Chengdu
Aficionados of Chinese history will enjoy a stop here for a look at Sichuan's past through Shu-era calligraphy and painting, bronze works and ceramics,…
Must-see attractions in Sichuan
Emei Shan
According to legend, Elephant Bathing Pool (2070m) is where Pǔxián flew his elephant in for a nice scrub, but today there’s not much of a pool to speak of…
Sichuan
This temple is the tomb of local boy Zhang Fei, a respected general during the kingdom of Shu and hero of the Three Kingdoms epics, who administered the…
Sichuan
Of all the pretty villages in the hills around here, Danba tourism’s pride and joy is Jiaju, 12km northwest of town and perched at the top of a…
Sichuan
Wuyou Temple, like the Grand Buddha, dates from the Tang dynasty, and has Ming and Qing renovations. This monastery contains calligraphy and artefacts,…
Sichuan
While the first hour or so of the valley walk is on a wooden boardwalk, after that it's muddy trails through yak-filled pastures and dense forests all the…
Chengdu
Alongside Culture Park, this is Chengdu’s oldest and most extensive Taoist temple. Qingyang (Green Ram) Temple dates from the Zhou dynasty, although most…
Sichuan
Atop a massive hill to the west of Songpan, the reconstructed West Gate is also the site of the only remaining section of original city wall. It's a steep…
Sichuan
This large park houses thousands of Buddha statues and figurines from around Asia, including a 170m-long reclining Buddha, one of the world’s longest. Don…
Sichuan
This temple belongs to the Gelugpa (Yellow Hat) sect of Tibetan Buddhism and is the most active monastery in the area. Walk south along the main road,…
Sichuan
The best-preserved Qing-era imperial examination hall in China, with a number of in-character actors on hand to pose for photographs. The museum shows the…
Sichuan
This traditional 200-year-old family house has been totally renovated and turned into an interesting ethnographic museum that recreates life in a typical…
Emei Shan
Constructed in the 16th century, this temple (550m) features beautiful gardens of rare plants, as well as a 3.5m-high porcelain Buddha dating back to 1415…
Sichuan Science & Technology Museum
Chengdu
Families will love the hands-on nature of this huge museum – almost every display is of a touchy-feely nature. Labels and descriptions are light on…
Sichuan
Originally constructed in 1371 and renovated in 1767, the current version of Jinping Gate is a 2010 rebuild. Join art students sketching from the top and…
Sichuan
Looming over Kangding on the lower slopes of Paoma Shan, above the three main halls of the temple, is a path that leads on to several pagodas and another…
Sichuan
Join locals in the kora walk circling this stupa that is dedicated to the Shakyamuni Buddha, or climb up to the covered pavilions on the hilltop just…
Sichuan
Peer out across the rooftops of old town Langzhong and beyond the river to Jinping Hill from the top of Huáguāng Lóu, a multilayered wedding-cake tower,…
Emei Shan
Named ‘Pure Sound Pavilion’ after the soothing sounds of the waters coursing around rock formations, this temple (710m) is built on an outcrop in the…
Sichuan
Circle the White Temple (白塔, Báitǎ) with worshippers as they recite mantras and spin the massive, house-sized prayer wheel, or join the locals just…
Chengdu
Rotating exhibitions of classical-style Chinese art in a traditionally styled courtyard building that's almost as artistic as the paintings within. It's a…
Sichuan
A two-hour hike or horse ride east over the hills from Songpan, this small Tibetan Buddhist monastery sits in a picturesque valley among small minority…
Sichuan
Considered an essential element of the feng shui balance of ancient Langzhong and holy to Taoists, Jinping is dotted with pavilions, temples and caves. To…
Chengdu
On weekends, locals fill this park with dancing, song and taichi. There’s a small, willow-tree-lined boating lake and a number of teahouses: He Ming…
Emei Shan
Somewhat off the beaten track on the long way round to the peak, this carefully tended monastery (1752m) is backed by rugged cliffs and surrounded by…
Emei Shan
A large main hall and several smaller shrines mark the starting point of the final push to Jinding Peak. To take the cable car to Jinding, you'll have to…
Sichuan
A short way south of town, along the main road, is this 400-year-old Nyingma (Red Hat sect) monastery. To get there, turn right from the main road into an…
Sichuan
For bird’s-eye views of the city’s rooftops and lanes, climb to the top of Zhōngtiān Lóu, a 2006 rebuild on the way to Zhang Fei Temple in the centre of…
Sichuan
There are hanging coffins found in other parts of China, but there are more in Luobiao than anywhere else and they are reasonably accessible. At one time…
Sichuan
This Qin dynasty waterworks project (completed in 256 BC) is the oldest and only surviving non-dam irrigation system in the world. Still used to control…
Sichuan
At the northern end of town, the large Chöde Gompa is a Tibetan monastery that was built for the third Dalai Lama (1543–1588). Inside is a statue of…
Sichuan
Housed in an ornate 270-year-old guild hall, this unique museum documents the course of the region’s salt industry, which dates to the first century CE…
Sichuan
Danba's nearest village with watchtowers is a 1½- to two-hour walk along the river. A resourceful family has rebuilt the wooden base levels of a tower…
Chengdu
Built for Wang Jian (847–918), a general who rose to power following the collapse of the Tang dynasty to rule as emperor of the Shu kingdom, this above…
Chengdu Museum of Contemporary Art
Chengdu
This privately funded museum aims to create a space for the development and exhibition of contemporary and abstract art in Chinese society. Works on…
Sichuan
The glimmering roof and stupa-lined walls of this temple are set against the fantastic backdrop of the snowy mountains across the grasslands. Inside it's…
Emei Shan
Between Qingyin Pavilion and Hóngchūn Píng (Venerable Trees Terrace), you will at some point encounter the mountain’s infamous monkeys. Unfortunately,…
Chengdu
Very few things in Chengdu emphasise the stark contrast of modern and traditional China like the squat buildings of Daci Temple surrounded by the towering…
Sichuan
Fronted with a large collection of stupas and prayer wheels, this imposing building stands on what has been the site of a monastery since the 15th century…
Sichuan
Near the east bank of the Jialing River is a honeycomb of nearly 1200 shrines containing over 7000 grotto carvings dating back 1500 years. There were once…
