Shangli Ancient Town
上里古镇
A post-station town on the Tea-Horse Ancient Trail, where two rivers meet, with stone-bridge old streets, stilt wooden houses and rapeseed fields. It is Ya'an's most representative ancient town in western Sichuan.
Shangli Ancient Town lies about 27 km north of Yucheng District, Ya'an. Known in ancient times as Luosheng, it was an important post on the Southern Silk Road and the Tea-Horse Ancient Trail, and it is also a place the Red Army passed through on the Long March. The town sits where two streams meet, surrounded by green hills. It preserves stone-paved streets from the Ming and Qing periods, timber-frame chuandou houses and stilt houses. Stone arch bridges such as Erxian Bridge and Gaoqiao Bridge span its waterways, and at the entrance stands the Han Family Courtyard, a grand Qing-dynasty residence. Outside the town are Wenfeng Pagoda (the White Pagoda) and stone slogan carvings left by the Long March. In spring, when rapeseed is in flower, the town, fields and stone bridges make a beautiful picture. On ordinary days, visitors are few, so it is good for a leisurely stroll and a meal. Try Ya'an specialities such as rattan pepper fish, yellow beef and bamboo shoots. Entry to the town is free, though some courtyards charge a small fee. Getting there: about 40 minutes by car or bus from Ya'an city, and it can be paired with Bifeng Gorge on the same day. Notes: parking is tight on holidays, and in the rainy season, do not wade in the riverbed when the streams are high.
Opening hours
All day
Nearby sights
- Mount Mengding
- Bifengxia Panda Base & Gorge
- Jinfeng Temple
- Yazhou Covered Bridge
- Ya'an Museum
- Zhougong Mountain Hot Spring
- Dongla Mountain Grand Canyon
- Dengchigou (Giant Panda Discovery Site)