HIKING IN XīSHUāNGBǎNNà
Hikes around Xīshuāngbǎnnà used to be among the best in China – you’d be invited into a local’s home to eat, sleep and drink mǐjiǔ (rice wine). Growing numbers of visitors have changed this in many places, while encroaching rubber and banana plantations – some wags now refer to the region as Xīshuāngbanana – are having an increasingly deleterious effect on the environment.
It's still possible to find villages that see very few foreigners and remain pristine, but they are remote. Don't expect to roll up in Jǐnghóng and the next day to be in a village that hasn't seen a Westerner before. And don't automatically expect a welcome mat and a free lunch because you’re a foreigner.
If you do get invited into someone’s home, try and establish whether payment is expected. If it’s not, leave an offering or modest gift (ask at the backpacker cafes to find out what’s considered appropriate), even though the family may insist on nothing.
Also take care before heading off. It’s a jungle out there, so go prepared, and make sure somebody knows where you are and when you should return. In the rainy season, you’ll need to be equipped with proper hiking shoes and waterproof gear. At any time you’ll need water purification tablets, bottled water or a water bottle able to hold boiled water, as well as snacks and sunscreen.
Seriously consider taking a guide. You won’t hear much Mandarin on the trail, let alone any English. Expect to pay around ¥300 per day.
Both the Mekong Café and the Bǎnnà Cafe in Jǐnghóng can arrange treks and guides. The nearby Měiměi Café doesn’t organise treks but does have lots of details in binders so you can find your own way.
Měnglún 勐伦
%0691
East of Měnghǎn, Měnglún (勐伦) is primarily known for being home to the Tropical Plant Gardens (热带植物园; Rèdài Zhíwùyuán ¥104; h7.30am-6pm) – the largest botanical gardens in all China. To get here, turn left out of the bus station and then take the first left. Follow the road downhill, cross the first intersection and the ticket office is 100m ahead, just before a footbridge across the Mekong.
Měnglún is an easy day trip from Jǐnghóng and there is no reason to stay here. But if you want to, there are a couple of basic hotels close to the bus station and the Tropical Plant Gardens.
Chūnlín Bīnguǎn has simple but clean rooms – the cheapest have squat toilets. It's close to the Tropical Plant Gardens entrance.
From Jǐnghóng’s No 2 bus station there are buses to Měnglún (¥21, 75 minutes, every 20 minutes, 7am to 7pm). From Měnglún, there are buses to Měnglà (¥25 to ¥29, two hours, every 20 minutes, 8am to 7pm) and Jǐnghóng (¥21, 75 minutes, every 20 minutes, 7.50am to 6pm).
Měnglà 勐腊
%0691 / Pop 84,625
Měnglà (勐腊) is the first (or last) main city for travellers headed to/from Laos. It's a fast-growing place set around one long main street, with palm-tree-lined side streets and some garish orange-coloured buildings designed with local architecture in mind, but little in the way of sights.
With direct buses from Jǐnghóng to Luang Nam Tha, Huay Xai and Luang Prabang in Laos, as well as buses from Kūnmíng to Laos, there is no reason to stay in Měnglà. But there are many places along the main road in the centre of town where you can find a bed from ¥60 and up.
Buses run from Měnglà's main south bus station, about 2km south of the centre of town, to the following:
Jǐnghóng ¥50, every 30 minutes (6.30am to 6pm)
Kūnmíng ¥258, six daily, nine to 10 hours (9am to 8.30pm)
Luang Nam Tha ¥40, one daily, three hours (9am)
Měnglún ¥25 to ¥29, every 20 minutes (8am to 7pm)
Móhān ¥17, every 20 minutes (8am to 6pm)
Dàměnglóng 大勐龙
%0691
About 55km south of Jǐnghóng and a few kilometres from the Myanmar border, Dàměnglóng (大勐龙; just the last two characters, ‘Měnglóng’, are written on buses) is undergoing a minirenaissance, like much of Xīshuāngbǎnnà, and its streets are now paved. But it's still a drowsy place and, a couple of pagodas apart, is really just a staging point for hikes to the surrounding minority villages. Bear in mind that rubber plantations have made the countryside here less pristine than it once was.
1Sights
White Bamboo Shoot PagodaPAGODA
(曼飞龙塔; Mànfēilóng Tǎ ¥30)
Surrounded by jungle (watch out for stray snakes!), this pagoda dates back to 1204 and is Dàměnglóng’s premier attraction. According to legend, the pagoda’s temple was built on the location of a hallowed footprint left behind by the Sakyamuni Buddha, who is said to have visited Xīshuāngbǎnnà. If you have an interest in ancient footprints you can look for it in a niche below one of the nine stupas. The temple has been extensively renovated in recent years.
If you’re in the area in late October or early November, check the precise dates of the Dǎn Tǎ Festival. At this time, White Bamboo Shoot Pagoda is host to hundreds of locals whose celebrations include dancing, rockets and fireworks, paper balloons and so on.
The pagoda is easy to get to: just walk back along the main road towards Jǐnghóng for 2km until you reach a small village with a temple on your left. From here there’s a path up the hill, it’s about a 20-minute walk. A motor-rickshaw from Dàměnglóng is ¥10.
Black PagodaPAGODA
(黑塔; Hēi Tǎ )F
Just above the centre of town is a Dai monastery with a steep path beside it leading up to the Black Pagoda – you’ll notice it when entering Dàměnglóng. The pagoda itself is actually gold, not black. Take a stroll up and have a chat with the few monks in residence. The views of Dàměnglóng and surrounding countryside are more interesting than the temple itself.
4Sleeping & Eating
There's no reason to stay in Dàměnglóng: it's either an easy day trip from Jǐnghóng, or just a place to catch a bus onto the jumping-off point for hikes into the countryside. But new hotels are opening up close to the bus station, where you can find a bed for ¥100 and up.
There are simple restaurants and Dai barbecue places scattered throughout the village. Try the ones close to the Black Pagoda.
8Getting There & Away
Buses to Dàměnglóng (¥17, 90 minutes, every 20 minutes, 6.30am to 6.30pm) leave from Jǐnghóng’s south bus station. Remember, the ‘Da’ character (大) is sometimes not displayed. Buses for the return trip run on the same schedule.
BORDER CROSSING: GETTING TO LAOS
On-the-spot visas for Laos can be obtained at the border. The price will depend on your nationality (generally US$35 to US$40). You can also pick one up at the Laos Consulate (老挝领事馆; Lǎowō Lǐngshìguǎn %0691 221 9355; 2/F, Bldg 2, Gaozhuang Xishuangjing, Xuanwei Dadao; 宣慰大道，告庄西双景综合楼2楼 h8.30-11.30am & 2.30-4.30pm Mon-Fri) in Jǐnghóng, which is on the other side of the river on the edge of town. A taxi here will cost ¥15.
The Chinese checkpoint (%0691 812 2684; h8am-5.30pm) is generally not much of an ordeal. Don’t forget that Laos is an hour behind China.
Apart from the one bus from Měnglà to Luang Nam Tha in Laos, a daily bus also runs to Luang Nam Tha from Jǐnghóng (¥70, seven hours, 10.40am). Along with the daily bus to Vientiane from Kūnmíng (¥587, 30 hours, 6.30pm), it stops at Měnglà, but you’re not guaranteed a seat.
No matter what anyone says, there should be no ‘charge’ to cross. Once your passport is stamped (double-check all stamps), you can jump on a motor-rickshaw to take you 3km into Laos for around ¥5. Whatever you do, go early – in case things wrap up early on either side. There are guesthouses on both the Chinese and Laos sides; people generally change money on the Laos side.
Sìchuān
Chengdu
Dujiangyan
Four Sisters Mountain
Emei Shan
Le Shan
Lijiang
Y'an
Zigong
Yibin
Bamboo Sea
Kangding
Northern Garze Prefecture
Southern Garze Prefecture
The Road to Gansu
Songpan
Jizhaigou National Park
Langzhong
Sìchuān
Pop 80.8 million
Why Go?
It's fitting that an ancient form of opera and magic called biànliǎn (face-changing) originated here, for Sìchuān (四川) is a land of many guises.
Capital Chéngdū shows a modern face, but just beyond its bustling ring roads you'll find a more traditional landscape of mist-shrouded, sacred mountains, and a countryside scattered with ancient villages and cliffs of carved Buddhas. Central Sìchuān is also home to the giant panda, the most famous face in China. In the south, expect a veil of history and a muted beauty that sees far fewer travellers than the rest of the region.
To the north the visage changes again into a fairyland of alpine valleys and blue-green lakes. Sìchuān’s Tibetan face appears as you venture west. This is Kham, one of the former Tibetan prefectures: a vast landscape of plateau grasslands and glacial mountains where Tibetan culture still thrives and you’re certain to have your most challenging, yet most magical, experiences.
When to Go
AMarch-May Prime time for Chéngdū; not too humid, peach blossoms and little rain.
AJuly & August In the west in the warm grasslands bloom in technicolour and festivals abound; time for hiking in the mountains of the north.
ASeptember & October Turquoise lakes to the north offer secluded camping amid stunning autumn leaves; summer heat of Chéngdū begins to subside.
ADecember-February Northern and western Sìchuān is freezing; see iced-over waterfalls of Jiǔzhàigōu or snowy slopes of Éméi Shān.
Best Places to Eat
A Chén Mápó Dòufu
A Taste of Tibet
A Chóngqìng Yúanlǎosì Old Hotpot
A Ā Bù Lǔ Zī
Best Places to Sleep
A Hóngchún Píng
A Ancient Hotel
A Dōngpō Tibetan Homestay
A Talam Khang Guesthouse
A Tiānyī Youth Hotel
Sìchuān Highlights
1 Yàdīng Nature Reserve Making multiday pilgrimage treks around the stunning holy mountains.
2 Larung Gar Five Sciences Buddhist Academy Chatting with monks and nuns in training at Sèdá's massive Buddhist institution.
3 Éméi Shān Rising with the sun above the forested slopes at this cool, misty retreat.
4 Giant Panda Breeding Research Base Meeting China's cuddly national icon.
5 Jiǔzhàigōu National Park Camping in Jiǔzhàigōu's alpine valley through the park's ecotourism program.
6 Grand Buddha Peering over the toenails of the world’s largest Buddha statue in Lè Shān.
7 Bakong Scripture Printing Press Observing the workings of a centuries-old monastic scripture press in Dégé.
8 Four Sisters Mountain Hiking at the foot of Sìchuān's second-highest mountain and taking in the panorama from the top of the Hăizi Valley.
History
Sìchuān’s early history was turbulent. The region was the site of various breakaway kingdoms, ever skirmishing with central authority, but it was finally wrested under control and established as the capital of the Qin empire in the 3rd century BC. It was here that the kingdom of Shu (a name by which the province is still known) ruled as an independent state during the Three Kingdoms period (AD 220–80).
During the Warring States period (475–221 BC), local governor and famed engineer Li Bing managed to harness the flood-prone Mín River (岷江; Mín Jiāng) on the Chuānxī plain with his revolutionary weir system; the Dūjiāngyàn Irrigation Project still controls flooding, and supplies Chéngdū and 49 other provincial cities with water 2200 years after it was constructed. It’s one of the reasons the Sìchuān basin is synonymous with fertile soil.
Another more recent factor was the efforts of Zhao Ziyang, the Party Secretary of Sìchuān in 1975. After the Great Leap Forward, when an estimated 10% of Sìchuān’s population died of starvation, Ziyang became the driving force behind agricultural and economic reforms that restored farming output. He reinstated the ‘Responsibility System’, whereby plots of land were granted to farming families on the proviso that they sold a quota of crops to the state. Any additional profits or losses would be borne by the families. This household-focused approach was so successful that it became the national model. Sìchuān continues to be a major producer of the nation’s grain, soybeans and pork.
Catastrophe struck the region on 12 May 2008, when the Wènchuān earthquake measuring 7.9 on the Richter scale hit the province’s central region. Some sources reported it killed more than 88,000 people, as many as 10,000 of them school children, and left millions more injured or homeless. The trillion-yuan aid and rebuilding effort continues in the remote, mountainous areas. The main road linking Chéngdū with Jiǔzhàigōu took four years to reopen, and now travellers on that route will see brand-new villages rising from the rubble. In the areas surrounding the city of Wènchuān, the earthquake's epicentre, significant damage is still apparent nearly a decade on.
Language
Sichuanese is a Mandarin dialect, but with its fast clip, distinctive syntax and five tones instead of four, it can challenge standard Mandarin speakers. Two phrases easily understood are yàodé (pronounced ‘yow-day’, meaning ‘yes’ or ‘OK’) and méidé (pronounced ‘may-day’, meaning ‘no’).
Sìchuān’s other major languages belong to the Tibeto-Burman family and are spoken by Tibetans and Yi minorities. Don't expect much help from standard phrasebooks. In western Sìchuān, Tibetan dialects vary from region to region or even town to town.
8Getting There & Around
Chéngdū serves as the province's transit hub. Smooth expressways to eastern and southern Sìchuān make for short trips to many destinations, but heading north or west is a different story; many roads are in poor shape or are under construction. Weather conditions are unpredictable at high elevations, and hazards ranging from landslides to overturned semis are common.
Chéngdū Shuāngliú International Airport is the largest airport in southwest China. Several small airports in Sìchuān's furthest corners are connected to it by one-hour flights — Jiǔzhàigōu in the north, Kāngdìng in the near west, Dàochéng-Yàdīng in the southwest, and Yùshù just across the western border with Qīnghǎi province – significantly cutting travel times to these otherwise remote destinations.
Trains head from Chéngdū to major cities across China, including to Lhasa via the famous high-altitude link. High-speed trains now connect Chéngdū to Qīngchéng Shān and Dūjiāngyàn in the north, Lè Shān and Éméi Shān in the south, and on to China's other provinces in every direction.
Central Sìchuān
The province’s friendly and modern capital city, Chéngdū, is where most travellers start their Sìchuān explorations. It makes a great base for trips to the region’s top sights. The area surrounding this emerging metropolis remains dotted with quaint old villages and farmsteads. Nearby rise the lush, forested peaks of Éméi Shān, the cliffs of Lè Shān with an ancient Buddha (the world’s largest), and, hidden in the bamboo thickets, pandas; practically impossible to see in the wild, they are easy to spot in the area's reserve enclosures.
Chéngdū 成都
On the face of it, Chéngdū (成都) should be a drag. It's flat, with no distinguishing natural features. The weather is grey and hazy for much of the year. The traffic crawls. Yet, somehow, it's perennially popular. It could be the relaxing teahouse culture, with favourite local institutions serving the same brews for generations. Maybe it’s the lively nightlife, with a strong showing of local partiers bolstered by large student and expat populations. It might just be the food, famous both for heat and history even in this cuisine-rich culture. Then there are the pandas, both the live versions in the local Research Base and the p
lush, stuffed, cuddly kind for sale on seemingly every street. Who can tell?
Luckily, as Chéngdū is the transport hub for the entire region, most travellers in China's southwest pass through this way and can find out for themselves.
Chéngdū
1Sights
1Chéngdū MuseumC5
2Culture ParkA4
3People's ParkC5
4Qīngyáng TempleA5
5Wénshū TempleD3
6Wǔhóu TempleB6
4Sleeping
7BuddhaZen HotelD3
8Chengdu Dreams Travel HostelB6
9Cloud Atlas HostelD4
10Hello Chéngdū International Youth HostelE2
11Lazybones Backpacker Boutique HostelC4
12Loft Design HostelB3
13Mix HostelD3
14Mrs Panda HostelD6
15Nova Traveller's LodgeD4
16Old Chéngdū Book ClubD3
Traffic HotelD6
17ZhengFu Cao Tang Decent InnC4
5Eating
18Chén Mápó DòufuD4
19Chóngqìng Yúanlǎosì Old HotpotF4
20Lao Ma Rabbit HeadD3
21SultanC8
22Táng Sòng Food StreetD5
23Wénshū Temple Vegetarian RestaurantD3
6Drinking & Nightlife
24Beer NestD8
25BookwormC8
26Hè Míng TeahouseC5