Yibin (Bamboo Sea & Lizhuang)

The "First City on the Yangtze," with the Bamboo Sea, Xingwen Stone Sea and Lizhuang, a wartime-culture ancient town, plus Wuliangye liquor and Yibin ranmian noodles; a destination blending culture and nature in southern Sichuan.

Yibin lies in southern Sichuan, where the Jinsha and Min rivers meet and the Yangtze River takes its name, earning the city the title "First City on the Yangtze." It is also the home of Wuliangye and is known as China's "Liquor Capital." The area offers both nature and culture: the Bamboo Sea of southern Sichuan, on the border of Changning and Jiang'an, is one of the largest continuous bamboo-forest scenic areas in China; the Stone Sea in Xingwen County is a UNESCO Global Geopark with massive sinkholes and caves; Lizhuang Ancient Town, on the Yangtze to the east of the city, was the wartime home of Tongji University, Academia Sinica, the Society for Research in Chinese Architecture and other institutions relocated inland, and is known as "Lizhuang of China"; and the city itself has the Hejiang Gate at the Three Rivers Confluence, Cuiping Mountain and the Liubei Pool. Planning: the city and Lizhuang take 1–2 days, the Bamboo Sea 1–2 days (you can stay inside the Bamboo Sea), and the Xingwen Stone Sea 1 day, for a total of 3–5 days. Seasons: good year-round; in spring (March–April) bamboo shoots come into season and the Bamboo Sea is at its greenest; summers are cool in the Bamboo Sea but rainy; autumn and winter bring drifting mist and fewer visitors. Getting there: Yibin Station is the junction of the Chengdu–Guiyang, Chongqing–Kunming and Chengdu–Zigong–Yibin high-speed lines, about 1–1.5 hours from Chengdu East and about 1.5 hours from Chongqing; Yibin Wuliangye Airport has direct flights to Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen and other cities; from the city it is about 40 minutes by car to Lizhuang, about 1.5 hours to the Bamboo Sea and about 2 hours to the Xingwen Stone Sea, so we recommend driving or hiring a car between sights. Food: Yibin ranmian (a must for breakfast), Lizhuang white-sliced pork, bamboo-shoot banquets, yacai (preserved mustard greens) and Nanxi dried tofu. Notes: the Bamboo Sea and Stone Sea scenic areas are large, and cable cars, shuttle buses and admission are charged separately; mountain roads are slippery after summer rain, and watch for mosquitoes and snakes in the bamboo forest; drink in moderation when exploring liquor culture, and never drive after drinking.

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