oct–Apr. & 8
Haitong unless he could take a cut of the
funds, the monk gouged his own eyes out

to prove his sincerity. However, the
project was only completed in AD 803
after his death, and after Wei Gao, the
Haitong, a pious monk regional governor, donated his own
devoted to his project salary to finish off the legs and feet.

Ancient shrines . Haoshang Bridge
and temples This elegant, part-covered
close by
structure is built in an
“antique” style and links

the Great Buddha with
outlying temples on the

adjacent hills.

Guardian figures
flank the Buddha

Wuyou Hill
was cut off from
Lingyun Hill around
250 BC to reduce
the river’s currents.
Wuyou’s Buddhist
temple was founded

in AD 742.

Mahao Cave Tombs Dafo or Great Buddha, best seen from
Dating from the Eastern Han dynasty (AD a river boat, hired from Le Shan
25–220), these grottoes were built to house the
remains of local nobles, with carved scenes of
cavalry and some early Buddha figures.





368 THE SOUTHWEST

front face lies halfway up at
Tianshi Dong. Ming-dynasty
panels decorate its main hall,
where the Han-era Daoist
master Zhang Daolin once
taught. Situated on the 4,134-ft
(1,260-m) summit, two hours
on foot and accessible by
cable car, Shangqing Gong
was first built in the 4th
century AD and houses a tea-
room. From here, it is a short
climb to the Laojun Pavilion.
On the lower slopes of the
peak’s rear face, the huge
Tai’an Temple is surrounded
by fortress-like walls.

Qingcheng Shan’s ornate front gateway, with sharply upturned eaves Dujiangyan w

Huanglong Xi 0 mustache. Zhenjiang Si is 37 miles (60 km) NW of Chengdu.
mostly closed to the public, c from Xi Men Station, Chengdu.
31 miles (50 km) SW of Chengdu. c but does have a pleasant, # 8am–5pm daily. & for Irrigation
relaxed riverfront teahouse. Scheme Area.

CONSISTING OF just seven Qingcheng Shan q THE VAST TOWN of Dujiangyan
narrow lanes on a quiet is primarily known for the
riverbank surrounded by 43 miles (70 km) NW of Chengdu. Dujiangyan Irrigation Scheme,
fields, the delightfully dated c to Dujiangyan then taxi. & built in 256 BC by the
village of Huanglong Xi Sichuanese governor Li Bing.
served as one of the sets in AS ITS NAME “Green City He organized the building of
the martial-arts romance, Mountain” suggests, this an artificial island to tame and
Crouching Tiger, Hidden renowned Daoist retreat is divide the flood-prone Min
Dragon. Most of its timber- beautifully forested. Its two Jiang into two channels which
framed, stone buildings date separate sections are dotted could be regulated and
from the Ming or Qing eras. with Daoist temples linked by tapped to provide a steady
Of its three temples, Gulong stone paths, ideal for rambling. flow for crop irrigation. As
Si is the largest, with a few The front face is reached from proof of the technological
slightly shabby halls and a the main entrance in town, skills of the ancient Chinese,
low entrance guarded by two while the wilder rear face, Li Bing’s project is still fully
stone lions, above which is a with steeper gradients and functional, though likely to be
theater stage used during narrower paths, lies 9 miles rendered irrelevant by the
temple fairs. At the other end (15 km) farther west. Jianfu soon to be constructed
of the village, Nanwu Chaoxi Gong, outside the entrance, is Zipingpu Dam, 9 miles (15
Si is a tiny nunnery with a the best-preserved shrine. The km) north. Lidui Park now
painted stone carving of the main temple on the mountain’s encloses the Irrigation Scheme
dragon spirit Nanwu in human
form, with red hair and a

A ferry on the scenic Yuechang Hu (Moon Wall Lake) at Qingcheng Shan
Crowds viewing Le Shan’s Dafo (Great Buddha) from Nine Turn Staircase and upper platforms

SICHUAN & CHONGQING 369

Songpan’s east gate and impressive stone wall other along the river outside
the north gate, resemble
and has viewing platforms Songpan r standard Chinese temples
overlooking key aspects, as except in their use of green
well as Erwang Miao (Two 137 miles (220 km) N of Chengdu. and yellow paint and the
Kings Temple) dedicated to c from Xi Men Station, Chengdu. Arabic script over their doors.
Li Bing and his son. Shops sell beaten copper pots,
turquoise jewelry, sheepskin
coats, yak butter, and wind-
dried yak meat. Just outside the
north gate, two tour companies
organize overnight guided
horse treks to nearby villages.
Sleeping arrangements are out
in the open air or in tents and
food is basic. Trekkers should
have the itinerary and fees
agreed, in writing, before
setting off to avoid argument.

Huanglong t

Wolong Nature FOUNDED AS A Ming-dynasty
Preserve e garrison post to guard a
8,200-ft (2,500-m) mountain 40 miles (65 km) W of Songpan.
93 miles (150 km) NW of Chengdu.
c & to panda breeding center. pass, Songpan is an admin- c from Chengdu or Songpan. _

CHINA’S FIRST SERIOUS attempt istrative center and busy Huanglong Temple Fair (Jul/Aug).
to protect the giant panda
and its habitat, the Wolong marketplace for nearby
Preserve was founded in
1975, enclosing about 775 sq Tibetan, Qiang, and Hui HUANGLONG IS A 5-mile
miles (2,000 sq km) of snowy communities. It derives its (7.5-km) long valley,
mountains and forests along
the 6,560-ft (2,000-m) ancient character from 9,845 ft (3,000 m)
Qionglai range. The preserve’s
headquarters are at Wolong the surviving original above sea level in
town, a knot of buildings
that includes a research base cross-shaped street the foothills of the
and a panda breeding center,
with accommodations right at plan with high stone snowcapped Min
the foot of the mountain
ranges where wild pandas walls and its north, mountain range.
are said to roam. Pandas are,
however, more likely to be south, and east gates. Deposited minerals
seen in the outdoor pens at
the center, housing the 60- Walled-in courtyards in from the river
odd captive animals which
have been either brought in front of the South Gate descending the
sick or raised here.
were once the “customs valley have created 12
Wolong’s two hiking trails,
at Yingxiong and Yinchang area” for searching Lantern at the east terraced pools and
Canyons, are meant strictly caravans coming gate, Songpan calcified cascades,
for competent hikers. Ask for
local advice on conditions, into town. Min whose yellow rocks
and consider hiring a guide
from the preserve head- Jiang, bisecting Songpan’s give Huanglong (Yellow
quarters. Although visitors
may not see any pandas center, is crossed by the Dragon) its name. Of the four
– rare even on these trails –
they may get acquainted with covered Gusong Qiao, the nearly-ruined temples, the
the pandas’ habitat, besides
seeing some of Wolong’s Ancient Pine Bridge whose Huanglong Temple, at the
40-odd resident bird species.
two-tiered roof is decorated valley’s upper end, has a

with carved animals. Song- statue of Huanglong’s patron

pan’s two large mosques, one saint, and hosts an annual tem-

in the center of town and the ple fair featuring a horse race.

Calcified terraces in Huanglong

370 THE SOUTHWEST

Jiuzhai Gou Tour y TIPS FOR WALKERS

ONE OF CHINA’S MOST SCENIC reserves, Getting around: buses are
Jiuzhai Gou (Nine Stockades Gully) included in admission. Hiking
covers 240 sq miles (620 sq km) follows roads and boardwalks.
of mountain valleys dotted with Nuorilang is a convenient base.
Tibetan villages. Beneath the snow-capped When to go: Avoid summer
Mandarin mountains, the valley floors are strung with weekends. Sep–Oct has
duck almost 100 extraordinarily blue lakes, said autumnal colors and fewer
to be the broken slivers of the Tibetan crowds. Winters are well below
goddess Semo’s mirror. Broad waterfalls, heavily freezing with deep snow.
encrusted with lime deposits, connect many of
the lakes. Aside from herds of yaks, birds are the
most evident wildlife, including rare mandarin
ducks; a panda sighting is unlikely.

Zharu Temple 1 SAIGON
This small temple, its
interior adorned with Jiuzhai Gou
bright murals, is looked
after by just two monks. •

2 1 Nuorilang Falls 3
6 Jiuzhai Gou’s most renowned
Shuzheng Zhai 2 43 cataract is best seen in full flood
A Tibetan stockaded village, in late spring, when the water
replete with Buddhist foams wildly in multiple ribbons
shrines and water-powered
mills, sits halfway along a over its stony outcrops.
string of deep blue pools
and reed beds. Pearl-Beach Falls 4
Water tumbles down a calci-
fied slope, spraying pearl-like
drops on its rocky ridges.

Primeval Forest 5
An atmospheric coniferous
forest at the far end of the
reserve is far from crowds.

0 kilometers 4 4
0 miles
5
KEY

Tour route
Other road

Long Lake 7 7 Five-colored Pool 6
This pool is not only Surrounded by a fringe of ferns and
the largest, but also dark woods, this pool’s kingfisher-
the highest in the blue depths are enhanced by green
park, sitting at 10,170 algae in the shallows, and milky-
feet (3,100 m). white swirls that seep in after rain.

SICHUAN & CHONGQING 371

The debris-laden Hailuo Gou Glacier descending the southeastern slopes of Gongga Shan

Luding u bridge is flanked on either side Kangding o

143 miles (230 km) W of Chengdu. c by gateways, while a museum

THE SMALL MARKET town of on the river’s far side exhibits
Luding is surrounded by
mountains above the banks of contemporary photos. 31 miles (50 km) W of Luding. c
Dadu Jiang. The 328-ft (100-m)
Luding Chain Bridge over from Xin Nan Men Station, Chengdu.
the Dadu, comprising 13 iron
chains spanned by wooden Moxi Xiang & Hai- LYING BETWEEN China and
planks, was built in 1705 to luo Gou Glacier i Tibet, the frontier town of
improve transportation through Kangding is a bustling trading
the region. The Luding Chain 28 miles (45 km) SW of Luding. c depot situated in a valley on
Bridge became a national icon Treks organized by hotels. the Zhepuo River. During the
in May 1935 due to an incident Qing era, the town developed
during the Long March (see THE TINY TOWN of
p256). The Nationalist forces Moxi Xiang, with its on the tea trade between
had removed the bridge’s large Qiang population, Tibet and China and was
planks to trap the Red Army the place where porters,
on the south side of the river, carrying leaves com-
but “22 Heroes” clambered pressed into “tea bricks,”
along the chains and managed
to capture a Nationalist camp is a staging post for trek- would exchange their
on the opposite side. The king up the adjacent wares for Tibetan

The historic Luding Bridge, Hailou Gou (Conch goods such as wool
flanked by two gateways
Valley) to the Hailou and copperware.

Gou Glacier, whose Ethnically, the region

tongue, at 12,205 ft is inhabited largely

(3,720 m), makes it by the Khampa, a

the lowest and most Tibetan people

accessible glacier in Moxi’s early 20th- whose heavy tur-

Asia. Moxi’s wooden century church quoise jewelry, for-

church sheltered the ward manners, and

Red Army in 1935, before they habit of carrying knives match

attempted crossing the passes their traditional reputation for

over Daxue Shan – Great toughness. The central Anjue
Snow Mountain – during Lamasery is a focus for the

which a third of the army Khampa community. The
died (see p256). The glacier town also has a handful of

descends the southeastern Qiang, Hui, and Han Chinese.

side of Sichuan’s highest peak, To the southeast, Paoma Shan

the 24,790-ft (7,556-m) Gongga (Horse Race Mountain) is the
Shan. The three-day return venue for the Buddha Bathing
trek passes rhododendron Festival, where the Khampa
forests before reaching the demonstrate their equestrian
glacier’s snout, blackened by skills during horse races.
debris. Its upper reaches com- Heading west from Kangding,
prise tumbled blocks of blue- it is 311 miles (500 km) to the
green ice, while a hot spring fringes of Tibet, with a worth-
mixes with icy glacial streams while stop at Dege town and
to provide pools for bathing. its Scripture Printing Lamasery.



THE SOUTHWEST 373

YUNNAN

LOCATED ALONG China’s The province’s capital, Kunming,
southwest frontier, Yun- is one of the more relaxed
nan offers an unmatched cities in China; nearby are the
diversity of landscapes, astonishing rock formations
climate, and people. The of the Stone Forest (Shi Lin).
Tibetan highland frames its Several minority villages
northwestern fringes; trop- dot the tropical forests of
ical rainforests and volcanic Xishuangbanna, while in the
plains lie to its south. In the center north, Dali is home to the
are plains and hills, crisscrossed by
some of Asia’s great rivers – the indigenous Bai people. Farther north
Yangzi, Salween, and Mekong. is the UNESCO World Heritage Site of
Lijiang, capital of the Naxi Kingdom,
The seat of the pastoral Dian with cobbled streets and ancient archi-
Kingdom founded in the 3rd century tecture. Tiger Leaping Gorge, an
BC, Yunnan was for centuries an iso- impressive, steep-sided ravine, offers
lated frontier region that resisted Han superb, accessible two-day hikes.
influences and upheld local identities.
Even today, the province is home to a Kunming is well connected to the
third of China’s ethnic minorities and rest of China, but the bulk of the
has much in common with neighboring province has only limited train
Myanmar, Laos, and Vietnam. services. Bus travel is necessary to
access most of Yunnan.

SIGHTS AT A GLANCE

Towns & Cities Areas of Natural Beauty, Tengchong 7

Dali & Er Hai 5 Islands, & Mountains Tiger Leaping Gorge

Jinghong 3 Baoshan 6 pp394–5 0

Kunming 1 The Stone Forest pp378–9 2 Xishuangbanna 4

Lijiang pp390–1 9

Ruili 8

Zhongdian q 214q~ a n gzi
0 213
M ekong • Daguan
Salween Y •Zhenxiong

• Zhaotong

Fugong • Huize •

9
~
Jianchuan •

Eryuan • Yongren • Dongchuan
•

Er Hai

5 Dayao • Wuding
Xiaguan• k
• • Qujing

• Nanhua
7 6~ Weishan
•

320 Fengqing Chuxiong • 1
•~ k 2•
• • Shizong
Luxi • ghe
Lis Shuangbai Lunan
Jian Yuxi
Fuxian •Mile iang Guangnan
Hu
214 •
213
~8 • Wanding •
Nanpan J
Nanding He • Lincang Tonghai •

Kaiyuan • 323 Funing

KEY Shiping • Yanshan • •

• Yuan JianGgejiu • • Wenshan

k International airport Shuangjiang Mengzi •

~ Domestic airport MekongPu’er • • Pingbian
Simao Jinping •
•

National highway

Major road • 3 VIETNAM
Railroad
International border Menghai k4 Mengla
Provincial border
•

MYANMAR 0 km 100

LAOS 0 miles 100

9th-century Qianxun Ta (right), the oldest of the three elegant pagodas (San Ta) on the outskirts of Dali

374 THE SOUTHWEST

Kunming 1 of goods. Splayed out in

colorful rows at the huge pet

market are a wealth of bird,

THE CAPITAL OF YUNNAN PROVINCE, Kunming fish, and animal species,
rests at 6,500 ft (2,000 m) above sea level. while the antique and curio

Its clement weather and floral wealth have booths sell souvenirs such as
earned it the nickname “City of Eternal Spring.” tai ji quan swords, jewelry,
An ancient city that first came to prominence old coins, bamboo pipes, and
as part of the Nanzhao Kingdom (see p388), Cultural Revolution mementos.

Kunming had grown into a thriving city with a E Provincial Museum
Sutra Pillar, cosmopolitan character by the 13th century.
City Museum Kunming is fast becoming indistinguishable Corner of Dongfeng Xi Lu & Wuyi Lu.
§ (0871) 361 1548.

from the redeveloped metropolises found throughout # 9:30am–5pm daily. &
The second floor of this
the country, but it is still considered one of China’s more museum houses splendid
laid-back cities, with lakeside vistas just to the south. bronze drums (see p423)

excavated from tombs on the

shore of Lake Dian and dating

back more than 2,000 years to

the Warring States and

Western Han periods. The

drums are embellished with

relief dioramas, largely

showing typical scenes of

rural life, although there are

also wrestling scenes, a

dramatic image of an ox

battling a tiger, and a strange

picture of a bamboo house

transformed into a coffin. The

most ornate of the drums

were used to store cowry

Modern high-rise architecture has come to dominate Kunming’s center shells, then a form of cur-

rency. The others served

Y Cui Hu Gongyuan in the pond. A new Thai-style as musical instruments or

67 Cui Hu Nan Lu. # daily. hall behind holds a marble elements in sacrificial rites.

Northwest of the city, this statue of Sakyamuni, donated Even today, bronze drums

park has pavilions and by the King of Thailand. At play an important role at

bridges, and its lotus-filled the back of the temple is a weddings, festivals, and

ponds are visited by migrant cliff cut with steps allowing a funerals for some of Yunnan’s

red-beaked gulls in winter. view of religious poems and minority groups. Another hall

Just west of the park, the old sayings carved into the rock. holds bronze and wooden

French Legation now holds Buddhist statues from various

temporary exhibitions. To the ( Bird & Flower Market periods. Upstairs, an exhibi-

northwest is the university The many stalls lining the tion on pre-history displays

district, with its student cafés. crammed alleyways off Jing- human remains and plaster

xing Jie sell an eclectic variety models of armored fish.

t Yuantong Si

30 Yuantong Jie. § (0871) 517 2881.

# 8am–5:30pm daily. &

At the foot of Yuantong Hill

lies Yunnan’s largest Buddhist

complex and a popular pil-

grimage spot. Renovated and

rebuilt many times, it has an

imposing Ming gateway, while

a bridge over the central pond

crosses through a Qing-era

pavilion. Enshrined here is a

6-ft (3-m) golden statue of

Maitreya Buddha. Behind the

pavilion, the Ming-dynasty

Great Hall of the Buddha has

two wooden dragons on its

main pillars, referring to a

legend that the temple was

built to pacify a dragon living Pavilions on the fish-filled waters of Cui Hu Gongyuan

YUNNAN 375

P Muslim Quarter p Xi Si Ta VISITORS’ CHECKLIST

Kunming’s last old street lined Dong Si Jie. # 8am–5:30pm &

with shops selling raisins, The 13-storied Tang-era Xi Si 208 miles (335 km) SE of Dali.

pita bread, and wind-dried Ta (Western Pagoda) has * 3,900,000. k Kunming

beef, Shuncheng Jie, statues in the niches of Wujiaba Airport. £ Kunming

constitutes what’s left of each story. Close by, Dong Train Station, North Train Station.

the old Muslim Quarter. Si Ta (Eastern Pagoda) c Kunming Bus Station,

The Nanchang Qingzhen is a more attractive Western Bus Station.

Si, the city’s 400-year-old replica standing in a n 285 Huancheng Nan Lu,

mosque which once garden. Although (0871) 356 6666.

stood on Zhengyi Lu, visitors cannot enter

was demolished the temples associ-

several years ated with both of General Gao Ming. Seven

ago, and a Barbecuing lamb, pagodas, a small fee tiers swarm with lively images
garish modern Muslim Quarter permits entry into Xi of guardian gods and captive
replacement, faced demons, and at the top is a
Si Ta’s courtyard,

with white tiles and topped where people come to relax ring of Buddhas holding up

with bright green domes, was on sunny afternoons. the universe. On the upper

erected in its place. More floors are bronze drums, a dis-

interesting than the new E City Museum play on Kunming, and five

mosque are the alleyways 71 Tuodong Lu. § (0871) 315 3526. locally-found dinosaur skele-

that surround it, packed # 10am–5pm Tue–Sun. & tons, including an allosaur and

with shops selling religious Though less interesting than a Yunnanosaurus robustus.

accoutrements such as skull- the Provincial

caps and images of Mecca. Museum, this

The noodle makers in the museum houses a

small Muslim cafés are few relevant artifacts.

fascinating to watch as they The most striking is

toss dough, teasing it out into the Song-dynasty

ever-increasing numbers of Dali Sutra Pillar, a

strands. Numerous stalls sell 20-ft (7-m) sculpture

mouthwatering lamb kabobs in pink sandstone,

sprinkled with cumin. Nearby commissioned by the

another mosque lies between Dali king, Yuan

Huguo Lu and Chongyun Jie. Douguang, in honor Skeleton of Dilophosaurus, City Museum

KUNMING CITY CENTER HUANCHENG

Bird & Flower Market 3 North Train Jin Dian
Station
BEI LU
City Museum 7

Cui Hu Gongyuan 1 YUANTONG
PARK & ZOO

Muslim Quarter 5 WENLIN J ECUI HU XI LU I 2
Provincial Museum 4
YUANTONG JIE HUANCHENG
Xi Si Ta 6 1 BEIJING LU
Panlong Jiang
Yuantong Si 2 Western Bus QINGNIAN LU
Station
XI LU DONG LU
Lake Dian & REN M I N X I L UDONGFENG RENMIN DONG LU
the Western Hills, RENMIN
Qiongzhu Si ZHONG LU

0 meters 800 GUANGHUA NANPING LU DONGFENG DONG LU
0 yards 800 JIE

4 53UWUYI LU JINGXING JIE

KEY JINBI LU BEIJING LU TUO DONG LUCHUNCHENG LU

£ Train station 6 SHU DONG JIE 7
c Long distance bus station DONGSI JIE
n Tourist information t Dong Si Ta N HUANCHENG NAN LU
N Post office n

t Temple Kunming c
U Mosque Bus Station

Kunming Train £ Kunming
Station Wujiaba Airport

376 THE SOUTHWEST

produce clay figures of the

500 arhat or luohan (those

freed from the cycle of birth

and death) for the main

building. Today, these

sculptures are the highlight

of the temple, though at that

time they were regarded

as so distressing that Li

Guangxiu was forbidden

from ever working again.

Along one wall a set of

snarling, outlandish figures

– one with arms longer than

his body, another with

eyebrows to his knees – ride

foaming waves swarming

with sea creatures. Elsewhere,

The double-eaved Jin Dian, entirely made of bronze three shelves of figures depict

Buddhist virtues and faults.

t Jin Dian t Qiongzhu Si Many aspects of human life

7 miles (12 km) NE of Kunming. 7 miles (12 km) NW of Kunming. and folly are depicted in

c No. 6, 71, 76 from Kunming’s c from Kunming’s Western bus these beautiful characters:

North Train Station. # daily. & station. # 10am–10pm daily. & reaching for the moon,

Well-kept flower gardens and The Tang-era Qiongzhu Si playing with a pet monster,

leafy pine woods are reason (Bamboo Temple) was yawning, debating, and eating

enough to visit this secluded burned down and subse- a peach. While Li Guangxiu’s

spot in the city’s northeastern quently rebuilt in the 15th skill at rendering facial

suburbs. However, the park’s century. Today, this elegant expressions and gestures

ostensible focus is the Jin Buddhist structure, with fine makes these figures unique,

Dian (Golden Temple) black and red woodwork, many are thought to be carica-

located on top of its central stands on Yuan-dynasty tures of his contemporaries,

hill. Built in 1671 as the foundations. Besides housing probably the reason they

summer residence of the Qing three impressive Buddha were so disliked at the time.

rebel general, Wu Sangui, this statues, the temple is famous Also worth a glance is a

unusual two-tiered shrine is for its dazzling array of life- 14th-century stone tablet,

made entirely of bronze. Its size clay sculptures, created housed in the main hall. It

overall construction imitates over ten years toward the end records imperial China’s

the more conventional of the 19th century by a dealings with Yunnan in

wooden temples, with supremely talented Sichuan Chinese and Mongolian

screens, columns, and flying sculptor, Li Guangxiu. The scripts. A good vegetarian

eaves. Just over 20-ft (6-m) sculptor and his five assistants restaurant lies within

high and weighing nearly were commissioned to the temple grounds.

300 tons (272,155 kg), the

temple sits atop a base of

Dali marble and is almost

completely black with the

patina of age. In the court-

yard stand ancient camellia

trees, one of which is 600

years old. The main hall, with

bronze lattices, beams, and

statues, houses two magical

swords used by Daoist war-

riors. Fragrant with camellias,

the gardens here serve as

popular picnic spots. Visitors

can either take a bus or hire a

bike to reach the base of the

hill, from where it’s an easy

hike uphill to the temple.

Situated on the hill behind

Jin Dian is another Daoist

shrine with a tower that

houses a 14-ton (12,700-kg)

bronze bell. Dating to 1432, it

was retrieved from Kunming’s

demolished southern gates. An aerial view of the extensive Qiongzhu Si (Bamboo Temple)

YUNNAN 377

Haigeng Park viewed against the expanse of Lake Dian

} Lake Dian & the Western Goddess of Compassion. It is summer palace for a 14th-
Hills well known for its garden of century Mongolian prince. It
camellias and magnolias, and was converted to a Daoist
c from Kunming. # daily. & excellent views. Another 20- shrine in the 18th century.
minute walk up the hill leads
The 25-mile (40-km) long to Sanqing Si, a complex of Just half a mile away is the
Lake Dian (Dian Chi), just temples, halls, and pavilions, Dragon Gate Grotto, a set of
south of Kunming, is lined which formerly served as a chambers, steps, and tunnels
with fishing villages and is excavated from the mountain.
very pretty, especially along its A picturesque pavilion with a The mammoth construction
hilly western and flat eastern pond and garden, Taihua Si task, which involved swinging
shores. Plying the waters of the from ropes and hacking at the
elongated lake are fanchuan, rock with chisels, was begun
traditional junks with bamboo by the late 18th century monk
masts and square canvas sails, Wu Laiqing, and took 70 years
used for fishing. Daguan to complete. Worth exploring
Pavilion on the north shore along the way are niches with
has good views of the area, several fantastic statues,
while a few miles south is including those of Guanyin
Haigeng Park with green and the Gods of Study and
willows and eucalyptuses. Virtue. A cable car runs from
near Sanqing Si to the summit
The most rewarding way to at Grand Dragon Gate, a
see the lake is from the balcony perched at 8,200 ft
Western Hills (Xi Shan), about (2,500 m), from where there
10 miles (16 km) southwest of are fine views over Lake Dian.
Kunming. The undulating
contours of the “Sleeping THE BURMA ROAD
Beauty Hills” are said to
resemble a reclining woman For 1,500 years, the southern Silk Route ran through
with tresses flowing into the
lake. The path leading to the Yunnan, across Burma, and into India, traversing thick
summit holds a treasury of
temples. Visitors can either jungle and bandit-ridden mountains. In the 1930s, the
climb up or take a minibus.
The first temple, a mile (2 km) Chinese government, driven west by the invading
from the entrance, is Huating
Si. Designed originally as a Japanese, reopened the route to use as a supply line into
country retreat for Gao
Zhishen, who ruled Kunming China from Burma. The 684-mile (1,100-km) road was built
in the 11th century, it has
been rebuilt several times. by 300,000 laborers, with primitive tools, and connected
The attractive gardens, dotted
with stupas and ponds, contain Kunming with the British
interesting figures, including
the four fierce-looking Guard- railhead at Lashio in Burma.
ians of the Directions, the
gilded, blue-haired Buddhas, After the beginning of World
and a set of 500 arhat.
War II, it became a strategic
From Huating Si, a steep,
winding road leads deep into lifeline for the Allied troops,
the forest for 1 mile (2 km) to
Taihua Si, established by Xuan bringing in food, arms,
Jian, a wandering Chan (Zen)
Buddhist monk in 1306, and and medical supplies. Provi-
dedicated to Guanyin, the
sions arrived by rail from

Rangoon, and were then

trucked to China on this

route. After the Japanese

occupied Lashio in 1942,

another road, built under the

command of US General

Stilwell (see p351), linked

Ledo in India to the Burma The Burma Road in the 1930s,

Road at Bhamo. snaking through the hills

378 THE SOUTHWEST

The Stone Forest 2

CELEBRATED AS A NATURAL wonder, the limestone pillars . Wangfeng Ting 3
of the Stone Forest (Shi Lin) are Yunnan’s most Many of the paths lead to the
visited sight. The bizarre, tightly-packed formations, some central Peak Viewing Pavil-
as tall as 100 feet (30 m), have been given imaginative ion, a good meeting point,
names such as “Rhinoceros Gazing at the Moon” and with views over the forest to
“Everlasting Fungus.” Resembling a petrified forest, the help you gain your bearings.
area is shot through with winding pathways, ponds, and
look-out points. So popular is this place that the central
paths can get clogged with tour groups. Head to the
edges of the forest to find a quiet corner, but keep in
mind that it is easy to get lost in this otherworldly
landscape. For a more ethereal experience, spend the
night and explore when it’s deserted and eerily lit.

Xiao Shi Lin 1
The Minor Stone Forest, a smaller rock cluster to the north
of the main forest, is a little quieter. Each evening Sami
minority dances are performed at an amphitheater here.

Fluted shape created
by retreating water

Ode to Plum Blossom 2 SHI LIN’S FORMATION
Many of the rocks are cut
with calligraphy, including Fossils found in the area
one of Mao Zedong’s most reveal that Shi Lin was
loved poems, executed in his underwater during the
elegant flowing script. Permian period, 270 million
years ago. The retreating sea
THE SAMI left a limestone seabed that
has been eroded since by
The area around Shi Lin is home to A Sami tour guide, wind and rain into today’s
the Sami, one of the many subgroups posing at Shi Lin weird, twisted shapes.
of the Yi minority. Spread throughout
the Southwest, the Yi have their own STAR FEATURES
written language, with six dialects,
and numerous tracts on medicine, . Wangfeng Ting
history, and the genealogy of ruling
families. Much of Yi society was . Jianfeng Chi
feudal well into the 20th century, and
some groups still practice shamanism.
The Sami are known for their em-
broidery, widely available at Shi Lin,
and many local Sami work at the
forest as tour guides and dancers.

YUNNAN 379

VISITORS’ CHECKLIST

75 miles (120 km) SE of
Kunming. § (0871) 771 9006.
£ c # 24 hours daily.
& = 8 _ Torch Festival
(end of the sixth lunar month).

. Jianfeng Chi 4 Sharp edge
This ornamental pool is ringed by jagged or karren
ridges. A narrow walkway runs from here
across the top of the forest.

Wife Waiting for
Husband 5
This formation, reminiscent
of a woman waiting
impatiently, sits in the quiet
area right at the back of the
forest, on the route of the
overhead walkway.

The wavy shapes
and thin edges were
created by chemicals in
standing water dissolv-
ing the limestone.

PLAN OF SHI LIN m

1 Xiao Shi Lin 2 m1

2 Ode to Plum Blossom m5

3 Wangfeng Ting

4 Jianfeng Chi LOTUS
POND
5 Wife Waiting for = m

Husband

Entrance SHI LIN 3
HU 4
KEY m
LION
Path POND
Road
= Shop 0 meters 500
m Restrooms 0 yards 500





382 THE SOUTHWEST

ENVIRONS: Located 20 miles

(30 km) southeast of Jinghong,

Ganlanba makes a good base

for exploring the surrounding

area. In the southeast of town,

the Dai Minority Park is a

collection of refurbished Dai

villages, with traditional bam-

boo and wood houses raised

on stilts. Near the park’s

center stands the 700-year-

old, gilded Wat Ben Pagoda.

The town’s main attraction,

however, is its picturesque

setting in lush jungle beside

the Mekong River. Several

cafés here offer advice on

walks and bike rental.

The popular Sanchahe

Dai women selling vegetables in a busy market, Jinghong Elephant Reserve, 30 miles

Jinghong 3 (50 km) north of Jinghong, is
Located in the west of town, home to a herd of 50-or-so

off Jinghong Xi Lu, is the wild elephants. Visitors are

lovely Tropical Flower & not allowed to wander off the

420 miles (690 km) SW of Kunming. Plant Garden, a must-see paths without a guide. Raised
* 363,000. k c n Luandian Lu, for anyone interested in the treetop walkways allow for
incredibly diverse flora of the observing the wild elephants,
(0691) 212 4479. region. It is bursting with a while a chairlift provides a

THE TROPICAL REGION of wealth of tropical plants – real bird’s-eye view. Near the
Xishuangbanna, in the over 1,000 species – quite southern entrance is a bird

far south of Yunnan, a few with labels in and butterfly zoo. The

resembles its neigh- English. In the early reserve’s frequent elephant

bors, Myanmar and afternoon, tour groups displays are best avoided,

Laos, more than are entertained by since the animals are coaxed

dynamic modern vibrant displays into performing with spears.

China. Jinghong, of traditional Dai A visit to Banla Village,

its sleepy capital, dancing. A promi- 24 miles (38 km) west of

was founded in the nent statue of Jinghong, is the most acces-

12th century by the Zhou Enlai (see sible way to experience Hani

Dai warlord Budding plant, Tropical p250) commem- culture (one of the four sub-

Dazhen. It is today Flower & Plant Garden orates a summit he groups of Xishuangbanna Dai).

an incongruous mix held here with the The village is attractive with

of concrete architecture and Burmese leader U Nu in 1961 typical Dai houses overlooking

palm-lined streets. With an to defuse border tensions. rice terraces and tea planta-

attractively torpid pace of life, tions. Besides dance recitals

it is an ideal introduction to t Manting Wat held at the village hall, visitors

the region and its indigenous Manting Lu. # 8am–7pm daily. & can also see the distinctive

Dai culture (see opposite). Y Tropical Flower & Plant Hani dress, with embroidered

Manting Wat, situated Garden tunics, silver breastplates, and

southeast of the city center, 28 Jinghong Xi Lu. # daily. & ornate headdresses.

is Xishuangbanna’s largest

Buddhist temple. Built entirely

of wood and raised off the

ground on stilts, it has a sim-

ple interior, with vivid frescoes

illustrating Buddhist themes.

Next door is a school where

Dai boys learn Buddhist lore.

Behind the temple, Chunhuan

Park, once the quarters for

royal slaves, is a lush place

with numerous resident pea-

cocks. There are several paths

leading across the tiny river to

replicas of temples and pago-

das. A shop here sells live fish

for people to release into the

river and thus gain merit. The lush Tropical Flower & Plant Garden, Jinghong

Pavilion in the midst of Black Dragon Pool backed by majestic Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, Lijiang

YUNNAN 383

The Dai

IN CHINA, THE DAI people live practiced in much of the rest of
in the lush lands of China, and speaking their own

Xishuangbanna. Once language with its own script.

spread as far north as the Known as skillful farmers,

Yangzi Valley, the Dai were the Dai have always

driven south during the 13th Silver elephant- flourished in fertile river basins,
century by Mongol expansion, shaped brooch growing rice, sugar cane, rubber

and are now found throughout trees, and bananas. Dai cuisine is

Thailand, Laos, Myanmar, and well worth trying, with sweet flavors not

Vietnam. The Dai in all of these found elsewhere in China. Rice is

countries share a similar culture, steamed inside bamboo or pineapple,

following Theravada Buddhism rather and exotic specialties include ant eggs

than Mahayana, the Buddhist school and fried moss.

Traditional Dai homes are made of Dai women
bamboo and raised on stilts, with the traditionally wear a
livestock penned underneath and sarong or long skirt,
generations of the same family living above.
The well outside will likely have a shrine a bodice, and a
over it, water being sacred to Dai culture. jacket. Hair is tied

up, fixed with a
comb, and often
ornamented with
flowers. Gold-capped
teeth are considered
attractive and mar-
ried women wear
silver wrist bands.

Many Dai men have Markets in rural Dai homelands offer the only
impressive tattoos of opportunity for some to buy products they can
animals, flowers, geometric not produce themselves. Huge social occasions
usually held on a Monday, they attract villagers
patterns, or Dai script. for miles around. A lot of hard bargaining –
Traditionally, when a as well as gossip and flirting – goes on.
boy reaches 12 years,
he has his torso and
limbs decorated.
This rite of passage
has largely died out
in mainstream Dai
culture, but it is still
undertaken in some
very rural areas.

WATER SPLASHING FESTIVAL

Originally a solemn Buddhist rite celebrat- Yunnan’s Water Splashing Festival a celebration
ing the defeat of a demon, Poshui Jie, the in mid-April, usually the 13th to the 16th
Water Splashing Festival, is today a joyous
and hedonistic carnival. Water is liberally
hurled at friend and stranger alike, and
becoming thoroughly drenched is seen
as fortuitous. The festival also features a
massive market on the first day; dragon
boat racing, fireworks, elephant and
peacock displays on the second; and the
biggest drenching of all, along with much
singing and dancing on the third.

384 THE SOUTHWEST

Xishuangbanna 4 trip in itself, it’s interesting

as Xishuangbanna’s Miao

center (see pp406–7).

IN CLIMATE AND CULTURE, the subtropical far
south of Yunnan, Xishuangbanna, feels a part Y Botanic Gardens
of southeast Asia. Much of the area is primeval Menglun. # 8:30am–6pm daily. &
rainforest, the last left in the country, and home
to a huge diversity of flora and fauna, including Y Bupan Aerial Walkway
a third of China’s bird population. A third of the
19 miles (30 km) N of Mengla.
# 8:30am–6pm daily. &

population is Dai (see p383); another third is

made up of the numerous other minorities. WEST TO MYANMAR

Most of the population lives in small villages

and the area’s appeal lies in the opportunity Western Xishuangbanna is less
developed than the east, with
Bai woman to hop between towns, explore the country- rougher roads and sketchier
at market side by bike, and trek through the jungle. transport. The many fascinating

villages inhabited entirely by

heal wounds, as well as bam- minorities, however, make the

boo and ancient cycad groves. rigors of travel worthwhile.

Stay the night, in the small Sprawling Menghai is

hotel within the gardens. unremarkable, but useful as a

Leaving the farms behind, base for exploring villages and

the road to Mengla travels the countryside by bike. It’s

through a great tract of thick renowned for its pu’er tea and

tropical jungle, the largest of hosts a lively Sunday market.

Xishuangbanna’s five wildlife The monastery at Jingzhen

preserves, which gives way to is known for its busu, an

rubber plantations. Mengla octagonal pavilion for

itself is a rather drab and delivering sermons. The

unattractive town. main temple has

A short taxi ride north of beautiful decorative

Mengla, the Bupan Aerial wall paintings. A bit

Walkway, a chain of farther on at

Pillar-like palm trees at slender bridges 130 Mengzhe,

Menglun’s Botanic Gardens feet (40 m) in the the hilltop

tree canopy, allows Manlei Si is a

EAST TO LAOS for unrivaled views bizarre-looking,

of the jungle below. frilly octagon

It’s another 9 miles built in the 18th

This route travels through (15 km) to the Yao century, which holds

cultivated flat lands and minority village of Picking pu’er tea, an important collection

then highland forest to the Yaoqu. There’s a outside Menghai of sutras written on

Laotian border, which you hostel, and from here palm fiber. Xiding,

can cross, provided you have it is possible to trek into some an attractive Hani village, holds

the required visa. very remote regions – you’re a large Thursday market.

The small settlement of advised to hire a guide. Gelanghe is dominated by

Manting, a few miles east Shangyong is the last village the Hani, whose women wear

of Ganlanba (see p382) is full before the Laos border and elaborate silver headdresses. A

of traditional wooden Dai though not really worthy of a sub-group, the Ake, who wear

houses. The town’s Fo Si and

Du Ta are excellent recon-

structions of 12th-century

temples destroyed in the

Cultural Revolution.

Three hours east by bus lies

Menglun, a dusty couple of

streets beside the Luosuo Jiang.

The superb Botanic Gardens,

across a suspension bridge on

the opposite bank. were set up

to research medicinal uses of

local plants. With over 3,000

different species, there’s plenty

to see, even for the not-so-

botanically minded, including

the celebrated Dragons’ Blood

Trees whose sap is used to Life of the Buddha wallpaintings, Jingzhen monastic complex

YUNNAN 385

Manfeilong Ta, supposed to being met at the border as and villages of the Dai, Hani,
part of an official tour. The Bulang, and Lahu minorities.
resemble emerging bamboo shoots cross-border market, which Hire a guide and be careful
attracts hill tribes and not to stray off the path into
their long hair in braids, live Burmese traders, makes the Myanmar. From Damenglong
in a settlement just north of trip to this outpost worth it. it’s 6 miles (10 km) to the Dai
town on the way to the lake. village of Manguanghan,
DAMENGLONG TO then a further 8 miles (13 km)
Heading south towards BULANG SHAN to the Bulang village of
the border, Menghun is a Manpo, which makes a good
sleepy town with a huge Damenglong, 44 miles (70 place to spend the night. The
Sunday market, beginning km) south of Jinghong, comes next day is a 14-mile (22-km)
at dawn and over by noon. alive on market days and is a tramp through heavy jungle
Most participants are Dai, popular spot for trekking and on winding paths to Weidong.
but you will also see Hani temple hopping. On the way, The next day is an easy hike of
and Bulang. There’s also a it’s worth stopping at Gasa to 6 miles (10 km) along the road
rather run-down 19th-century explore Manguanglong Si, a to Bulang Shan, which offers
monastery in town. monastery with a lovely rudimentary accommodations
dragon-shaped stairway. and a daily bus to Menghai.
The border town of Daluo is
the end of the line for western- Manfeilong Ta is a half-hour TIPS FOR EXPLORERS
ers who are not allowed to walk north of Damenglong
travel to Myanmar, unless and its nine graceful spires Getting around: Cars with
make it the most impressive of drivers are available in Jinghong.
the local temples. Built in 1204 Local buses are frequent along
to enshrine what is purported main roads. Bikes can be hired
to be Buddha’s footprint, It from cafés in the touristed areas.
is popular with Buddhist Trekking: Numerous trekking
pilgrims and is the center of organizations are based in
festivities during the Tan Ta Jinghong. A guide is recom-
Festival in late October or mended for jungle treks. This is
early November. Another a sensitive border region – do
Buddhist monument, Hei Ta, not walk unguided near the
is rather run-down, but set in Myanmar border. Take plenty of
a very pleasant location. water, sunscreen, a raincoat, a
hat, and a first aid kit.
The walk to Bulang Shan Accommodation: Basic accom-
is a simple, well-established modation is available in most vil-
three-day walk along the lages, sometimes in locals’ homes.
Nana Jiang and its tributaries,
passing through dense jungle

0 kilometers 30

Sanchahe 0 miles 30
Nature
Mekong Reserve

•

Mengzhe • Jingzhen Jinghong Luo suo Jiang
Menglun
• •(Lancang Jia LAOS
•
Xiding • • •

Menghai Banla
Gasa•

Menghun • • • Manting

Gelanghe n • Ganlanba

g)

Daluo Yaoqu

• •

Nana Jia Bupan
• Aerial
Bulang Shan ng Walkway

• • Damenglong

• Weidong

•

• Manguanghan Mengla •

Manpo

KEY M YA N M A R

East to Laos

West to Myanmar LAOS • Shangyong
Damenglong to Bulang Shan

International border

386 THE SOUTHWEST

Dali & Er Hai 5 E Dali Museum

SANDWICHED BETWEEN Er Hai to the 125 Erhe Nan Lu. # daily. &
east and the Cang Shan range to
the west, the picturesque little town Just inside Nancheng Men,
the Dali Museum was origi-
“Dali” inscribed at of Dali draws innumerable visitors. nally the mansion of the Qing
South Gate The old town, surrounded by the governor, and later served as
remains of the Ming city walls, is the headquarters of Du Wen
Xiu, leader of the 1856
characterized by cobbled lanes and stone houses. In the Muslim Uprising. It is worth
visiting for its tranquil court-
nearby countryside, numerous Bai villages offer a glimpse yards, filled with bougain-
villea and lantana. The huge
into traditional culture, and are particularly interesting bronze bell hanging outside
in a pavilion came from the
on market days. Other activities include hiking in the old Bell Tower. Inside, the
most interesting relics are a
mountains, and watching traditional cormorant fishing collection of Buddhist fig-
urines from the Nanzhao
on Er Hai. The best time to visit is during the Spring Kingdom (see p388), and
statues of serving girls and
Fair, when hundreds of Bai come for five days of bare- an orchestra excavated from
a Ming-dynasty tomb. A hall
back horse racing, wrestling, dancing, and singing. at the back houses copies of
scroll paintings, including one
depicting the founding of the
Nanzhao Kingdom.

Looking north over the city’s rooftops from Nancheng Men p San Ta

Exploring Dali to the Dali Museum, once 1 mile (2 km) NW of Dali. &
Dali’s old town center, just 1.5 signalled the close of the city
sq miles (4 sq km) across, can gates each evening. Farther The distinctive San Ta (Three
be explored in a single morn- north along Fuxing Lu, the Pagodas) that symbolize Dali
ing. It takes about half an square outside the library is a once stood within the monas-
hour to walk from the South popular venue for a game of tery of Chongwen Si, destroyed
Gate to the North Gate across cards or dominoes. Still farther during the Qing dynasty. A
town. There is plenty to is the quiet Yu’er Park, full of 20-minute walk or short bus
interest visitors, from small fruit trees and ponds, while ride north of town, the
souvenir shops to teahouses tucked away in the streets to pagodas are best visited early,
and traditional masseurs. its north is Dali’s Catholic before the tour buses arrive.
Crowds of shoppers and church, with a Tang-era tiled The 16-tiered, square-based
farmers also arrive here for roof and painted gables. Qianxun Ta is the tallest of
the weekly Friday market. the three at 230 ft (70 m), and
The best vantage point is at is also the oldest, dating to
the top of Nancheng Men around AD 800. Each tier is
(South Gate), from where embellished with fine marble
there are views to Er Hai figures. Buddhist relics
and Cang Shan. including sutras (scriptures),
copper mirrors, and gold
ornaments were found during
a renovation in 1979, and are
displayed in a museum
behind the pagodas. The two

P Huguo Lu & Fuxing Lu The Dali Museum, set in picturesque grounds
Running east-west through
the center of town, Huguo Lu,
nicknamed Foreigners’ Street,
is full of guesthouses and cafés
that serve pizzas and cappu-
ccinos. Most of the old town’s
sights lie along the main
north-south artery, Fuxing Lu.
The Drum Tower, lying close

YUNNAN 387

VISITORS’ CHECKLIST

261 miles (420 km) NW of
Kunming. * 500,000.
~ Xiaguan Airport, 18 miles (30
km) from Dali. £ to Xiaguan,
then 30-min by bus to Dali.
c n 48 Cangshan Lu, (0872)
213 3197. _ Spring Fair (15th
day of the 3rd lunar month –
April or May).

The splendid San Ta just north of town main road. Originally built in
the Ming-era, the temple has
smaller octagonal pagodas Qianxun Ta read “subdue for- been reconstructed and serves
were built in the 11th century, ever mountains and rivers.” both Daoists and Buddhists.
and are 138 ft (42 m) high. As The views from here over the
well as serving as reliquaries, t Zhonghe Si lake and town are superb.
they were built to appease Locals offer horse trips farther
the gods and thus gain W of Dali. & up the mountain, and for the
protection against natural ambitious, there is a 6-mile
disasters. The characters Situated an hour’s walk from (9-km) hike along a stone
inscribed in front of the town, Zhonghe Si can be path to Wuwei Si, where
reached by heading past the monks study tai ji quan.
Lijiang small bridge to the north of Visitors can stay the night
Dali into the cedar and before heading back.
• Shaping eucalyptus woods at the foot-
hills of Zhonghe Feng. From t Guanyin Si & Gantong Si
• Zhoucheng
here, zigzag paths lead up Approx 3 miles (5 km) S of Dali.
the mountain to the
temple. An easier Dedicated to the Buddhist
approach is via the Goddess of Compassion,
chairlift from the Guanyin Si sits at the foot
of Foding Shan. It has a color-
0 km 5 ful new entrance, and within
the grounds are fine wood
0 miles 5 and stone carvings. At
the back of the temple, a
• Wase • 2-mile (3-km) path leads
Xia Putuo uphill to Gantong Si.
Xizhou Alternatively, you can hike
the spectacular 7-mile
Er Hai (11-kilometer) Jade Belt trail
from Zhonghe Si. Once
Gantong Si was the largest
shrine in the area. Today,
despite only two partially-
restored halls surviving, the
temple remains impressive.

Wuwei Haidong •
Si

t
g
Can San Ta t Caicun •

Zhonghe a• Dali Jinsuo
Si • Xiadui Dao

ta

Zhonghe Guanyin Si t Yinsuo
Feng Dao

n t Xiaguan
a Airport
h Gantong
S Si

KEY Foding Xiaguan Er Hai Park
a Chairlift Feng (Dali Shi) •
•

Kunming

t Temple Baoshan A bustling market at one of the
many towns around Dali
Lincang

388 THE SOUTHWEST

variety of local produce and

livestock, besides delicious

wild honey, condiments, and

traditional Bai clothing. The

scale, bustle, and color make

this one of the great high-

lights of the area.

On the eastern side of the

lake, Wase village is a maze

of narrow back lanes. It has

a simple government guest-

house and its own Monday

market, which is less touristy

than the one at Shaping.

Boats return to Dali from

Haidong, 6 miles (10 km)

south of Shaping.

A fisherman and his cormorants in Er Hai’s jade waters, Dali

} Er Hai numerous minibuses, which Baoshan 6

# daily. & congregate just outside Dali’s

Located 2 miles (3 km) east of North Gate, can easily be

Dali, Er Hai (Ear Lake), a flagged down as they hop 75 miles (120 km) SW of Dali.
symbol of natural fecundity from village to village. ~ from Kunming. c from

to the Bai, is named after its Lying 12 miles (20 km) Kunming, Tengchong & Ruili.

shape. The 25-mile (40-km) north of Dali, Xizhou

long lake has numerous was an important mili- THE GARRISON TOWN of
ferry services and is tary outpost during the Baoshan was an important

home to 50-odd Nanzhao period. Today, staging post on the southern

species of fish. Any it has about 90 signif- Silk Road to India, as early as

café in Dali can icant Bai mansions with the 5th century BC. Even

arrange a tour on rooms arranged around though it attracts fewer visi-

the lake; most trips a courtyard. Most lie tors today, the town still

usually involve visits northeast of the central retains some of its old charm,

to small temples, or square, and one of visible in its interesting tradi-

excursions to scenic them has been con- tional architecture, and its

spots on the eastern verted into the pleasant taste for commerce with

shore. Visitors can also Tianzhuang Hotel. specialty items ranging from

accompany a cormorant A few miles northeast of salted duck, coffee, and tea,

fisherman (see p418) and Xizhou is Zhoucheng, the to leather boots and silk.

watch the trained birds largest lakeside Bai Just west of the town

catch fish. A variety of village with several tie- center, the scenic Taibao

tour boats, from big, dye cottage industries. Just Shan Park is an excellent

virtual floating pago- A Bai woman north of here, place for a leisurely stroll.
das for large groups, from Shaping Shaping is a sleepy Near the park’s entrance is
to smaller craft, leave the three-tiered Ming-dynasty
village that transforms

from Caicun on Er Hai’s into an indigenous metropolis Yuhuang Pavilion, with

western shore. every Monday, when it hosts slanted pillars supporting a

Tours usually take in Jinsuo a huge market. On sale are a small octagonal dome. It is

Dao, across the lake near its

eastern shore. Once a summer THE NANZHAO KINGDOM
retreat for Nanzhao royalty, it

is now home to a fishing vil- In the 8th century, the Bai unified under a

lage. Farther north lies Xia ruthless prince, Pileguo, who vanquished his

Putao, a tiny rocky crag with rivals by inviting them to a banquet and

a Buddhist temple. setting fire to the tent. He then founded

At the southern tip of the the Nanzhao Kingdom, with Dali as its

lake, Er Hai Park was once a capital. The city’s strategic location, in a

royal deer ranch during the valley shielded by mountains, helped

Nanzhao Kingdom. A lush protect it against two attacks by invading

path leads up to a peak, Tang armies, and established its control over

which offers splendid views. the southern Silk Road trade. At its zenith,

P Surrounding Villages the kingdom stretched across Southwest
China and into Burma and parts of Vietnam.

Dotting the shore of Er Hai It survived until the 13th century, when the

are several villages worth Great Mongol Kublai Khan founded the Nanzhao
exploring, especially on Yuan dynasty. figurine
market days. One of the

YUNNAN 389

west off Yinjiang Xi Lu, high, and beside it is the smal-
where Burmese traders, ler Heikong Shan, only 262-ft
distinctive in their (80-m) high, but over 328-ft
sarongs and sandals, (100-m) deep. Steps cut into
frequent the Burmese the rock lead into the crater.
Teahouse. Most are Just 7 miles (12 km) southwest
involved in the gem and of Tongcheng, Rehai or “Hot
jade trade, but be wary Sea” is an area of geothermal
of their goods unless you springs, popular among the
are an expert. Just west Chinese who throng here for a
of town, Laifeng Shan bath in the mineral-rich water.
Park is a pine forest
criss-crossed with paths. } Dakong & Heikong Shan
Near the top of the hill,
Laifeng Monastery is # daily. &
now a museum and holds
exhibits on local history. } Rehai

# 24 hr daily. &

Typical tropical forest broadleaf trees, Y Laifeng Shan Park Ruili 8
Taibao Shan Park
# 8am–7pm daily. &

flanked on either side by ENVIRONS: The sights out of 80 miles (125 km) SW of Tengchong.
octagonal bell kiosks. town are best visited on a ~ from Kunming. c
Close by is the Ming-era tour, which can be arranged

shrine Yufo Si, housing by any large hotel in Tong- RUILI, ON THE Myanmar
several jade Buddhas. At cheng. Heshun, 2 miles border, is in every way a

the summit, Wuhou Si is (4 km) west of town, was frontier town – slightly exotic,

a commemorative temple founded in the Ming with a touch of the illicit.

with a huge bearded dynasty and is as pretty Although much Burmese hero-

statue of the Daoist as a postcard. Funds in passes through here, and

sage and strategist from thousands of gambling and prostitution are

Zhuge Liang former residents now rife, the town should not

(AD 181–234), seated living abroad have necessarily be avoided as the

between his ministers. kept the traditional presence of Burmese traders,

courtyard houses, and Dai and Jingpo minorities

Y Taibao Shan Park ornate pavilions, make it one of the most

Baoxiu Lu. # daily. & and gardens in an intriguing places in southwest

Zhuge Liang’s excellent state of China. An interesting jade and

Tengchong statue, Wuhou Si repair. One of the gem market lies in the north of
7 finest buildings is town, parallel to Nanmao Jie.

the wooden library, which The town really comes to life at

was built in 1928. night, when gambling and food

105 miles (168 km) W of Baoshan. c As a result of its fragile fault- stalls are set up in the back
lines, the entire region is dotted streets. Numerous hotels adver-

ATHRIVING SETTLEMENT during with volcanoes, dry lava beds, tise tours into Myanmar, often
the Han era, Tengchong geysers, and hot springs. The to watch transvestite shows,
prospered from the Silk Road most impressive of the 100- but the frontier is closed to all

trade. Today, a remote back- odd small volcanoes lie 12 foreign visitors, except those

water, it has preserved more miles (20 km) north of town. being met by Burmese offi-

of its traditional wooden Dakong Shan is 820-ft (250-m) cials for a pre-arranged tour.

architecture than neighboring

Baoshan. Set amidst jungle,

volcanoes, and hot springs,

Tengchong is also a major seis-

mic zone, having experienced

70 earthquakes since records

began in the 16th century.

In the north of town, on

Guanghua Lu, stands the

imposing British consulate

established in 1899. A mix of

Victorian and Chinese architec-

ture, the derelict structure is to

be converted into a museum.

Along western Guanghua Lu

is the main market, held

every morning. Tengchong’s

most charismatic alleys run Lush Tengchong countryside, with hills in the background

390 THE SOUTHWEST

Street-by-Street: Lijiang 9

SET IN A PICTURESQUE valley with a stunning
mountain backdrop, Lijiang’s Old Town,
Dayan, is a labyrinth of cobbled alleys lined

with wooden houses, cafés, and the work-

shops of traditional craftsmen. Home to

the Naxi people, Dayan is one of the most

pleasant urban scenes in China. Lijiang came

Maize to international attention in 1996 when an A typical narrow street in the
drying earthquake killed over 300 people and center of the Old Town
devastated the city. Money poured into
Heilong Tan
Dayan’s relatively sensitive reconstruction, and numer- Gongyuan

ous hotels as well as an airport were built. In 1999,

Lijiang was made a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Water Wheels DONG
Heralding the
entrance to DAJIE
the Old Town, HE
these water
wheels are YU
ornamental.
Lijiang once had
numerous mills.

Nightly XINHUA
performances
of Naxi music are
held at the Naxi
Music Academy.

JIE

Kegong Fang
This distinctive tower is
the center of celebrations
during the Sanduo Festival
which honors the Naxi’s
protector deity Sanduo.

JOSEPH ROCK 0 meters 100
0 yards 100
An eccentric Austrian botanist, Joseph Rock lived in Lijiang
between 1922 and 1949. He gathered over 80,000 plant speci- KEY Suggested route
mens, pioneered the use of photo-
graphy in the field, and wrote STAR SIGHTS
reports for National Geographic.
He was a defender of Naxi culture . Mishi Xiang
and compiled the first dictionary of . Sifang Jie
the language. His entourage was
huge, and included cooks, hun-
dreds of mercenaries, and servants
to carry such dubious necessities
as his gramophone, gold dinner
service, and collapsible bathtub.

Joseph Rock (right) with the

Prince of Choni, 1925

LIJIANG 391

VISITORS’ CHECKLIST

316 miles (527 km) NW of
Kunming. * 1,100,000. ~
c South Bus Station and North
Bus Station. _ Bangbang Festival
(15th day of 1st lunar month),
Sanduo Festival (8th day of 2nd &
8th lunar month), Horse Fair (7th
lunar month). n CITS, Xianggeli
Dadao, Lifang Plaza, 3rd Floor,
(0888) 516 0371. & to Dayan.

View of the rooftops of Dayan from Wangu Lou

The canals are helpful if
you get lost. Walk against

the current to head
towards the water

wheels.

XINYI
JIE

WUYI . Mishi Xiang
JIE With a canal babbling beside it, this is
one of Dayan’s most charming streets.

Locals stop for a drink from the well
here, outside the Blue Page
Vegetarian restaurant.

OLD TOWN CENTER

The old town is a cobweb of
narrow cobbled alleyways,

criss-crossed with canals, and
free of traffic. It’s extremely
pretty, and very popular. If
you want to escape the
crowds head off into the
alleys away from the major
tourist routes, where local
people still live.

GUANGYI JIE

Mu Fu Yu He runs south . Sifang Jie
Wangu Lou from Heilong Tan Though it’s always busy with tourists,
(Black Dragon Pool), Market Square is still at the heart of
north of Dayan. Lijiang. Naxi gather here to play
cards and chat. Local men who enjoy
falconry often display their hawks.

392 THE SOUTHWEST

Exploring Lijiang and Beyond promiscuous pantheism. Baisha

is home to the Daoist physician

SHIZI SHAN (LION HILL) DIVIDES the Old Town (Dayan) Dr Ho, made famous by travel
from the New Town, where most hotels and other writer Bruce Chatwin. He will

amenities can be found. There are a few sights just south doubtless track you down and
of Dayan, on Shizi Shan, and clustered around Heilong offer his tonic herb tea in
Tan (Black Dragon Pool), north of Dayan. The country- exchange for a small donation.
side surrounding Lijiang is dotted with Naxi hamlets,
many of which have interesting temples. Some of these Beiyue Si in the village of
can be reached by bicycle; otherwise by a short bus trip. Yulong a couple of miles
north of Baisha is dedicated
to the protector deity Sanduo,

depicted with a white hat and

Dongba Research Institute, spear. The temple has been

in the southwest corner of the managed by the same family

park, is an academic institution for almost 1,000 years.

for the preservation of Naxi Built in 1756, the small lama-

culture – there are about thirty sery Yufeng Si is 8 miles (13

dongba shamans here, study- km) northwest of Lijiang at the

ing and translating Naxi reli- foot of Snow Mountain. A huge

gious texts. In the north of the ancient camellia tree produces

park stands a set of halls trans- thousands of flowers each

ported during the 1970s from spring and is cared for with

what was once Lijiang’s biggest impressive dedication by the

monastery, Fuguo Si. The monks. A Naxi orchestra often

grandest is the 66-ft (20-m), practice here in the afternoon.

triple-roofed Wufeng Lou The magnificent mountain

(Five Phoenix Hall), built range Yulong Xue Shan

in 1601. The Museum dominates the country-

of Naxi Culture, by side surrounding Lijiang.

Wangu Lou, a perfect vantage the park’s north gate, To access this mountain

point for viewing Dayan holds exhibitions on that was first scaled in

Naxi dress and customs. the 1960s, you’ll need to

p Wangu Lou either join an organized

Shizi Shan. # 7:30am–7pm daily. & ENVIRONS: Baisha, a tour or hire a taxi. From

Standing at the highest point in sleepy village 6 miles the entrance of the main

Lijiang, this 108-ft (33-m) pavil- (10 km) north of Lijiang, scenic area there are

ion is accessible from either was, until Kublai Khan’s Red chilies two chairlifts to points

the old town or from Minzu invasion, the capital of drying above the snow line.

Lu on the west side of the the Naxi Kingdom. Today The first takes you to

hill. A recently-built, four-story there’s little evidence of its past the gruesomely named Love

edifice with huge wooden importance except for two Suicide Hill; the second,

pillars, it offers superb views grand temples. The first, at the Asia’s highest, takes you

overlooking the old town. village entrance, stands 14,750 ft (4,506 m) up to

neglected, but the second, the a ridge with amazing views

P Mu Fu Liuli, just north of it, holds of glaciers. Watch out for

SW of the Old Town. # daily. & some well-preserved 14th- altitude sickness, and don’t

The Mu were Lijiang’s ruling century frescoes that exhibit a bother if it’s foggy.

family up to 1723 and the

mansion they built for them-

selves at the south end of the

Old Town contained over 100

buildings. Destroyed by the

Qing, the residence was built

after the earthquake on the

ruins of traditional housing in

Han, Naxi, Bai, and Tibetan

architectural styles.

Y Heilong Tan Gongyuan The jagged peaks of Yulong Xue Shan (Jade Dragon Snow Mountain)

Xin Dajie. # 7:30am–6pm daily. &

On the northern edge of town,
Black Dragon Pool Park is
stunningly picturesque with the
elegant Deyue Lou placed at
the center of a carp-filled pool,
and backdropped by the peak
of Yulong Xue Shan (Jade
Dragon Snow Mountain). The

LIJIANG 393

The Naxi

THE NAXI MINORITY, numbering a boulder; a “male stone” a pebble.
about 278,000, live in Sichuan The script, called Dongba, consists

and Yunnan, with Lijiang as their of about 1,400 pictograms and is

spiritual capital. Descended from the only hieroglyphic writing sys-

Tibetan nomads, the Naxi lived Dongba tem still in use. The Naxi religion,
pictogram
until recently in matriarchal also called Dongba, is polytheistic,

families, though local rulers were and mixes elements of Daoism and

always male. There are strong Tibetan Lamaism with older animist

matriarchal influences throughout Naxi beliefs. The main Naxi deity is Sanduo,

society and in particular in the Naxi a protector war god depicted in white,

language. For example, nouns become carrying a white spear and riding a

superlative when the word “female” is white horse. He is celebrated twice a

added and diminutive with the addition year with the sacrifice of a goat and,

of “male.” A “female stone,” therefore, is of course, much singing and dancing.

Naxi society’s
matriarchal nature
results in the women
controlling businesses,
but also doing most of the
work. Inheritance passes
through the female line to
the eldest daughter. Naxi
men are expected to while

away their time as
gardeners or musicians.

Traditional shawls have an
upper blue segment which
represents night, a lower

sheepskin band to represent
daylight, and small circles

recalling the stars. Two circles
on the shoulder areas depict

the eyes of a frog, an
ancient Naxi deity.

Dongba sorcerers, are invited Naxi music is unique – a
to chant scriptures at weddings, combination of Daoist rite,
funerals, on New Year Day,
and at festivals. A few of these Confucian ceremony, and
shaman survived the purges of literary lyrics, played on
the Cultural Revolution and are venerable instruments such
training a new generation in as the flute, reed pipes, lute,
ancient Naxi ritual. and zither.

This page of pictographic
Dongba script is from the
Naxi manuscript “Sacrifices
to the High Deity.” It is one
of numerous Dongba
documents translated by
Joseph Rock (see p390).

394 THE SOUTHWEST

Tiger Leaping Gorge 0

THIS POPULAR TREK follows the roaring Bendiwan
Jinsha Jiang’s route through one of A tiny village with superb
China’s deepest gorges, supposedly views, Bendiwan has numer-
named after a tiger escaped hunters by ous guesthouses and is a con-
leaping it at its narrowest point. With venient place to overnight 10
Arrows mark the peaks on either side reaching an average miles (16 km) from Qiaotou.
upper path of 13,000 ft (4,000 m), the gorge makes

for a thrilling trek. The 18-mile (30-km)
trail along the ridge is well marked, though at times
arduous, and passes through rustic hamlets which allow
visitors to rest up amid beautiful countryside. The walk
can easily be completed in two days, but many hikers
decide to stay an extra night. If time is tight, daylong
bus tours from Lijiang head into the gorge along the lower
road, which currently runs as far as Walnut Grove.

. Views of the Gorge
Starting at the Qiaotou end of the
gorge provides magnificent views
right from the start. The peaks of
Jade Dragon Snow Mountain rise
far above Jinsha Jiang, the River
of Golden Sands.

A short diversion down a
steep, winding trail leads
to Longdong Waterfall.

The 24 Bends Jinsha Jiang
When coming from Qiaotou,
the 24 Bends are the Yongsheng •
toughest part of the trail
and consist of rather
more than 24 gruelling
switchbacks. Some hire
horses at Nuoyu
for this part
of the trip.

Qiaotou •
Relatively new
lower road

Farms at Nuoyu
The lovely village of Nuoyu is
just two hours from Qiaotou.
A few guesthouses here offer

dorm beds and meals, as
well as horses.

STAR SIGHTS

. Views of the Gorge

. Walnut Grove

YUNNAN 395

VISITORS’ CHECKLIST

62 miles (100 km) NW of Lijiang.
c from Lijiang to either Daju or
Qiaotou; last bus from Daju to
Lijiang at 1:30pm. & for access
via Daju, and ferry crossing.

Goat The “new” ferry
Flocks of goats have crossing is
stripped much of 4 sometimes closed.
the slopes clean Check at Walnut
of flora. Grove or Daju
before departing.
Original
ferry Traditional Tibetan buildings at
crossing Ganden Sumtseling Gompa

• Daju Zhongdian q

4 WALKING 119 miles (198 km) NW of Lijiang.
• ~ c 3 to 5 hrs from Lijiang.
Dabai n Changzheng Lu, (0887) 822 5657.

THE GORGE TOUTED AS THE TRUE Shangri-la
(the city’s name was offi-
The upper trail follows the cially changed to Xianggelila in
2002), Zhongdian is the capital
peaks between Qiaotou and of Diqing Tibetan Autonomous
Region and worth visiting if
Daju, either of which can be you’re not able to visit Tibet.
The ramshackle town filled
used as a starting point. Both with blocky architecture does
not quite live up to the para-
Bendiwan and Walnut Grove are about dise billing, but there is an in-
teresting section of traditional
a day’s walk from either end, so make Tibetan buildings to the south
of town. Just north is the
good spots to overnight. Don’t attempt largest Tibetan monastery in
the Southwest, Ganden Sumt-
the trek on your own, or in heavy rain or thick seling Gompa (Songzanlin Si),
home to over 600 monks. It
mist. Landslides do occur in the area so be wary, was built by the fifth Dalai
Lama almost 400 years ago,
especially after the rains in July or August. destroyed during the Cultural
Revolution, and re-opened in
0 kilometers 3 3 KEY 1981. Head to the roof for stun-
0 miles ning views over Zhongdian.
4 Ferry crossing
Follow the path down to Major road
the Jinsha Jiang to judge for Minor road
yourself whether any animal Path
could have made this jump.

. Walnut Grove ENVIRONS: There are plenty
This quiet village of terraced fields, walnut trees, and stone of possible trips out into the
and timber houses is 14 miles (23 km) from Qiaotou and countryside – geographically,
a great place to rest up. The views of the gorge’s narrowest part of the Tibetan plateau –
section are not to be missed. to Baishui Tai, for example,
a set of limestone terraces, or
to Bita Hai, an emerald lake
and home to many endangered
species. These trips are best
arranged with local agencies,
who can also set up a trip into
Tibet – it takes about a week
to reach Lhasa by four-by-four.