Sichuan
One of the oldest, most important and certainly most visibly impressive monastery complexes in Kham, the remote Dzongsar Monastery sits on a sharp ridge…
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Sichuan
It's fitting that an ancient form of opera and magic called biànliǎn (face-changing) originated here, for Sichuan (四川, Sìchuān) is a land of many guises. Capital Chengdu shows a modern face, but just beyond its 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.
Attractions
Must-see attractions for your itinerary
Sichuan
The magnificent Yading Nature Reserve, 140km south of Daocheng, centres around three sacred snowcapped mountains, a holy trinity encircled by forested…
Sichuan
Le Shan’s serene, 1200-year-old Grand Buddha sits in repose, carved from a cliff face overlooking the confluence of three busy rivers: the Dadu, Min and…
Bakong Scripture Printing Press
Sichuan
This fascinating 1729 printing press houses an ongoing printing operation that still uses traditional woodblock printing methods and maintains more than…
Giant Panda Breeding Research Base
Chengdu
One of Chengdu’s most popular attractions, this panda park 18km north of the city centre is the easiest way to glimpse Sichuan’s most famous residents…
Dzogchen
Backed by mountains, the massive Dzogchen monastery complex sits halfway up a steep ridge overlooking a valley dotted with stupas, shedras (Buddhist…
Sichuan
Known locally as ani gompa (Tibetan for ‘nunnery’), Hépíng Fǎhùi is home to around 500 nuns and more than 100 monks. Lama Tsemper was a revered hermit who…
Former Residence of the 7th Dalai Lama
Sichuan
Kelzang Gyatso (1708–57), the seventh Dalai Lama, was born in a cold, dark, cave-like room in the basement of this house during a period of intense…
Articles
Latest stories from Sichuan
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Wildlife & Nature
Where to see pandas in China as it plans for a Giant Panda National ParkJun 24, 2019 • 5 min read
ArticlesThis awe-inspiring Buddha statue in China has reopened to travellersMay 2, 2019 • 1 min read
Wildlife & NatureFinding Four Sisters: secret valleys of the Sichuan HimalayaFeb 27, 2017 • 4 min read
ArticlesA steel ladder has created a safer path for cliff village children to go to school in ChinaNov 21, 2016 • 2 min read
Guidebooks
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