June 16th: Took High-Speed Trains from Zhengzhou to Jianmen Pass via Guangyuan

Having long heard about the wonders of the Shu Roads, we decided to embark on a journey from Zhengzhou to Guangyuan to explore the unique charm of the blend of history and nature.

We started our journey by high-speed rail, which mainly relied on the Xi'an-Chengdu High-Speed Railway. On the way, the train passed through the Qinling Mountains. There were many tunnels along the route, varying in length, with some being over ten kilometers long. When the train entered a tunnel, it suddenly became pitch dark, as if entering a time-travel tunnel. When it exited the tunnel, a bright and open view came into sight. After arriving in Guangyuan, we took another train at the station to head for Jianmen Pass.

Jianmen Pass, with its perilous terrain, has always been a strategic point for military forces in history. In the Three Kingdoms period, Zhuge Liang built plank roads here to resist enemies. Besides, you can enter for free if you recite Li Bai's " The Hard Road to Shu" from the Tang Dynasty.

Jianmenguan Town 剑门关镇

June 17: Jianmen Pass Tour and High-Speed Train Journey to Guanghan

In the morning, we entered the scenic area and followed the established tour route: Visitor Center - Fairy Gallery - Bird Path - Hanging Glass Observation Platform - Liangshan Temple - Liangshan Pavilion - One-line Sky - Jianmen Pass Gate Tower. Among them, the Bird Path and the Ape's Path are the most eye-catching. Both are built along the mountains, challenging people's courage and guts. Although the Bird Path is steep and perilous, it is a bit wider than the Ape's Path. As for the Ape's Path, it is said that the path is extremely narrow and almost vertical in many places, so professional safety ropes are required. For safety reasons, we chose the Bird Path. 

Visitor Center 游客中心

Bird Path 鸟道

Hanging Glass Observation Platform 悬空玻璃观景平台  

Liangshan Temple 梁山寺

One-line Sky 一线天

Jianmen Pass Gate Tower 剑门关城楼

After visiting Jianmen Pass, we set off for Guanghan.The main purpose of going to Guanghan was to visit the Sanxingdui Museum. That night, we took a stroll around the night market in Guanghan and tasted the famous local snacks, such as ice powder with various flavors and barbecue.

June 18th: Sanxingdui Museum Visit and Minibus Journey to Dujiangyan

Sanxingdui is located in Guanghan, Sichuan Province. It's an important site of Shu culture. Discovered in 1929, many precious cultural relics like the bronze standing figure, vertical-eyed mask and divine tree have been unearthed after several excavations. Its unique bronze culture shows the charm of the ancient Shu civilization, witnesses the ancient Shu culture and reflects the integration of diverse cultures. It has extremely high historical, cultural and artistic value and attracts worldwide attention.

Sanxingdui cultural relics 三星堆文物

There were no trains from Guanghan to Dujiangyan. In the afternoon, only minibuses were available. The bus station was rather small and had a strong sense of age. We ate local rice noodles near the bus station. They tasted really good and were cheap.

We arrived in Dujiangyan City at half past five in the afternoon.Dujiangyan City is located in the west of Chengdu. It got its name from the world-famous Dujiangyan Irrigation System. The Minjiang River runs through the city. When the lights on the dams were lit up at night, they were reflected on the surface of the flowing Minjiang River, forming a sharp contrast with the surrounding dark environment and making the river present a visual effect like blue tears. Therefore, it is named "Blue Tears". The South Bridge, Tianfu Yuan Gallery Bridge and so on are the best places to enjoy the "Blue Tears" in Dujiangyan.

Blue Tears 蓝眼泪

South Bridge 南桥

June 19th: Dujiangyan Giant Panda Breeding and Research Base, Wenchuan Yingxiu Earthquake Site & Dujiangyan Scenic Area

In the morning, we went to visit the Dujiangyan Giant Panda Breeding and Research Base. The base has a quiet and beautiful environment which is suitable for giant pandas to live and breed. Here, we saw many giant pandas. They have different postures. Some were eating bamboo leisurely and some were taking a nap on the wooden frame. They looked extremely cute. At the same time, we also saw red pandas. They were moving around in the woods, adding a lot of vitality and energy to this area.

Dujiangyan Giant Panda Breeding and Research Base 都江堰大熊猫繁育研究基地

After we finished visiting the giant panda base, we took a taxi to Yingxiu. When we got to the place, we went to see the earthquake ruins of XuanKou Middle School. The place was very quiet and serious. The broken walls still looked like they did during the earthquake. It made people really feel how cruel and mean that disaster was.Today's Yingxiu is a town that has been rebuilt and rejuvenated. It has modern infrastructure and beautiful landscapes. The people here have gradually recovered from the trauma of the earthquake and are living a peaceful and stable life. 

The earthquake ruins of XuanKou Middle School 漩口中学地震遗址

In the afternoon, we came back to Dujiangyan city from Yingxiu and began our visit to the Dujiangyan scenic spot. The Dujiangyan Irrigation Project has a long history and is very famous. When we entered the area, we first saw the Precious Bottle Mouth. The river water ran fast through it. Its design was really smart and could control the water flow well. Then we walked along the Inner River and saw the Flying Sand Weir. It can take away sand and stop floods well. Next was the Fish Mouth. It divided the Minjiang River into two parts, the Inner River and the Outer River. It was very important for leading water. This project has worked for thousands of years and still does a great job. We really have to praise the wisdom and creativity of the old people. This great water project is a wonderful thing of human civilization.

Dujiangyan Water Project 都江堰水利工程

June 20th: High-Speed Train Journey from Dujiangyan to Chengdu

The high-speed train station is right downstairs of the hotel, just like a subway station, which is extremely convenient. Before boarding the train, we went to the nearby Yangtianwo Square.The giant panda sculpture in Yangtianwo Square is extremely eye-catching and has become a popular photo spot, attracting tourists from all over to come and take pictures.

Yangtianwo Square 仰天窝广场

We went to Wuhou Memorial Temple in the afternoon. It's a place to remember Zhuge Liang, the prime minister of Shu Han in the Three Kingdoms. Zhuge Liang had a great character. He was very loyal and spent his whole life on Shu Han. He was smart and good at making plans for war and ruling the country. He worked hard and took care of state business all the time.

In the temple, there are a lot of old cypress trees and it's surrounded by red walls. The buildings are well arranged, like halls and stele pavilions. There are also many valuable historical things and stele writings. If you like the history of the Three Kingdoms, it's nice to visit here and feel the charm of Zhuge Liang.

Wuhou Memorial Temple 武侯祠

On June 21st: Tour of Kuanzhai Alley, Qingyang Palace and Du Fu Thatched Cottage

In the morning, we rode a shared bike to Kuanzhai Alleywith the aim of buying souvenirs from the internet-famous "Panda Grandpa". There are many panda-themed souvenirs here, such as plush toys, keychains, backpacks, T-shirts and so on.

Panda Souvenirs in Kuanzhai Alley 宽窄巷子的熊猫纪念品

After having breakfast, we rode bicycles to Qingyang Palace.Qingyang Palaceis a well-known Taoist temple. Its founding time is unclear but it has a long history. The architecture is special and there are precious relics and scriptures. It's in a quiet place with old trees. It's an important place to experience Taoist culture and attracts many people.

Qingyang Palace 青羊宫

We checked the Gaode Map and found that the Du Fu Thatched Cottage was only three kilometers away from the Qingyang Palace. So we continued our journey by riding shared bikes.

Du Fu is one of the greatest poets in China. The Du Fu Thatched Cottage was built in memory of this great "Poet Sage". Walking along the winding paths, we could see quite a number of exhibition halls. Inside these halls, there are many cultural relics and materials related to Du Fu's life and his poems.

the Du Fu Thatched Cottage 杜甫草堂

On June 22nd: Took a Train from Chengdu to Chongqing and Picked up Yangtze River Stones under the Lijiatuo Bridge in the Afternoon.

Chongqing is a very lively city. It has many mountains. Tall buildings and bridges are everywhere. The hot pot there is really delicious. The Yangtze River and Jialing River meet in Chongqing. The view is great. It has a long history and culture. It has both modern and old-fashioned things that make a lot of people want to visit.

We took a train to Shapingba Station and then transferred from Line 1 to Line 2 of the rail transit. Because Line 2 passes through Liziba Station, where the light rail runs through a building, which is a really wonderful experience.

We stayed at the Galaxy Hotel near Jiefangbei. It's a clean four-star hotel. Surprisingly, there was an automatic mahjong machine in the room, which showed local characteristics. In the afternoon of that day, we took a taxi to the Lijiatuo Yangtze River Bridge to collect Yangtze River stones. This was also one of the most important purposes of our trip.

There are some beach areas near the bridge. That's one of the reasons why people come to look for Yangtze River stones. By the riverside, we felt the powerful force of the Yangtze River at close range. After searching for the whole afternoon, we picked up a lot of stones with various shapes and rich colors.

Yangtze River Bridge stones 长江石

In the evening, we walked to Hongyadong, a landmark scenic spot in Chongqing. When the lights were turned on, the whole building shone brightly like a castle in a dream. The unique traditional Bayu architectural style showed its charm under the light. There were a lot of people and it was very lively. Tourists walked around, laughing and chatting constantly. The fragrance of all kinds of delicious food filled the air, and there were also a wide variety of special souvenirs on sale.

When we were on our way back, according to the travel guide, we walked along the riverside to an apartment and went up to the 22nd floor. To our surprise, when we got out, we found that we had already reached the area where our hotel near Jiefangbei was located. This unique terrain and building layout was really amazing. It made us deeply feel the uniqueness and special charm of Chongqing, and also added an unforgettable and wonderful experience to our trip to Chongqing.

Hongyadong 洪崖洞

The Jiefangbei in Chongqing is a significant landmark. It was initially built as a symbol of resistance during the Anti-Japanese War. Later, it was renamed after liberation. Standing in the busy downtown, it witnesses historical transitions and is encircled by prosperous business and many tourist spots.

Jiefangbei (Liberation Monument) 解放碑

On June 23rd: Took the Yangtze River Cableway and Visited the Jianchuan Military Museum

The Yangtze River cableway in Chongqing is a unique transportation and sightseeing facility. It spans the Yangtze River. The cabins move slowly, and passengers can overlook the surging Yangtze River and the scenery on both banks from a high altitude. It is not only convenient for travel but also has become a popular tourist attraction.

There were quite a lot of people queuing up, but it was very orderly. After booking tickets, we just waited for our number to be called. We took the cableway from the North Station to the South Station. After arriving there, we had originally wanted to go to Zhazi Cave to pay tribute to the martyrs. However, the taxi driver told us that it would take a lot of time to go there and come back. If we went there to visit, we would miss the return train.So we just watched the unique scene at the confluence of the two rivers by the riverside. Then we took a taxi to the warship museum which all boys liked.

The confluence of the Yangtze River and the Jialing River 长江嘉陵江交汇处

Jianchuan Maritime Frontier Museum 建川海疆博物馆

Good times always pass quickly. The 8-day trip to Sichuan and Chongqing came to an end. On this charming land, there were still many beautiful sceneries that we didn't have time to explore and appreciate. Hopefully, in the future, there would be another opportunity to revisit.

Yours Truly

Grace Gao - Charmission Travel