Southern Sichuan

Southern Sichuan comprises four cities: Zigong, Luzhou, Neijiang and Yibin. Its main attractions are Zigong's Lantern Festival and dinosaurs, the liquor towns of Luzhou and Yibin, the Bamboo Sea of Southern Sichuan, and Lizhuang Ancient Town.

Southern Sichuan is defined here by the Southern Sichuan Economic Zone in Sichuan's official "Five-Zone Co-prosperity" economic planning, covering four cities: Zigong, Luzhou, Neijiang and Yibin. It lies on the southern rim of the Sichuan Basin, where the Yangtze, Tuo and Min rivers meet, bordering Chongqing, Guizhou and Yunnan. Highlights: Zigong is known as the "Thousand-Year Salt Capital" and "Hometown of Dinosaurs." The Zigong Dinosaur Museum, the Salt History Museum and the Xianhai Salt Well showcase a distinctive industrial heritage, and the grand Zigong Lantern Festival takes place around the Spring Festival each year. Luzhou is a major center of Chinese baijiu, where you can visit the Luzhou Laojiao fermentation pits, and nearby ancient towns such as Yaoba and Fubao in Hejiang are well preserved. Yibin is the "First City on the Yangtze" and home of Wuliangye. The Bamboo Sea of Southern Sichuan is a vast bamboo-forest scenic area, Xingwen Stone Sea is known for its karst sinkholes and caves, and Lizhuang Ancient Town is famous for hosting academic institutions such as the Society for Research in Chinese Architecture and Tongji University when they relocated during the War of Resistance. Neijiang has Zhang Daqian's hometown and the stone archways of Longchang. Southern Sichuan is also the birthplace of "Yanbang cuisine," a branch of Sichuan cooking, and the food merits dedicated time. Classic itinerary: a three-city route of Zigong–Yibin–Luzhou, taking in the Lantern Festival or dinosaur museum, the Bamboo Sea, Lizhuang and liquor-culture visits, recommended at 4–5 days; it can also be combined with Chongqing as a southern Sichuan–Chongqing route. Getting around: Yibin Wuliangye Airport, Luzhou Yunlong Airport and Zigong Fengming Airport have commercial flights; the Chengdu–Chongqing high-speed line passes through Neijiang, the Chengdu–Zigong–Yibin high-speed line links Zigong and Yibin, and the Chongqing–Kunming high-speed line runs through Yibin. Practical notes: during the Lantern Festival, accommodation is tight, so book early; distillery visits mostly require reservations; summers are muggy, so wear non-slip shoes at the Bamboo Sea and Stone Sea.

Destinations

Itineraries