Things to do in Hongya

Misty rain and fog create a picturesque scene, like a traditional Chinese ink painting. Although located in western Sichuan, the town boasts verdant mountains and clear waters, with a charm that rivals that of Jiangnan – Liujiang Ancient Town. 👣👣 Stroll through Liujiang Ancient Town in the early morning, starting with a bowl of steaming hot tofu pudding to warm your stomach, followed by some local delicacies (cold noodles, guokui, and ye'erba) to enhance the experience. Walk to the [Ancient Suspension Bridge]. In the early morning, the bridge is shrouded in mist, appearing and disappearing in the morning light, like a flowing ink painting. In the evening, as the lights come on, the bridge and the surrounding stilted houses create a beautiful and atmospheric scene. 📷📷 Then stroll along Liujiang's stone-paved streets and wander through the misty alleys. You'll see many people sitting under the shade of the [Millennial Banyan Tree], drinking tea and relaxing. 😳😳 You can join them! ✌️✌️ Experience the tranquility and rustic charm – a perfect place to experience a slower pace of life. Visit the Zeng Family Mansion in Liujiang to learn about the life of a wealthy family in the late Qing Dynasty. This manor is truly remarkable; the courtyard, viewed from above, forms the traditional Chinese character for "longevity," subtly reflecting the Chinese wish for long life—a truly unique and impressive sight! It's also a living history book: built between 1927 and 1937, it belonged to the capable Zeng Yicheng. A local saying, "The Zeng family's house, the Yang family's roof, the Zhang family's maids, the He family's grain," aptly illustrates its former prominence. Finally, head to the Tiaodeng Bridge in Liujiang Ancient Town. The bridge is paved with irregularly shaped stone slabs, allowing visitors to experience the fun of jumping across it at varying speeds, feeling the primitive and vibrant way the townspeople "jump across" the river. Due to the slippery surface, it's recommended to wear non-slip shoes. Strolling on the bridge in the morning mist or at sunset offers a unique and poetic experience. 📷📷 👣👣At noon, head to the heart of the ancient town to sample the intangible cultural heritage of rattan pepper duck. We recommend [Qiu Ji Rattan Pepper Duck], a long-established brand with authentic flavors and affordable prices. They even offer free vacuum packaging, perfect for packing as souvenirs for family and friends. If you'd like some Sichuan cuisine, we recommend [Daohuaxiang Local Cuisine Restaurant]. Their dishes, such as the mint-flavored fish and Buddha's hand eggplant, are made with fresh ingredients and generous portions. For hot pot, we recommend [Liuhuwan Stone Pot Fish Restaurant]. Their yellow catfish and secret-recipe hot pot fish are freshly killed and cooked, resulting in tender, flavorful, and spicy dishes. Enjoy delicious food and soak in the lively atmosphere of the ancient town. 😛😛 👣👣In the afternoon, take a scenic hike to view the ancient town. Take a taxi directly to [Liujiang Yuping Mountain Glass Viewing Platform] for a panoramic view. The glass walkway is built on a cliff with a drop of approximately 350 meters, making you feel as if you're suspended above an abyss. Standing on the viewing platform, you can enjoy a 360° panoramic view of Liujiang Ancient Town, Huaxi Ancient Town, and the surrounding pastoral scenery. The area offers various outdoor activities such as forest ziplining, treetop walks, and rainbow slides, allowing you to experience the romantic mountain atmosphere of "walking through a painting." 📷📷 👍👍If time permits, you can also visit the [Hongya Liujiang Ancient Town Yuping Mountain Paragliding Base] for a thrilling paragliding experience. Visitors can be guided or receive professional training, enjoying a bird's-eye view of the entire ancient town and experiencing the thrill of soaring through the sky, a close interaction with the heavens. 📷📷 Besides flying, the base also offers camping and barbecue services, allowing you to grill meat and crayfish on the viewing platform while watching others soar.

I arrived at Ya'nv Lake at the foot of Wawu Mountain in early September, just in time to avoid the summer peak season. The lake area was surprisingly quiet and peaceful with few tourists. The daytime sunshine was bright and clear; the mountains had already shed their summer heat in September, and a gentle breeze made it incredibly comfortable. The high-altitude lake had crystal-clear water, with the distant Wawu Mountain silhouetted clearly. Sunlight shimmered on the lake's surface, creating a beautiful reflection of the mountains and water, offering expansive views. Whether driving slowly along the road or stopping at the viewing platform to enjoy the fresh air and the fragrance of nature, there was no need to fight for a good photo spot; every snapshot was a clean and soothing picture of nature. The scenic area is free to enter and not overly commercialized, making it perfect for relaxation and rejuvenation. Without the hustle and bustle of peak season, there was a tranquil and leisurely atmosphere amidst the mountains and water. Whether it's a short stop to take photos or staying overnight to watch the sunset and sunrise, it's a great place for a short, relaxing vacation. Traveling off-peak provides a fantastic experience, and I highly recommend it to those who appreciate quiet, natural scenery.

Caoyutan Scenic Area is located on the bank of Qingyi River in Wucunba, Caoyutan Town, Hongya County, Meishan City, Sichuan Province, covering an area of ​​18 square kilometers. The scenic area is divided into 6 major scenic spots and more than 40 scenic spots, with convenient transportation. There are 4 hotels of various types with more than 1,100 beds; there is the "Yajiang Academy" with Qing Dynasty architectural style in the green mountains and green ridges; the 33-meter-high Kuixing Pavilion scenic spot has a panoramic view; the "Thousand Pagodas Buddha Country" is scattered in an orderly manner; The "Natural Laughing Buddha", "Jinshan Waterfall" and "Tongtian Cloud Stack" on the cliffs of Jinchuan Mountain are known as the "Three Wonders" of Caoyu Beach; the Arhats in Jinzhou Temple have different shapes and the king of heaven is majestic; the peak backwater in Jiaocheng Gorge Turning around, the cliffs on both sides of the strait penetrate the sky, majestic and precipitous. Caoyu Beach integrates beautiful scenery and is an ideal place for tourism, vacation and leisure.

- Profound historical and cultural heritage: Gaomiao Ancient Town has a history of nearly 700 years. The ancient buildings are well preserved. 125 of them were built in the late Ming and early Qing dynasties. They are representative of the architectural style of western Sichuan in the Ming and Qing dynasties. There are cultural relics protection units such as Jiangxi Guild Hall and Wushenggong Theater. It is an important post station on the main roads of Mount Emei, Leshan Giant Buddha and Wawu Mountain.   - Beautiful natural scenery: The ancient town is surrounded by mountains and beautiful scenery. The Li River and Zhang River are surrounded and converge at the bottom of the slope to form the source of Huaxi. From the opposite Baihu Mountain or Er'e Mountain, the ancient town looks like a plow or a dragon head sucking water; looking back at the bottom of the town, the mountains on both sides are majestic, the ancient bridges are in the air, and the forests are dense. - The style of the ancient town is original: there is not much commercial development here, and the original and simple charm is maintained. The streets are paved with bluestone, and there are wooden ancient buildings on both sides. You can also see old people sitting in front of the door to bask in the sun and play mahjong, and children chasing and playing in the alleys, with a strong breath of life. - Rich specialties: Gaomiao tofu pudding, ancient town candied haws, special snacks, Gaomiao liquor, rice candy, etc., as well as ecological native goats, old-style native steamed buns, etc., to satisfy tourists' taste buds. - Poor transportation convenience: The location is relatively remote, and public transportation is not well developed. For tourists without private cars, it is not convenient to go to the ancient town. Although there are buses from Hongya Bus Station to Gaomiao Town, the number of buses may be limited. - Imperfect tourist facilities: Most of the accommodation facilities in the ancient town are homestays, with relatively simple conditions, and lack of high-end hotels and large resorts. In terms of catering, except for some local snack bars and farmhouses, there is a lack of diversified restaurant options. In addition, there are relatively few public facilities for tourists to rest, such as benches and pavilions. - Fewer things to do: The ancient town is small in scale, mainly focusing on sightseeing, lacking some participatory and experiential tourism projects, and tourists stay for a short time, which is easy to feel monotonous.

The Thousand Pagodas Buddha Kingdom in Caoyutan Scenic Area in Hongya County is a place that few tourists visit. It is located on the innermost hillside of the scenic area. You can only see the pagodas in the mountains and forests when you get closer, especially in the riverside area under the hillside and on the other side of the Qingyi River. It is hard to imagine how so many different pagodas were built in the past. No wonder this place is called the "Angkor Wat" of Sichuan.

Yupingshan Forest Resort is located more than ten kilometers away from Liujiang Ancient Town by mountain road. It is very cool in summer and there are many activities in the scenic area, including paid glass plank roads, gliding, climbing, etc. There are also many free activities. There are many characteristic rooms in the scenic area, and it is very comfortable to stay for a day or two.

The scenery is average, mainly the Dongfengyan water conservancy project, and the unique and vivid stone carvings on Qianfoyan. It is very meaningful. Walking here, the breeze is very pleasant.

Baoguo Temple - where it all begins and endsYou know, there's a special magic to traveling returning to where you started and realizing you're a completely different person. That Mount Emei, which seemed like a pretty picture on the first day, has now become a part of you. That your knees remember every stone, and your lungs remember every breath of air at an altitude of three thousand meters. Baoguo Temple awaited us below. And it was the perfect end point.Baoguo, also known as the "Temple of Gratitude to the Motherland," stands at the very beginning of the trail, at the foot of the mountain. On the first day, we were in such a hurry to get going that we left it for last, like a delicious dessert saved for last. And we did the right thing. The temple is about 450 years old. It was founded during the Ming Dynasty, in the 16th century, and since then it has faithfully fulfilled its purpose: meeting pilgrims, seeing them off to the top, and welcoming them back when they descend, tired and happy. Can you imagine how many stories it has witnessed? How many knees, like mine, have trembled before its gates?In the Hall of the Seven Buddhas, I encountered the purple bronze Huayan Pagoda. The same one, with 14 stories and 4,700 small Buddhas on its body. But the temple's crowning glory is, without a doubt, the bell. A huge bronze bell, weighing over 10 tons. Locals call it the "Bashu Bell King" (named after the ancient kingdom of Sichuan). Transportation: Take bus #5 in Emeishan; it goes directly to the temple. The price is only 1.5 yuan. It's almost ridiculous: 1.5 yuan for a ticket to a place that will nourish your memories for years. Buses run every 10 minutes, so you won't have to wait even during rush hour.You can, of course, take Didi—it's about 20 yuan and takes 25 minutes. But if you're not as exhausted as we were from descending the mountain, the bus is a more authentic option. You'll get locals to join you, you'll enjoy the scenery outside the window.

Wenshu Fang, nestled against the ancient Wenshu Monastery, exudes the rustic charm of western Sichuan folk customs amidst its blue bricks and gray tiles. I strolled leisurely here with my dog, wandering through bamboo paths and red-walled, green corridors; even he couldn't resist frolicking on the stone slabs. There's none of the hustle and bustle of trendy shops, only the jasmine fragrance wafting from teahouses and the gentle sounds of artisans hammering bamboo – the atmosphere is simply divine! Wenshu Fang is a hidden gem of a Chengdu food map! Just step outside and you can enjoy authentic "Dongzikou Zhang Lao Er" sweet water noodles, their sour, spicy, and savory flavors instantly awakening your taste buds. I squatted by the window and ordered a spicy hot pot for my dog, and he quietly devoured half the bowl! There's also freshly ground soy milk and ice jelly on the street corner; even my dog ​​couldn't resist licking the soy pulp clean from the rim of the bowl! Wenshu Fang is incredibly pet-friendly! I took photos with my dog ​​in front of the "Wenshu Fang" cultural and creative shop; he posed on the bluestone slabs against the backdrop of the ancient buildings with their upturned eaves – every snapshot looked like a masterpiece of traditional Chinese style. The shop also thoughtfully provided a water station for pets, so you don't have to worry about your pet getting thirsty.

🏛️ Chengdu Museum — A Wonderful Glimpse into Chengdu’s History & CultureA really interesting place to visit while in Chengdu, especially if you want to understand more about the city beyond its famous pandas and food. 😊The museum has a great collection showcasing Chengdu’s long history, culture, traditions and development. I especially enjoyed seeing the historical artefacts and learning about how Chengdu has changed through the centuries.The exhibits are well presented and the museum is spacious, clean and easy to explore. Even though I’m not usually someone who spends a lot of time in museums, I found this visit surprisingly enjoyable and informative.It’s also a nice place to escape the heat or rain for a while and take a slower, more relaxing break from sightseeing.Definitely worth a visit if you’re interested in history and culture. A good way to appreciate the story behind this fascinating city. ❤️You can drop by if you are planning to go to Tianfu Square area or Huang Cheng mosque area as this place is only in a blink away😊