Dujiangyan

Dujiangyan is a small city in Sichuan province (China), near Chengdu, which is home to a variety of attractions.

Understand
In the Warring States period about 2,200 years ago, the engineer Li Bing and his son led the construction of the Dujiangyan irrigation system. This allowed the taming of the river and the irrigation of the surrounding lands. Before the completion of the irrigation system, the plains around the Min River were prone to flash flooding, due to the fast moving river flowing down from the mountains and meeting level ground. The irrigation system protected the area from flooding and drought, making the Chengdu plain one of the most fertile and wealthy regions in China. It may be no coincidence that a few decades later, the State of Qin (which ruled this area) succeeded in conquering the other Chinese states, and unifying China for the first time.

By train
A high-speed rail service connects Chengdu to Dujiangyan in about 35 minutes. However, the schedule is irregular and trains are often sold out, so it's highly recommended to buy your tickets a day in advance. Trains depart from one of two Chengdu stations: Chengdu North is the main train station (reached by subway line 1), and Xipu is a suburban station (reached by subway line 2). Trains reach one of two stations in Dujiangyan city: Dujiangyan or Liduigongyuan.

By bus
Buses take 75 minutes from Chadianzi Bus Station in Chengdu (subway Line 2, Chadianzi Bus Terminal stop). These buses are extremely frequent and cheap, but there may be a long line to board. Buy a ticket before getting in line. English is neither written nor spoken in the bus terminals, and intercity buses do not have numbers. But people are helpful, so things should work out.

Get around
There is an extensive local bus system (see map).

Taxis within the city are cheap. (Starting from ¥4)

Eat
Lapai Hot Pot: The traditional copper pot adds a sense of ceremony✨Hot hooves, chicken, crispy pork and Qingcheng Mountain specialty cured pork ribs. After stewing, it will not be very salty. The stewed glutinous soybeans absorb the soup of the meat! This pot is especially suitable for replenishing your body after a hard day‘s work.