File 37-sichuan-loc-chi13 Book China 13 Initial Mapping AndrewS Date Sept 012 Road Scale All key roads labelled? Hierarchy Date Title Hydro Chapter Sichuan Editor Cxns Spot colours removed? Hierarchy Nthpt Masking in Illustrator done? Symbols Author Daniel McCrohan MC Cxns Date Book Inset/enlargement correct? Off map Notes dest'ns Border Country Locator A1 Key None Author Cxns Date Basefile 32-sichuan-loc-chi11 Final Ed Cxns Date KEY FORMAT SETTINGS New References Number of Rows (Lines) Editor Check Date MC Check Date Column Widths and Margins MC/CC Signoff Date ©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd SìchuānPOP 84 MILLION Why Go? Chéngdū ........................701 Like the theatre performances of biànliǎn (face-changing) that éméi Shān .....................714 originated here, Sìchuān (四川) is a land of many guises. Capital Lèshān ...........................718 Chéngdū is quick to show its modern China face, but you don’t Lángzhōng ....................720 have to venture far to see a more traditional pose. The coun- Zìgòng........................... 722 tryside is scattered with ancient villages and teahouses, while mist-shrouded mountains creak with wooden monasteries. Bamboo Sea ................. 726 Central Sìchuān is also home to the giant panda, the most fa- Kāngdìng (Dartsendo) .. 727 mous face in China. Dānbā (Rongtrak) ........ 729 Head north, though, and you find a Chinese province Sìchuān–tibet Hwy ......730 posing as a region of alpine valleys and forested hills dotted Sōngpān ....................... 739 with blue-green lakes and wonderful hiking trails. The hiking Jiǔzhàigōu becomes spectacularly good as you venture west to witness National Park................ 742 Sìchuān’s fabulous impression of Tibet. This is Kham, one of old Tibet’s three traditional provinces: a vast landscape of high-plateau grasslands and glacial mountains where Tibetan culture still thrives and where you’re almost certain to have Best Hiking your most challenging, yet most memorable, experiences. »»Yàdīng Nature Reserve (p738) When to Go »»Kāngdìng (p727) Chéngdū »» Tǎgōng (p731) °C/°F Temp Rainfall inches/mm »»Jiǔzhàigōu National Park 40/104 12/300 (p742) 30/86 20/68 »»Éméi Shān (p714) 10/50 8/200 »»Bamboo Sea (p726) 0/32 -10/14 4/100 -20/-4 -30/-22 Best History & -40/-40 0 Culture J F DNOSAJJMAM »»Chéngdū (p701) Mar–May Prime Jul & Aug Good Jun–Oct Head »»Zìgòng (p722) time for Chéngdū. time to visit the north to tur- Not too humid, no tibetan areas – quoise lakes, »»Lángzhōng (p720) summer rains yet; weather’s warm warm camping »»Gānzī (p732) peach blossoms. and horse festi- and stunning »»Dānbā (p729) vals abound. autumn forests. 698 L†ngmùsì Sìchuān Highlights 1 Join tibetans Zöigê on a pilgrimage trek Q¹NGH‡I around the stunning Xi‰w© National Park holy mountain of Sêrshu Sìc Yàdīng Nature (Shíqú Xiàn) Sêrshu H Reserve (p738) Dzong uān Yùshù „bà 2 Sleep in a Hóngyuán monastery on the TŸngtiãn Chuƒnzh©sì beautiful forested River slopes of Éméi Shān Qiónglái Mountains (p714) Sertar Dàxu› Mountains 3 Get eye to eye Dzogchen Larung with China’s cuddliest Gar national icon at Chola Manigango M†'›rkƒng Chéngdū’s Giant Dégé Mountain (6168m) Darjay Gompa Panda Breeding Meshö Gƒnz¸ Research Base Pelpung Wòlóng (p701) Sìchuƒn–Tibet Nature Horpo Sìg¥niang Reserve 4 Go camping Lúhuò Shƒn along alpine-esque Báiyù (6250m) valleys as part of the Wòlóng ecotourism program Dàofú at Jiǔzhàigōu X¸nlóng Hwy Dƒnbƒ National Park (p742) Q¸ngchéng 5 Stay with TIBET tibetan nomads on Bàm›i the gorgeous high- Sìchuƒn T†gŸng Pínglè plateau grasslands Hw –Tibet y Bìf‰ngxía around Tǎgōng Bƒtáng Kƒngdìng (Dardo) (p731) L¨táng Y†jiƒng X¸nd¥qiáo Y†'ƒn 6 Feel Lilliputian Genyen Peak at Lèshān (p718) as (6204m) Lu¨ Jiƒng you stand beside the Gònggƒ Éméi Shƒn toenails of the world’s Shƒn largest Buddha statue (7556m) 7 Visit ancient Ebian Dàochéng Shímián W¥s¸hé salt mines, dinosaur fossils and some of Xiƒngchéng the best teahouses in Y†lòng TuŸw¥ Rìw† China at the unusual riverside city of River Zìgòng (p722) Yàd¸ng M›ig¥ 8 Horse trek in the Nature woods and mountains Reserve Mùl¨ around the laid-back Lúg¥ Zhƒojué Shangri-la village of Sōngpān Lake X¸chƒng (p739) (ZhŸngdiàn) BùtuŸ 9 Stay in a Qing- dynasty courtyard Luójì and wander the Yányuán Mountain P©gé (4358m) alleyways in the MYANMAR J¸nshƒ ancient town of (BURMA) YÚNNÁN Lángzhōng (p720) 0 100 km 0 60 miles Pƒnzh¸huƒ (J¸njiƒng).