[2024 Qionglai Attraction] Travel Guide for Jiaguan Town (Updated Sep)
Towns
Address:
Bei'an Street, Chenshi, Chengdu
Opening times:
Open all dayOpen
Recommended sightseeing time:
0.5-1 day
A century-old ancient town, Sichuan's own little Jiangnan.
[Jiaguan Ancient Town Travel Notes]
In the hinterland of the Sichuan Basin, there is a place with a long history and full of poetry-Jiaguan Ancient Town. This small town located in the southwest of Qionglai City, Sichuan Province, with its unique geographical location and rich historical and cultural heritage, has become a rare tourist attraction. Jiaguan Ancient Town is located on the beautiful western Sichuan plain, surrounded by mountains, and the clear river passes through the town, adding a bit of tranquility and beauty to this ancient town.
### Scenic spot introduction
Walking in Jiaguan Ancient Town, you will be attracted by the well-preserved Ming and Qing buildings. The small alleys paved with bluestone slabs, the antique shops, and the old houses that seem to tell old stories all reveal the traces of the years. What is worth mentioning is the ancient tea-horse road site here, which witnessed the bustling scene of business travelers in history, and people can't help but imagine the lively scene of the year. In addition, Jiaguan has many temples and ancestral halls, such as Guanyin Temple, which are good places to experience local culture and beliefs.
### Traffic strategy
It is very convenient to reach Jiaguan Ancient Town. From Chengdu, you can take a high-speed train or long-distance bus to Qionglai City, and then transfer to a local bus or taxi to Jiaguan Ancient Town, which takes about an hour. If you are driving by yourself, you can choose to go directly through the Chengdu-Wenjiang-Qionglai Expressway. The scenery along the way is beautiful and enjoyable.
### Accommodation recommendation
For tourists who want to experience the life of the ancient town in depth, it is a good choice to choose to live in the ancient town. There are many inns with local characteristics, such as "Jiaguan Renjia" and "Old Street Inn". These inns not only retain the traditional architectural style, but also provide comfortable services, allowing you to enjoy convenience and feel the strong cultural atmosphere. Of course, if you prefer modern accommodation conditions, you can also choose to stay in a hotel in Qionglai City, which is also very convenient.
### Nearby attractions recommended
In addition to the charm of Jiaguan Ancient Town itself, there are some places worth visiting nearby. For example, you can visit Tiantai Mountain nearby to enjoy the natural scenery; or visit Wenjun Well to learn about the story of the talented woman Zhuo Wenjun in the Tang Dynasty; and Pingle Ancient Town, which is also a place full of stories. These places are not far from Jiaguan, and can be arranged for a tour together.
Jiaguan Ancient Town attracts tourists from all directions with its unique historical and cultural charm. There are not only beautiful scenery to enjoy, but also stories to listen to. I believe that every visiting friend will find their own touch and memories here. If you are planning an unforgettable cultural journey, consider Jiaguan Ancient Town, I believe it will not disappoint you.
MountainMaverick.
Taste local delicacies and enjoy the tranquil life of the ancient town
Qionglai Jiaguan Ancient Town is located in Qionglai City, Chengdu, Sichuan Province. It is a historic ancient town known for its Tea Horse Road culture, Western Sichuan residential buildings, and natural scenery. The ancient town retains many ancient buildings from the Ming and Qing dynasties, such as stilt houses and stone-paved streets. Visitors can experience traditional tea culture, taste local delicacies, and enjoy the tranquil life of the ancient town.
Isabella&Miller
Jia Guan Ancient Town
Jia Guan Ancient Town is located in the southwest of Qionglai City, Chengdu, Sichuan Province. The ancient town is known for its unique geographical location and quaint architectural style, earning it the nickname 'Little Jiangnan of Western Sichuan.' It retains the original ancient charm and tranquility, making it a hidden gem away from the hustle and bustle.
The ancient town is surrounded by mountains, with fresh and pleasant air. Local specialties include Qionglai milk soup noodles, specialty tofu pudding, and wild vegetable chicken soup.
For tourists who enjoy off-the-beaten-path destinations, this is a place not to be missed.
D3v10us_@byssw@lk3r
Chengdu's ultra-niche water-playing ancient town for kids, tea drinking, and enjoying a slow life
🚗 Qionglai Jiaguan Ancient Town Self-drive or 🚄 to Qionglai and take 🚌 304 directly
It suddenly became popular some time ago because of the intangible cultural heritage: Iron Flower
🍃 Jiaguan is actually not a very famous ancient town in Qionglai, because it has no competitiveness among similar ancient towns, after all, the neighboring Pingle Ancient Town is already well-known.
But I prefer Jiaguan, it is more simple and natural, without the uniform internet-famous ancient town snack streets, there are only tea shops along the river and local snacks. I love its lively atmosphere, the elderly sitting on bamboo chairs, fanning themselves and chatting, children happily tasting refreshing ice jelly on the covered bridge across the river...
🍃 The river is the center of Jiaguan Ancient Town, with residential buildings built along the river, sitting idle on boats, a scene of tranquility and harmony. The boatman turns on the sound system, music starts playing, it is the ballads loved by the older generation, the boat slowly cruises, I close my eyes, enjoying this moment of peace...
🍃 My son had a great time here, he was both excited and curious about the boat ride, stepping on the stone steps to feel the cool water flow, playing all day without feeling tired.
🍃 If you come to Jiaguan on a market day, you will definitely fall in love with this place, as if you have returned to your childhood going to the market with your parents, everywhere is full of novel things. Home-grown vegetables and fruits, grains and dry goods, wild fresh produce, etc., dazzling...
🍃 Outside the ancient town is a tea culture experience park, if you come in spring you can also experience tea picking, and taking photos in the vast tea garden is very picturesque.
In short, I like this niche ancient town, and I hope it will always remain simple and clean.
Jiaguan Town
Harper54 Walker.
Escape the hustle and bustle of the city
📍Address:
Departure: Chengdu
Destination: Navigate to Jiaguan Ancient Town
🗓Itinerary: Chengdu - Jiaguan Ancient Town (stroll through the ancient town - enjoy local cuisine - experience tea picking - learn tea making) - return to Chengdu
Stroll through the ancient town: The ancient town is not very big, and it can be explored in less than an hour. The main features of Jiaguan Ancient Town are: a river running through the middle, houses on both sides, three bridges standing side by side, and the Bai Mo River flowing through the town. There are three ancient bridges, Wanfu Bridge, Yongsou Bridge, and Qingyuan Bridge, connecting the two sides, which really gives a feeling of the water towns in the south of the Yangtze River. However, the rainy season might be approaching, so the water is very muddy and smells a bit.
🍲Enjoy local cuisine: The recommended restaurants in Jiaguan Ancient Town are Zouji Restaurant, Linjiang Restaurant, and Jiaguan Restaurant. All three are quite famous locally and may have queues on weekends. The taste is quite good, with recommended dishes including 'Crossing the River Chicken', 'Pickled Pepper Eel', and 'Blood Curd'.
👍Most recommended:
Tea picking and making: Jiaguan Ancient Town has tens of thousands of acres of tea gardens, and the town is most famous for its dark tea. You can experience tea picking and making here. For 40 yuan, you can get local bamboo baskets, conical hats, and tea-picking aprons and sleeve covers, etc. Dressed up for tea picking, you'll take great photos (see the last picture). After picking tea, you can experience making tea and then take the finished product home.
4. Enjoy afternoon tea: This is a must-mention. Having afternoon tea by the river in Jiaguan Ancient Town is incredibly cheap, 10 yuan per tea, and you can play mahjong for free!! Amazing!! In the summer, it's so pleasant to sit in the breeze, drink tea, and cool off in the ancient town.
KAYLIE MILLS
An Underestimated Millennium-Old Ancient Town | Jiaguan Ancient Town
| Jiaguan Ancient Town.
Jiaguan Ancient Town is one of the three major ancient towns in Qionglai, with a history of 2300 years, and it is also the most important post station on the Ancient Tea Horse Road. The ancient town is surrounded by mountains and built along the river, with three bridges standing side by side, blending with ancient houses, watchtowers, covered bridges, and the green mountains and waters, as if stepping into a tranquil ink painting of a landscape from bygone years.
There is also a "Little Jiangnan" hidden around Chengdu, where not only the scenery is beautiful
but the commercialization is low, making it an ideal place for a leisurely outing.
Location: Direct navigation to Jiaguan Ancient Town is available.
Transportation: About 1.5h drive from Chengdu (self-driving recommended)
Ticket: Free
SCARLET COLE
A 'Jiangnan water town' that 99% of Chengdu residents don't know about, accessible even without a car
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I recently visited an unexpectedly obscure small town
The town is built along the river, and walking by the river feels like a dream return to 'Fenghuang Ancient Town'
Because it has not been commercially developed, it is more primitive and natural than Fenghuang, without the crowded crowds, and you can take photos at each spot at your leisure!
People fish by the river, some drink tea, some wash clothes, and time seems to slow down in this ancient town...
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👉Travel tips:
🚗How to get there by car: Depart from Chengdu for 1.5h, navigate to 'Jiaguan Ancient Town'
🚄How to get there without a car: About 40 minutes by intercity high-speed train from Chengdu South Station to Qionglai, then take bus 304 from Qionglai High-Speed Train Station directly to 'Gaodian Village Group 13', after arriving it's only 1.3km, you can walk or take a taxi
👉Photography tips
This ancient town is really great for taking photos, with many spots and few people
❶Spot 1: There is a tall tower in the ancient town (picture 10), which is very high and visible from everywhere. Now you can only go to the first floor of the tower, where you can overlook the ancient town
❷Spot 2: The 'Jiaguan' bridge of the ancient town, where you can take a picture from the perspective of image one
👉Sightseeing tips
The ancient town is in Qionglai, and there are so many fun places nearby after visiting, I'll list a few that I've been to myself and really enjoyed!
❶Tiantai Mountain: 8.6km
❷Tea gardens: There are many around, you can see them by walking, and the scenery is very nice (picture 11)
❸Niunianping Tea Garden of Ten Thousand Mu: This tea garden gave me a particularly great experience, 12km
❹Pingle Ancient Town: 13km
❺Sichuan West Bamboo Sea: 14km
NoahO Donnell06
Recreate the misty rain of the Jiangnan region with just a 1
5-hour drive from Chengdu, and encounter the millennium-old ancient town of Jiaguan.
🏰 Jiaguan Ancient Town, a thousand-year-old town on the outskirts of Chengdu, attracts tourists with its simple charm and profound cultural heritage. Nestled against mountains and rivers, three ancient bridges span across the river, complementing the old houses, watchtowers, and covered bridges, forming a picturesque ink painting of the Jiangnan region. The town is not only scenic but also offers a wealth of distinctive foods and a long history and culture, making it an excellent place to experience the traditional Sichuan western style.
🚗 **Transportation Guide**
📍 Location: In the vicinity of Chengdu, set navigation to Qionglai Jiaguan Ancient Town
🛣️ How to get there: Self-driving, only 1.5 hours from downtown Chengdu
🎟️ Ticket information: 💸 Free of charge, open to the public
🏞️ **Tour Details**
🖼️ **Ink and Wash Painting**
Surrounded by green hills and built along the water, the town features three ancient bridges lying across the river, seamlessly integrated with old houses, watchtowers, and covered bridges, creating a poetic landscape painting. Strolling around, it feels like stepping into a paradise, immersed in a dreamlike Jiangnan misty rain.
🍜 **Temptation of Taste**
During lunchtime, taste the town's special delicacies, such as tender bamboo shoot stir-fried pork, rich tofu pudding, and plump field eel fish, a table full of richness and affordability, accompanied by soft and sweet leaf-wrapped sticky rice, a mouthful of spring.
📸 **Photography Spots**
🔹 Small bridges over flowing water, tea mountains like ink, every corner of the ancient town is an excellent shooting location, capturing one's own memories of the town.
🔹 Climb the covered bridge upstream of the town to overlook the panoramic view of the ancient town, with the adjacent idle watchtower being a great spot for drone aerial photography, with three stone bridges in full view, and the silhouettes of people in the distance are especially moving under the sunset.
🔹 It is suggested to dress in a retro and elegant style, such as ancient or Republic of China style clothing, or a simple white outfit with some props, to create a more atmospheric masterpiece.
📝 **Practical Tips**
🅿️ Parking suggestion: Park your vehicle in the marked parking spaces at the entrance of the ancient town for easy walking and no parking fees.
☀️ Travel preparation: Please be prepared for sun protection this season and bring mosquito repellent products.
🚯 Civilized tourism: Please help protect this pristine beauty, do not litter, and respect and protect the environment of the ancient town.
🌟 The millennium-old Jiaguan Ancient Town, like a dazzling pearl embedded in the outskirts of Chengdu, awaits your exploration. Avoid the hustle and bustle of the city, immerse yourself in this hard-to-find tranquility and simplicity, and let every capture of the lens and every step you take become an eternal memory in your heart.
BENNETT SCHWARTZ
This is not a water town in the south of the Yangtze River, but an ancient town that is a 1
5-hour drive from Chengdu.
This place was once known as 'Little Jiangnan of Chengdu' and has a history of more than 2000 years. It is currently in an undeveloped state. That is Jiaguan Ancient Town.
📌: Chengdu Qionglai Jiaguan Ancient Town
🚗 Driving: 1.5h drive from downtown Chengdu
🎫: Free🆓
🍊 About Jiaguan Ancient Town
The whole town has a layout of 'two streets side by side, a river flowing in the middle, and three bridges standing together.' The Baimo River runs through the town, and there are three ancient bridges connecting the two banks: Wanfu Bridge, Yongsou Bridge, and Qingyuan Bridge. On both sides are the stilted buildings built along the water, which are especially beautiful.
🍊 Special Recommendations
1. Ancient trees, stone bridges, old streets, old houses, strolling, drinking tea, fishing, playing mahjong, full of the atmosphere of daily life. Summer is here, you can wade in the water, sit on bamboo rafts, it's simply too cool...
2. The whole town is in its original ecological state, without the commercial taste of other ancient towns, but with an extra dose of nature and simplicity. You can stay in a farmhouse inn or just visit for a day. Local restaurants can be found online. The most important thing is that it's especially cheap. Eel, cold chicken, milk soup noodles, yerba mate... Anyway, we only spent an average of 30 yuan per person.
3. When you arrive at Jiaguan Ancient Town, you'll understand how beautiful the lyrics 'The sky is blue, waiting for the misty rain, and I am waiting for you, with the smoke from the kitchen chimneys rising...' can be.
KYRA ROSS
Surrounding Chengdu! An obscure millennium-old ancient town
A secluded water town in the south of the Yangtze River.
Surrounding Chengdu! An obscure millennium-old ancient town... A secluded water town in the south of the Yangtze River.
It takes only 1.5 hours to reach this little-known ancient town with a thousand years of history from Chengdu, as if you are in a secluded water town in the south of the Yangtze River. This is an undeveloped ancient town, open for free.
Locals live by the river, where you can see scenes of everyday life such as elderly people chatting and children playing in the water... The shops on the old street also show signs of the years. It's well worth spending a day here over the weekend to experience the local life!
Travel Tips
You can have lunch on the old street when you arrive at noon, and you can park your car on both sides of the old street. The Zouji Restaurant, which has been open for over ten years, is recommended... The milk soup noodle shop opposite is also quite good.
In the afternoon, you can walk up along the river, the residential buildings and towering trees on both sides of the river... are very photogenic! If you get tired, you can sit in a teahouse by the river~ It's quite pleasant!
:Jiaguan Ancient Town
ELLIE GREENE
Here lies a century-old ancient town | Sichuan's Jiangnan water town turns out to be a great spot to check in for the May Day holiday
| Sichuan's Jiangnan water town turns out to be a great spot to check in for the May Day holiday. I stumbled upon this ancient town, and it's just perfect for a leisurely stroll! With its small bridges over flowing water and leisurely moving boats, it's practically a replica of the water towns in the Jiangnan area.
Compared to the nearby ancient towns of Pingle and Xilai, which are just 10 kilometers away, this place has fewer tourists and is super suitable for a leisurely walk.
Standing on high ground, watching the pedestrians on the stone bridges and looking at the reflections in the water, that feeling, tsk tsk, is truly one of tranquil times.
Basking in the sun by the lake, drinking a cup of green tea, writing poetry, walking on the stone bridges, away from the hustle and bustle, quietly enjoying this slow time.
Strolling along the riverbank or spending 20 yuan on a boat tour to appreciate the scenery on both sides is fantastic.
The town is not big, and you can finish touring it in half a day. For dining, I recommend trying the pork intestines, a local specialty; just pick any restaurant and it won't disappoint.
Jiaguan Ancient Town is located in Qionglai, about a 1-hour drive from Chengdu, and it's simply delightful to take a day trip here for the May Day holiday.
On the 3rd, 6th, and 9th, there's also a market in the town, so you can go early during the May Day holiday to check it out.
RoamingRuminations
The ancient town around Chengdu | This millennium-old town is off the beaten path and healing
🌱 Spring is really too wonderful, the spring fields are green, and all things are reborn
The treetops are tinged with new green, and flowers of all colors compete to bloom
The gentle spring breeze, the warm sunshine, the pleasant birdsong...
✨ Who can resist indulging in such a beautiful spring?
🧚🏻♀️ Put on your favorite dress and join us for a spring date
👣 Travel destination recommendation — Jiaguan Ancient Town
✅ It only takes 1.5 hours to reach this thousand-year-old town from Chengdu, with almost zero commercialization, giving a misty Jiangnan-like feeling. It's not crowded, the scenery is beautiful, and it's super worth a visit!
🔸 Jiaguan Ancient Town is located in Qionglai, with a history of 2300 years. It was once a passageway for the Silk Road and the Ancient Tea Horse Road, with the Baimo River running through the town, dividing it into north and south banks.
🔸 Without the hustle and bustle of people coming and going, nestled against the mountains and by the water, with beautiful scenery, it is definitely a great place for spring outings!
🏡 The ancient town is not big, and one day is just enough to explore. It gets a little busier on market days every three, six, and nine
🌤 In the morning, you can stroll around the ancient town, find a small shop, order a pot of spring tea, and feel the atmosphere of life in the market
🛶 Walking on the ancient stone bridges, admiring the riverside scenery, the town has many ancient buildings from the Ming and Qing dynasties, blending with the green mountains and waters, like a tranquil landscape painting of the years.
🍃 After lunch, you can head to Jiaguan Tea Mountain in the afternoon, one of the birthplaces of dark tea, which is one of the earliest tea-producing areas.
🌱 It is now the season for spring tea picking, with thousands of acres of tea gardens lush and green. Walking in the tea gardens, taking deep breaths of fresh air, your whole body and mind seem to be enveloped by the breath of spring
🌳 Whether you pick tea with a small basket or sit by the bridge with a pot of tea, both are great choices~
🍚 Dining recommendations: Zouji Restaurant, Linjiang Restaurant, Jiaguan Restaurant
📸 Photography: The riverside and covered bridges of the ancient town, as well as the tea gardens, are very photogenic, suitable for taking photos with an ancient style. Or a plain dress with some small props is also a nice choice
TranscontinentalTales*22
Sichuan has its own water town in the south of the Yangtze River
I stumbled upon an ancient town that's perfect for a leisurely stroll, with small bridges, flowing water, and black-awning boats, as if I were in the water towns of the south of the Yangtze River.
Compared to the Pingle and Xilai ancient towns about 10 kilometers away, there are fewer tourists here, making it more suitable for a leisurely and slow walk.
Standing high up, I watch the hurried passersby on the stone bridge and the reflections in the water, feeling a sense of peacefulness as if time stands still.
Sitting by the lake, basking in the sun, drinking a cup of green tea, writing, walking on the stone bridge, away from the hustle and bustle, I experience the simple and tranquil slow pace of life🍵.
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You can stroll around the riverbank🚶, or spend 💰20 to take a boat tour and enjoy the scenery on both sides.
The town is small and can be explored in half a day. For dining, I recommend trying the local specialty of pork intestines (we randomly chose a place and it was quite good👍
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Jiaguan Ancient Town is located in Qionglai, about a 1-hour drive🚗 from Chengdu, making it very suitable for a weekend day trip.
On the 3rd, 6th, and 9th days of the market, the town has a market day, and I plan to come early next time to explore.
AveloraQuintessa456#
In Chengdu, I stumbled into the 'little bridge, flowing water, and households' from ancient poems
May's first trip
was to this amazing ancient town that took me by surprise - 'Jiaguan Ancient Town'
It's just a 1.5h drive from Chengdu
Almost purely natural and not fully developed yet
It has a sense of déjà vu of the water towns in the south of the Yangtze River
As if I've entered the beautiful scenes only found in ancient poetry...🍃
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💥Travel Tips:
1⃣️The ancient town is not big, and the main area can actually be toured in about two hours
2⃣️For lunch, find an authentic local restaurant or Qionglai milk soup noodles, solving a meal is very ok
3⃣️After eating, you can find a teahouse to drink a cup of tea🍵 play mahjong🀄️, or chill by the river
4⃣️If you have time, you can also find a nearby tea garden, personally experiencing picking tea is also a very special experience
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💥Photo Spots:
1⃣️On the stone bridge entering the ancient town, use a telephoto lens to shoot the distant view, absolutely beautiful (pics ②, ①③)
2⃣️Along the river in the ancient town, many places look great for photos (pics ①, ③, ⑤, ⑥, ⑦, ⑧, ①①, ①②)
3⃣️On the ancient style gallery bridge upstream, you can take beautiful framed photos (pic ⑩)
4⃣️Next to the gallery bridge, the watchtower, standing on it with a telephoto lens can capture an aerial view perspective (pic ④)
...
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🏡: Jiaguan Ancient Town
🚗: Self-driving is recommended, 1.5h drive from Chengdu
🎫: Free of charge
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If you also want to find a place around Chengdu
where you can go back and forth in one day with few people and beautiful scenery
This ancient town, which almost 99% of Chengdu people still don't know about
Can be added to your travel list!! 👏👏
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