Explore Sichuan in June

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I'm planning to explore parts of Sichuan early next month (June, 2012.) I live in Kunming, so I will be starting from and returning to Kunming at the end. The trip, as it now stands, will take 10 days, but I can extend it to 14 days if need be. If I really fall in love with some spot, I can stay an extra day or two.

I'm kind of a lazy traveler and don't like to rush too much. I often find that the things I remember most fondly from a trip are its "non-5 star" moments, when I'm just wandering around in ordinary places. I want to take time to enjoy some relaxing simple things, and not just race around totally focused on "seeing sights." I also like sampling local food.

Here's a tentative itinerary. Please let me know if you have thoughts or suggestions. I've bought my outbound plane ticket (Kunming to Chengdu) and made my first night's hotel reservation in Chengdu. The remainder is flexible.

Day 1 – Fly Kunming to Chengdu. Arrive at night about 10 p.m. Stay near Xīnnánmén (新南门汽车站) bus station.

Day 2 – Dujianyan water works in the morning. City sights and activities in the afternoon. Go to Sichuan Opera in Chengdu that night. Overnight Chengdu.

Day 3 – Panda Breeding Research Center early in the morning. City sights and activities in the afternoon. Overnight Chengdu.

Day 4 – Morning bus to Leshan (2 hrs.) Giant Buddha and related sites. Ebony museum. Overnight Leshan.

Day 5 -- Morning bus from Leshan to Emeishan (1 hour.) Climb the mountain. Overnight Emeishan, on top if weather looks good, otherwise in a lower monastery.

Day 6 -- Bus to Zigong (3 hrs.) See salt museum and dinosaur museum. Overnight Zigong.

Day 7 – Early morning bus back to Chengdu (2 hours.) Sanxingdui Museum in Guanghan. Late afternoon flight to JZG (Jiuzhaigou.) Overnight JZG. Airport elevation 3,448 m (11,311 ft.)

Day 8 – Visit JZG Nature Park; start early. Overnight JZG.

Day 8 – Jiuzhaigou Park. Overnight Jiuzhaigou.

Day 9 – Huanglong in the morning. Overnight Huanglong or Songpan. Maximum elevation 5,588m (18,333 feet)

Day 10 –Morning flight to Chengdu. Connecting afternoon flight to Kunming.

Realize I've neglected the high grasslands and mountainous Tibetan areas of Ganzi Prefecture in Western Sichuan. These are said to be spectacular and I might need to return to see them another time, perhaps going up via Lijiang, Shangri-La, and Deqin (Yunnan.) Have had to come to grips with the notion that I cannot "do it all" on this trip.

Suggestions welcome.

[BlackAnger]

Haha,Leshan is my hometown.Have a nice tour.

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#2 -- I was thinking about first taking the boat by the 乐山大佛 (Big Buddha) for an overview, and then climbing around it on the stairs to see it from other angles. Have you tried it that way? Do you think it's worth the extra effort to see it both ways? I'd also like to see some of the smaller statues and carvings. Any thoughts on doing that?

What about the Ebony Museum 乌木博物苑? I've not been able to find how to get there and was just planning to ask around after arrival. Do you know where it is in relation to the 大佛? Is it difficult to find?

What about 乌尤寺? Is it worth going there?

I plan to spend a night in Leshan. Any recommendations for places to eat? Any special local food 特色菜? Any recommendations for good mid-priced accommodations? Other interesting less "touristy" things to do in that immediate area?

[fanglu]

Day 4 – Morning bus to Leshan (2 hrs.) Giant Buddha and related sites. Ebony museum. Overnight Leshan. Maximum elevation 4,237 m (13,901 ft.)

Not a substantive comment, but Leshan's elevation is only a few hundred metres.

[rob07]

I suggest you double check the elevations. 5,588m is higher than Everest base camp. This is what I have read from some random site on the internet: The altitude of Huanglong is higher than that of Jiuzhaigou, ranging from 3200 to 3600 meters, and you need to drive over a 4000-meter-high pass to get to Huanglong. Altitude sickness can be an issue in Huanglong. When I was in those parts, I spent 3 days in Jiuzhaigou and skipped Huanglong so I have never been there.

I think fanglu's comment is actually pretty substantive. 4,237m is probably not going to be much fun without some acclimatisation but it is much lower than that so it should be no problem. Personally I would have thought that Huanglong would be the only place where altitude sickness might be a concern, but as you no doubt know, this is something that varies by individual according to what I understand can be quite random factors.

A lot of stone steps at Emei Shan. You can actually hire people to carry you to the top (or you can do bus + cable car). If you like tea, I recommend the local 峨眉山竹叶青.

I don't remember any stone steps at Jiuzhaigou. From what I remember the hiking trails are on the other side of the lakes to the roads the buses run on. There's often no one else on the trails and they are far enough away from the road that you generally don't see or hear the buses. I enjoyed it a lot, spent a few days there.

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Yes, some of those elevations have got to be way off. I will check them again more carefully and revise. Will just take them out for now.

Didn't know about that tea. I do like tea. Thanks for mentioning it; I'll check it out.

[kenner116]

I did nearly the same tour as you are planning in 2005. Chengdu, Dujiangyan, Leshan, Zigong, Jiuzhaigou and Huanglong. But we bused to and from JZG via Wenchuan and Songpan. Never made it to Emeishan, though.

The Leshan Buddha was best viewed from the boat, but the climb was worth it for the little carvings on the stone walls. Didn't climb down to the feet because of the crowds.

I'll be in Sichuan this June and July (possibly into August), but in Ganze and Aba in the mountainous west. I'll start in Yunnan by visiting Deqin, then head to Daocheng/Yading via Zhongdian. Followed by Litang, Tagong, Danba, Garze, Baiyu, Dege, Sertar, Aba, and Langmusi. Really looking forward to Larung Gar and Yarchen Gar monasteries.

Then it's Gansu and Qinghai: Xiahe, Tongren, Xining and Qinghai Lake.

Dali and Lijiang are must-sees, as well as hiking Tiger Leaping Gorge. Zhongdian is worth visiting just for the Tibetan monastery and the interesting villages on the outskirts of town. The city itself is not attractive. I would have gone to Deqin last time, but it was way too cold in December.

[insighter]

I live and work in Dujiangyan. Lot's of hidden gems in every direction but you won't see any of them with only half a day in the area.

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#7 -- Your Ganze and Aba trip sounds wonderful! That is bound to be a magnificent combination of terrific scenery and a very interesting cultural experience.

Appreciate your comments on how best to approach the Big Buddha.

I went to Gansu and Qinghai last summer. This summer I will go to Xinjiang for sure and maybe Tibet if I can get the permits and guide arrangements worked out. Been to Dali and Lijiang a couple times, as well as Shangri-La/Zhongdian. Haven't been on up to Deqin. China has so many fine places to see.

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#8 -- If I were to stay longer in Dujiangyan, what should I do and see? I'm not traveling with a group and my itinerary is flexible. I'm not in any big hurry. Would appreciate your ideas.

[xiaocai]

Your time table seems a bit tight to me.

There is also Qingchengshan near Dujiangyan. If you plan to climb both the front and back of the mountain yourself without rushing too much, it is going to take at least one whole day.If you only plan to spend one day there, probably just visit 前山 after you come back from the water work. And for Emeishan, at least 2 days from the foot to the top peak, unless of course, you are really very fit and you just climb and do not stop and enjoy the scenes. Or you take bus and cable car.

I am going to Tibet in August to visit my friends. Will take train this time though, and hopefully can get a ticket for 软卧.

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Thank you all for your valuable suggestions. Here is a revised plan that allows for a half-day visit to Qingcheng Shan. I don't want to climb the whole thing front and back. Getting a look at the front will be enough. I've also allowed more time at Emeishan. What I actually do there will depend a lot on the weather. Plus I have one knee that acts up if I climb too much or too fast, especially on typically steep "holy mountain concrete steps." Will have to play it by ear.

Have read that flights between Chengdu and Jiuzhaigou are often delayed because of weather conditions at the Jiuzhaigou end (airport is on the side of a high mountain and sometimes the planes cannot land.) So I'll take a morning flight up instead of an afternoon flight to allow some wiggle room.

Day 1 – Fly Kunming to Chengdu. Arrive at night about 9:30 p.m. Stay near Xīnnánmén (新南门汽车站) bus station. Already bought that plane ticket at a low price. Arriving late will let me avoid heavy Chengdu traffic.

Day 2 – Dujianyan irrigation project in the morning. Nearby Qingcheng Shan 青城山 (front part only) in the afternoon. Overnight Chengdu.

Day 3 – Panda Breeding Research Center early in the morning. City sights and activities in the afternoon. Go to Sichuan Opera in Chengdu that night. Overnight Chengdu.

Day 4 – Morning bus to Leshan (2 hrs.) Giant Buddha and related sites. Ebony museum. Overnight Leshan.

Days 5 -- Morning bus from Leshan to Emeishan (1 hour.) Visit the mountain and climb lower parts of it first day. Overnight in a monastery.

Day 6 -- Climb upper parts of Emeishan, using cable car as needed. Spend the night on top if weather looks good (clear); otherwise go back down and spend the night somewhere there.

Day 7 -- Bus to Zigong (3 hrs.) See salt museum and dinosaur museum. Overnight Zigong.

Day 8 – Morning bus back to Chengdu (2 hours.) Sanxingdui Museum in Guanghan. Overnight Chengdu.

Day 9 -- Morning flight to JZG (Jiuzhaigou.) Airport elevation 3,448 m (11,311 ft.) Overnight JZG.

Day 10 – Visit JZG Nature Park; start early. Overnight JZG.

Day 11 – Jiuzhaigou Park. Overnight Jiuzhaigou.

Day 12 – Huanglong in the morning. Overnight Huanglong, Chuanzhushi, or Songpan. (But no horse trek.)

Day 13 – Morning flight to Chengdu. Connecting afternoon flight to Kunming.

I realize these bus times are not exact and there may need to be some time spent waiting for departure, in other words, the bus may not leave exactly when I want to go. There is a bus from Chengdu to Jiuzhaigou (10 hours), but I would rather not spend that much time on the road.

A footnote on altitudes: The main area of concern on this trip looks to be around Jiuzhaigou and Huanglong, though Emeishan peak is rather high as well. I will take precautionary measures in any areas that are about 3,000 meters or more. It should help some that I am acclimatized to Kunming, which is officially 1900 meters (6233 feet.)

Does anyone have experience buying Diamox (acetazolamide) in China? I've read that it is available. Would prefer someting more than a dictionary lookup of how to say it in Chinese. (乙酰唑胺) I found 高原反应药 in somebody's on-line blog. Anybody here tried saying that in a pharmacy?

[fanglu]

There is a bus from Chengdu to Jiuzhaigou (10 hours)

Actually the road is much better now and this trip takes 7ish hours, provided weather is good.

I found 高原反应药 in somebody's on-line blog. Anybody here tried saying that in a pharmacy?

I did, but they tried to sell me something that wasn't Diamox and (English) internet research indicated was not particularly effective. I forget the name sorry.

Overnight Huanglong, Chuanzhushi, or Songpan

I don't think there is anywhere to stay at Huanglong. Songpan is probably more interesting than Chuanzhushi if you'll have any time to wander around. If not, might as well stay at Chuanzhushi since it's closer.

Morning flight to Chengdu

Suggest you arrange transport to the airport the night before, not sure there will be free taxis around early unless pre-booked.

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#12 -- Thank you very much @fanglu. If I have any signs of trouble with the altitude at the top of Emeishan, then I might take the bus to Jiuzhaigou, since it allows more time to acclimatize than a plane flight. I suppose one could also take the train from Chengdu to Mianyang first to shave a couple hours off the bus time. It seems frequent trains serve that Chengdu to Mianyang route.

About altitude sickness prevention medicine, I read in a blog that 红景天 is a popular Tibetan herbal medicine available around Songpan, Huanglong, and Jiuzhaigou. Don't know anything about it; only the name.

Good suggestion about Songpan being more interesting than Chuanzhushi. From what I've read Chuanzhushi is very new and still under construction. And I would like to walk around a bit, which makes Songpan a better choice. And it's still not far from the airport.

Suggest you arrange transport to the airport the night before, not sure there will be free taxis around early unless pre-booked.

Thanks. I'll do that.

[insighter]

The thing I like most about Dujiangyan is that it's a border region in terms of its geography and ethnic make up, so I can take my motorcycle in any direction and quickly hit small villages and farming communities. If you're limited on time though, Qingcheng Mountain is a good addition because it's easy to get to (there is a high speed rail from Chengdu). For lesser known Buddhist or Daoist monasteries and small villages around 青城后山 or somewhere else (excluding the more famous Tai Ping village which has buses to it), you would probably need a driver. It's not a bad way to spend the night by eating out at the red lantern lined "beer corridor" downtown that runs next to the waterways going through the city.

If you were open to re-arranging your schedule, one interesting thing you can do from Dujiangyan is take a hostel-arranged van to Siguniang Shan 四姑娘山 in Aba Province about 5-6 hours away. It's a Tibetan town and the mountain is really impressive (5000-6000 meters!). Along the way you'd pass through the famous tea and panda inhabited Wolong valley, which has the most interesting birds I've ever seen, and cross over the 4500m Mount Balang pass. From there it would be possible to continue on to Songpan, but you'd obviously have to change up your schedule. Maybe see the pandas and go to Chengdoo opera the first day you arrive? Depends on the pace you'd like to go I guess.

If you want the names of drivers and/or some names of places to go to then I can PM the info to you.

P.S A note about altitudes, if you live in Kunming you should probably be fine as long as you stay hydrated. I've been to these places without preparation or medication and have never had anything worse than a mild headache.

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#14 -- Thanks, @insighter. It is sounding more and more like I need to think about another Sichuan trip, perhaps this fall, to see all the fine things that I won't have time for this spring. That second trip might include spending more time in and around Dujiangyan as well as going out to Siguniang Shan 四姑娘山。I'd also like to go into Ganze and Aba in the northwest, as @kenner mentioned above in post #7.

Since t live in Kunming, at least popping up into Sichuan is not as challenging logistically as it would be if I were starting out from Texas.

Appreciate the reminder on the importance of adequate hydration. I know how true that is. I've been to Shangri-La/Zhongdian without problems, and I think most of that area is a bit over 3,000 meters.

[xiaocai]

As for food, there is a night market in Emeishan Shi. I've been there twice and thought is was not too bad. Just google with "东新街 峨眉山", and you will be able to find where it is. I normally stay in 峨眉山温泉饭店, which is very close to 报国寺 and the entrance of 峨眉山, and just about 5-8 minute ride to the downtown and night market by a taxi.

I can not recall anything particular about 乐山 food wise. Maybe I have not been there often enough.

自贡 is kind of famous for its food. It will probably be a bit difficult to dine in a restaurant if you are traveling alone, but there are many street food you can explore. Famous dishes include stuff like rabbit stew, lamb soup, frog stew. I haven't been back there for many years so can not remember the names. Have a read of this post and see if anything interests you. BTW, some of them can be very spicy (lamb soup is plain but the dip is hot).

[jbradfor]

In Chengdu, have you considered Jinsha Archaeological Site (金沙遗址)? We didn't make it there when we were in town, but it sounds interesting, and I believe a recent poster here liked it.

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#16 -- Thank you @xiaocai for those ideas. Looks like some real good food there. I will make it a point to go sample some local dishes. I very much enjoy doing that. Does 峨眉山温泉饭店 actually have a hot spring in or near the hotel? I could not tell from their website, and I really like a good soak and massage after climbing in the mountains.

#17 -- Thanks @jbradfor for mentioning Jinsha. I was not aware of it and will look into it. I am planning to go to the Sanxingdui Museum in Guanghan, but it seems Jinsha might be worthwhile too. I've been doing some background reading on the ancient Shu Han KIngdom and the Three Kingdom Period in general. Seems to be important history as it serves as the backdrop for so much current fiction, including the movie Chi Bi, which is one of my favorites.

Postscript and language note: I will be so glad when the day finally comes that I can research my "exploring China" trips primarily using Chinese. That yields so much more and better information than doing it in English. When I travel to famous places in China, I sometimes take guided small group day tours and I always do those with a Chinese group. Can understand most of what is said and ask appropriate questions without any significant strain. But my reading still lags so far behind my conversation that it requires a huge effort to make my way through Chinese web sites as a way of finding out the things that I'd like to know about destinations. It is painfully slow.

And, regrettably, I tend to do more of what feels good and is easy (conversation) than what feels bad and is difficult (reading.)

[xiaocai]

Yes, the hot spring is just a 2 minute stroll from the main building of the hotel. It will be an ideal place to relax yourself after two days of tiring climbing up and down stone stairs.

[jbradfor]

it requires a huge effort to make my way through Chinese web sites as a way of finding out the things that I'd like to know about destinations. It is painfully slow.

I fully understand that, having done some looking myself recently. And the more off the beaten-path you go, the less information is available in English.

I don't know what your study regime looks like, but given the amount of traveling you do, may I suggest you focus your reading study time on Chinese travel web sites? I know it's painful, but

• If you're just doing it as reading practice, not because you need to know RIGHT NOW, you can relax and take it easier, making it less painful.
  
• You will likely learn more travel-related vocabulary, which will come in useful.
  
• It might give you ideas on where to do for your next trip (or where to avoid!).
  
• MOST IMPORTANT: over time it will go faster and faster.