China city guide 3

The Lantern Festival (also called Yuanxiao Festival) is on the 15th day of the first Chinese lunar month. According to the custom, people start to prepare for the celebration of Lantern Festival to be held on the 14 th day of the first Chinese lunar month. Two of the most important things are lanterns and sweet dumplings (called Yuanxiao in Chinese).

Sanxingdui Museum is located in Northeast of Sanxingdu archeological site, west of the famous cultural city of Guanghan, on the bank of Jian River (commonly called Yazi River), 40 kilometers (about 24.9 miles) north of Chengdu City. Covering an exhibition area of 4,000 square meters (about 1544.4 square miles), and opened in October 1997 this is an archeological museum with excellent modern facilities. The cultural relics in the museum were mostly unearthed from the Sanxingdui site. In order to know about the museum we should know more about the Sanxingdui site.

Sanxingdui is a cultural relic of the ancient Shu (Sichuan). It is an important archeological discovery which changed the people’s understanding of ancient history and culture. If you want to visit a place to know more about Chinese Shu (Sichuan) culture, make it this one, for the civilization shown by the cultural relics can be called a true wonder.

Chengdu cuisine has three categories, Sichuan Cuisine, Hotpot, and Snack.

Sichuan CuisineSichuan cuisine has developed over the centuries. Its distinctive flavors entice people throughout China and recently in foreign countries.

Sichuan cuisine is famous for piquancy, but its flavoring is complex as well as hot. Typical dishes include the following:

Ma Po’s Bean Curd (Bean curd with mince and chili oil): one of the most influential flavors of Sichuan cuisine, served in every Sichuan restaurant. Chen Ma Po’s Bean Curd Restaurant at No. 197, West Yulong Street serves the most delicious and local one. For hundreds of years, Ma Po’s Bean Curd has been popular among people all over China, even throughout the world.

Gong Bao Ji Ding (Spicy diced chicken with peanuts): a specialty of Sichuan cuisine, diced chicken, hot pepper and peanuts.

Yu Xiang Rou Si (Fish Flavored Shredded Pork): fish-flavored dish in the unique style of Sichuan cuisine. Ingredients include shredded pork, agarics, bamboo shoot and carrot. The delicious dish has no fish but has the flavor of fish.

Hui Guo Rou Pian (Twice Cooked Spicy Pork Slices): A traditional Sichuan dish. The tasty pork slices are fried crisp without greasiness.

Famous Sichuan Restaurants:
Piaoxue Sichuan Cuisine Restaurant: No. 10, Qintai Road
Shizilou Restaurant: No. 55, Shuanglin Road
Baguo Biyi: No. 20, Fourth Section, Renmin South Road

Hotpot
When people think of Chengdu, they immediately think of hotpot. Introduced from Chongqing, Chengdu hotpot has its own style ranging from simple spicy to moderate, three or four kinds of spices, as well as fish head hotpot, medical herbs hotpot, etc.

Huangcheng Laoma Restaurant: an old-fashioned hot pot restaurant, regarded as No. 1 among Chengdu hotpot restaurants. It is situated at No. 20, Qintai Road, Qingyang District, Chengu. A worthy representative of Sichuan culture and diet, Huangcheng Laoma offers hotpot, plus stunning entertainment — a Changing Face opera performance/shadow play.

Shizilou Restaurant: another old-fashioned hotpot restaurant, offers hotpots with half spicy and half light soup. It has several branches in Chengdu, one located at No. 2, Wannianchang Road, Chenghua District.

Tanyutou Restaurant: near Qingyang Palace at No. 227, Qingyang Zhengjie, Qingyang District, branches all over the country. Its delicious specialty, fish head, differs from that of other restaurants.

Snacks
Hidden in the streets and lanes of Chengdu, snack bars still send out savory flavors.

The most renowned snacks include:
Fu Qi Fei Pian (Braised Cow Lungs): Actually beef, heart and tongue take the place of lungs. This tasty dish is made with particular condiments using a delicate process.
Specializing in this dish, Jingcheng Yuan Restaurant is located at No. 23, Zongfu Road, center of Chengdu.

Chuan Chuan Xiang: also called Ma La Tang, vegetables, sausages, shrimps and anything edible can be threaded onto a bamboo stick and cooked in the hot pot.

Lai Tang Yuan (Lai’s Glutinous Rice Ball): the nutritious glutinous rice ball made by Lai (Surname of the maker) is soft and sweet.
With more branches than McDonald’s, Lai Tang Yuan is easy to find in Chengdu.

Long Chao Shou (Long Wonton): with thin skin and tender stuffing, the savory snack is popular among locals and tourists. There are several branches in Chengdu:
Chunxi Road Branch: No. 8, South Section of Chunxi Road, Jinjiang District
Huanhua Branch: No. 9-3, Huahua North Road, Qingyang District
Zhixin Branch: No. 1-14, Zhixin North Street, Wuhou District

Western Food Restaurants:
There are dozens of KFC restaurants in Chengdu, including:
Zongfu Restaurant: Floor 2, No 21-27, Zongfu Road
Renmin Road Restaurant: Renmin Shopping Mall, Chengdu
Chunxi Restaurant: Chunxi Mension, No.1-21, Da Kejia Lane

Tens of McDonald’s Restaurants, including Chunxi Restaurant: Wangfujing Shopping Mall, Chengdu

 

When to Go
Leshan City has distinct seasons, abundant rainfall due to its location in the mid-subtropical zone. Moreover, influenced by the southeast monsoon and southwest monsoon, Leshan has a mild climate with an annual average temperature between 16.5C (61.7F) - 18C (64.4F). And because its rainy season and hot season are in the same period, remember to bring appropriate clothing to avoid the rain and sunburn.

Generally speaking, the best time to visit Leshan City is spring and summer. But in the Mt. Emei Scenic Area, tourists can visit in all seasons, especially in summer when one can prevent sunstroke in the mountain as well as in winter when it is possible to ice-skate at Mt. Emei Ski Resort. Also, other places of interest around Leshan City can be visited in all seasons.

In Leshan there are two main scenic areas which were included in the China World Cultural and Natural Heritage List in 1996. These two scenic areas are the pride of Leshan residents.

Cultural Relics

Leshan Giant Buddha Scenic Area
The world-famous Leshan Giant Buddha is carved into the western river cliff face of Lingyun Mountain overlooking the confluence of the Min, Qingyi and Dadu rivers. This classic statue is of great religious significance and was created in the belief that it would influence the turbulent waters of the rivers and protect shipping. It stands as a great tribute to the skills of the stone carvers who created it and is part of a long tradition of religious stone-carving works. The so called ‘Giant Sleeping Buddha’ lies across Wuyou Mountain, Lingyun Mountain and Guicheng Mountain and it is a marvelous natural spectacle. When viewed from Leshan dock, the outline of the Giant Sleeping Buddha can be clearly seen. The man-made Leshan Maitreya Buddha can be seen seated at the heart of the Giant Sleeping Buddha.

When you are in Leshan Scenic area, many other scenic spots await your patronage: the Oriental Buddha Park located among Leshan mountain ranges is a themed park featuring joss stone inscriptions; Lingyun Temple on Lingyun Mountain; Mahao Cave-Tomb Museum in Leshan contains China’s earliest joss stone inscription; Wuyou Mountain is where the head of the Giant Sleeping Buddha is located and many pavilions have been built here.

Giant Sleeping Buddha: It  is a natural wonder formed by Wurou Mountain, Lingyun Mountain and Guicheng Mountain. This Buddha lies on his back at the junction of the Min River, Qingyi River and Dadu River with his head towards the south and feet towards the north.

Wurou Mountain forms the Buddha’s head; the base of the hill forms his hair worn in a bun; Jingyun Pavilion forms his eyelashes; and the crown of trees on the peak constitutes his forehead, nose, lips and jaw. The Buddha’s body is made up of nine peaks along Lingyun Mountain as his massive chest, waist and strong legs. His turned-up feet are formed by the southern slope of the Guicheng Mountain. The most stunning view is from across the Minjiang River showing the Leshan Giant Buddha seated at the heart of the Giant Sleeping Buddha. It is a marvelous spectacle and imparts the idea of ‘the Buddha existing within Buddha’.

Seen from the Leshan dock in the east of the ancient city of Leshan, the outline of the giant Buddha is very clear. It seems like a dignified Buddha peacefully sleeping on his back. The lifelike shape surrounded by beautiful mountain and waters offers a feast to the eyes. 

Natural Landscape

Mount Emeishan Scenic Area
Mt. Emei is located to the southwest of Leshan City and is one of China’s four mountains sacred to Buddhism. It is regarded as the ‘wonderland of celestial being’ and many scenic spots here are worthy of a visit.

Four Scenic Regions: These are the Baoguo Temple, Wannian Temple, Qingyin Pavilion, and Golden Summit. From the Golden Summit, tourists can experience the magic of the ‘Buddha Rays’ which can be viewed between 14:00 to 18:00 during fine weather in autumn and winter. When you climb Emeishan Mountain, you will find dangerous paths, steep rocks, surprising springs and waterfalls. These all may give you the feeling that your journey is as difficult as reaching for the sky. However, you are sure to be delighted by the flocks of monkeys on Mt. Emeishan as they are very lovely and well-mannered. When the tourists give food to them, they pick it up turn and turn about and never squabble to be first.

The snow scenery on Mt. Emeishan is very attractive as winter arrives. Unlike on other mountains, in winter the trees on Mt. Emeishan remain green. That’s the highlight! Another highlight must be Mt. Emei Ski Resort (Leidongping Ice -skating Recreation Site) which is located at the ropeway area under the golden summit. The surrounding environment is fairly good and the Italian ski equipment provided caters for the needs of those who enjoy winter sports. For those who like skiing, this is really an excellent resort. It is normally open from October until March, and each January the grand ‘South Ice-Snow Festival’ takes place here.

In ancient times Leshan was known as Jiazhou and was reputed as the place ‘Where there is the most beautiful landscape in all Sichuan, there is Jiazhou’. It was famous for its abundance of the Chinese flowering crab-apple and long ago was given the title of ‘Haitang (crab-apple) Xiangguo (fragrant city)’. Nowadays Leshan is particularly well known as a city of National Key Tourist Attractions due to its natural landscape and wealth of cultural relics.

The city’s governance covers four districts (Shizhong District, Wutongqiao District, Shawan District, Jinkouhe District), four counties (Jiajiang County, Jingyan County, Jianwei County, Muchuan County), two Autonomous Counties (namely the Yi Minority Autonomous Counties of Mabian, the Yi Minority Autonomous Counties of Ebian) and one county-level city (Emeishan City). As there is a large cultural heritage to be found in Leshan City, it is referred to as the ‘Scholar-bureaucrat Shire’.

Leshan City is a renowned tourist resort as it boasts the ‘No.1 Buddha under Heaven’ -Leshan Giant Buddha scenic area (including the Giant Sleeping Buddha) and Mt. Emeishanscenic area which is renowned for four spectacles - Sunrise, Cloud Sea, Buddha Rays and Saint Lamps. There are many Buddhist temples in these scenic areas including Wuyou Temple, Lingyun Temple, Baoguo Temple, Hufu Temple, Wannian Temple to name but a few. Notable scenic resorts in the surrounding area are: Wutongqiao (nicknamed ‘Small West Lake’) which is an ancient waterside town located 24 kilometers (about 15 miles) south of Leshan City; Luocheng Ancient Town which is well-known for its ship like appearance located 60 kilometers (about 37 miles) northeast of Jianwei County in Leshan City. Moreover, Leshan is the hometown of Guo Moruo (1892-1978) a famous Chinese literary figure. The Former Residence of Guo Moruo located in Shawan District is also an attractive scenic spot.

Because of its advantageous location in the southwest of the Sichuan Basin, the climate here is fairly good and the two mountains Wuyou Mountain and Lingyun Mountain around Leshan City are luxuriantly green. As well as a mountainous area, aspects of the terrain take the form of a plain and an area of hills. The southwest mountain area of the Sichuan Basin has three dimensions to its climate featuring a mild winter and a relatively cool summer, with rain in both early spring and the fall. This means that the mountain area of Leshan is highly suitable for the propagation of vegetation.

Tourists coming to Leshan & Emeishan Scenic Areas will have no worries about transportation. There is Chengdu-Kunming Railway Line running through Leshan City. The sea route Leshan-Yibing-Luzhou-Chongqing is very convenient for traveling by water. Moreover, the highway network ensures convenient ways of getting to Leshan and reaching each of the scenic spots within Leshan and its environs. Whether tourists travel by road, sea or train, they will have a pleasant journey.

Daguan, which means ‘the grand view’, is the most befitting name for the park and the pavilion which are on the terminus of Daguan Road in the southwest of Kunming city, Daguan Park and Daguan Pavilion.

Daguan Park locates on the shore of Dianchi Lake and faces the Western Hills which are on the other side of Dianchi Lake. In 1682, a monk named Qianyin built a small temple here to give Buddhist lessons; eight years later, in 1690, the satrap of Yunnan Province Wang Jiwen was attracted by the beautiful natural views here and began to construct a whole park including many halls, pavilions, bonsais, rockeries, trees and porches. Daguan Park became an attraction from then on and the most famous spot among them is the Daguan Pavilion.

Like many other Chinese ancient buildings, Daguan Pavilion also had been in disarray, destroyed and restored several times because of the dynastic changes and the civil wars. The present-day square, three-storied pavilion was established in 1883. At the entrance there is the longest antithetical couplet which was written by a famous Qing Dynasty scholar named Sun Ranweng (also called Sun Ran); this couplet of 180 characters is one of the most valued cultural treasures in Yunnan Province. The first part of the couplet describes the beautiful and magnificent natural views before your sight, tell people to enjoy and treasure. The second part reviews the 2000 years’ history of Yunnan,awakens to that no matter how successful or frustrated you are, all will be in nothingness in the end.

Other sceneries like Santan Yingyue, Louwailou and Lu Garden, also beautiful places, deserve a visit. Santan Yingyue is a pool with three stone towers which divides the pool into three parts. Therefore when there is a moon in the sky there are three moons in the water; Louwailou is a stone pavilion built like a ship. Standing on it you can see Santan Yingyue on the right and the ocean of grass on the left, Dianchi Lake in front and levee behind; in the south of Daguan Park is the Lu Garden which was a private villa in 1937, with water lilies, roses, weeping willows and oleanders everywhere. Lu Garden looks like a little peaceful fairyland which is hiding in the corner of Daguan Park.

True to its name, Daguan Park and the attractions in it provide spectacular and grand views in different styles. From the sparkling Dianchi Lake to the superb Western Hills, the natural beauties create a perfect place to spend your holiday.