Wenxian

A county town on the Baishui River at the Gansu–Sichuan border, with the Wenxian Tianchi alpine dammed lake, Baima villages and the Baishui River nature reserve, home to giant pandas.

Wenxian lies in Longnan, the southernmost city of Gansu Province, on the border with Sichuan. The Bailong and Baishui rivers flow through the county. It borders Diebu to the north and Qingchuan and Pingwu in Sichuan to the south, and shares the Minshan range with Jiuzhaigou. The county seat sits at about 900 meters above sea level with a mild, humid climate. In the south, the tea gardens and river views around Bikou have earned the area the nickname 'Jiangnan of Gansu'.

There are three main areas. In the north, about 100 km of mountain road away, lies Wenxian Tianchi, an alpine dammed lake at about 2,400 meters surrounded by dense forest; its autumn foliage is the finest. In the west, the Baima River valley in Tielou Tibetan Township is home to Baima villages and the Baima River Gorge. The Baima people are regarded as descendants of the ancient Di people, and their Chigezhou masked dance, performed in the first lunar month, is a national-level intangible cultural heritage. In the southeast, Bikou Old Town, the Yulei Pass and the ruins of the Yinping Ancient Road beside Bikou Reservoir, the Baishui River National Nature Reserve (home to giant pandas) and the Lizi Ba tea gardens are all within reach.

The best season is June to October. Late October brings the peak autumn colors, and in April and May you can pick tea in Bikou. In winter the mountain roads ice over, so take care on the Tianchi route.

Getting there: the Lanzhou–Chongqing Railway and the Lanzhou–Haikou Expressway pass nearby. Access is from Wudu in Longnan or from Guangyuan in Sichuan. Sights are spread out and buses are infrequent, so self-driving or a hired car is recommended. Allow 2–3 days. Mountain roads have many bends and rockfall risk, so check the weather during the rainy season.

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