Xichang is a relatively small city inthe Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan province. While the town may be of little interest, it is an excellent midpoint stop when traveling between Sichuan city and Yunnan, Lugu Lake is 6 hours to the West.

Understand

The area's best-known feature is Xichang Satellite Launch Center or "Base 57", about 64 km (40 miles) northwest of the city. Xichang, the capital of Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture is also known as China Moon City, China Space City and Xiaochun City.

Xichang has a reputation as "Spring City" because it has spring-like weather all year round and a pleasant climate.

Get in

The city is on both the main rail line and the main highway connecting Kunming and Chengdu, and it has an airport. The Chengdu–Kunming Railway (成昆铁路), while scenic, is extremely slow. By comparison, buses run on the newly constructed elevated G5 expressway.

Get around

The Xichang High-speed Railway was opened for operationin 2022, and named Xichang West Station. The time from Xichang to Chengdu and Kunming has been greatly shortened, and the tourism industry has developed rapidly.

Climate

Xichang City belongs to the tropical plateau monsoon climate area, known as the small "spring city", rich in climate resources, with warm winter and cool summer, all seasons like spring, abundant rainfall, rainfall concentration, sufficient sunshine, rich light and heat resources. During the day, the solar radiation is strong, and the temperature difference between day and night is large.

See

• Xichang Ancient City (西昌古城). Not exactly one of the finest ancient cities in China. Most iconic building is the Ming era city gate (巍巍大通门). 
• 🌍 Liangshan Yi Slave Society Museum (凉山彝族奴隶社会博物馆), 6 Lushan Road (泸山路6号) (On Lushan hill), ☏ +86 834 3950099, +86 834 3223150. 09:00-16:00, closed on Mondays. Slavery remained in the Liangshan area until the 1960s. This is the only museum in China with exhibitions on the slavery system of the Yi people. Free. (updated Jan 2023)
• Qionghai National Wetland Park （邛海国家湿地公园）Qionghai National Wetland Park is a plateau wetland nature reserve with high ecological value established and announced with the approval of the State Forestry Administration. It is located in It is one of the largest urban wetland parks in the city. The total area of the wetland is about 20,000 acres. It has multiple functions of conserving water sources, regulating urban microclimate, purifying water quality, and providing habitats for animals and plants and ecological landscapes.
• Qionghai Lake and Lushan Mountain Scenic Area (邛海泸山风景区). Qionghai Lake and Lushan Mountain are south of the city center. There is a surrounding wetlands area with a bike path which is approximately 40 km all around. There is a ticket fee of ¥55, but there are many sections of the lake which can be accessed without purchasing a ticket. (updated Jun 2015)
• Luoji Mountain（ 螺髻山）Luoji Mountain Tourist Scenic Area, also known as Luoji Mountain Scenic Area, Luoji Mountain Scenic Area, and Luoji Mountain Scenic Area, is located in Luoji Mountain Town, Puge County, spanning two counties and one city, Puge, Dechang, and Xichang, and is the Qiong It is part of the Hai-Luoji Mountain Scenic Area and is the largest Yi inhabited area in China. It has simple folk customs and culture. The Luoji Mountain tourist area covers an area of more than 1,000 square kilometers. The main peak is 4,359 meters above sea level. There are 72 peaks above 4,000 meters above sea level. Because the main peak towers into the clouds and looks like a green snail or a jade bun, it is named Luoji Mountain. The name comes from and Mount Emei has a "sister" relationship. Luoji Mountain is steep and aloof, with an altitude of more than 2,500 meters densely covered with Quaternary glacial relics. The scenic area has glaciers, hot springs, springs, waterfalls and other scenic spots. In addition, there are no people or roads in the undeveloped area of the scenic spot, so you cannot rush in. In May 2002, the State Council of the People's Republic of China approved the establishment of the national Qionghai-Luoji Mountain Scenic Area, which is a national AAAA-level scenic spot.
• Xichang Dashiban Ancient Village（西昌大石板古村）Dashiban Ancient Village was once one of the visiting points for on-site meetings in Sichuan Province to consolidate and expand the results of poverty alleviation and effectively connect with rural revitalization. It is a rural revitalization demonstration area supported by Liangshan Prefecture and Xichang City. The ancient village was built in the Ming Dynasty and rebuilt during the Daoguang period of the Qing Dynasty. With a history of nearly 600 years, it was an important town and post station on the ancient "Southern Silk Road" and the Ancient Tea Horse Road. The ancient village is located in Qionghai National Tourism Resort, facing Qionghai, backed by Luoji Mountain, and surrounded by mountains on three sides. It has beautiful scenery, unique natural ecological resources, and distinctive cultural characteristics of the Tea Horse Road
• Xichang Lushan（西昌泸山） Xichang Lu Mountain is one of the famous scenic spots, there are many ways to go up the mountain, you can climb on foot, and the monkeys on the mountain to a zero-distance interactive experience (but be careful of the "mountain king" grab food) you can also take the ropeway up the mountain, take the slide down the mountain. Go to the top of the mountain to enjoy the panoramic view of the entire city of Xichang, breathe the freshest air, and take a spiritual purification trip.
• 🌍 Qionghai National Wetland Park, ☏ +86 834-3952075. 08:00-22:00. ¥50. (updated Sep 2023)
• 🌍 Luoji Mountain, Luojishan Avenue, Luojishan Town, Puge County, ☏ +86 834-4779326. 08:00-18:00. ¥70. (updated Sep 2023)
• 🌍 Xichang Dashiban Ancient Village, Hainan Street, toll-free: +86 13881480172. 08:30-18:00. (updated Sep 2023)

Buy

• Xichang Wanda Plaza（西昌万达广场)Xichang Fire Pit BBQ：Xichang Barbecue is a specialty of the Xichang area in Liangshan Prefecture. Xichang barbecue is divided into "skewer grill" and "net grill". A short wooden table is hollowed out in the center, a simple fire pit made of enamel pots is placed under the table, and a wire net is placed on the table, so that all the ingredients can be put on the wire net and roasted.
• Xichang Dada Shopping Plaza（西昌达达购物广场）Xichang Dada Shopping Plaza is the largest shopping mall in Xichang and has three branches in Xichang.

Eat

• Xichang Li Xiaochang BBQ Manor（西昌李小肠烧烤庄园）
• Mianning Specialty Local Cuisine Restaurant(冕宁特色土菜馆 in Liangshan. The cuisine is Sichuan cuisine, and the per capita consumption is about ¥42. Recommended dishes: Two pepper mushrooms, tofu, three delicacies, crispy broth, chanterelles, stir-fried meat, Qionghai Lingjiao, stir-fried ham, golden bars, bee pupae, vegetables, stir-fried ham, twice-cooked meat, drunken shrimps, cold crucian carp, Qionghai drunken shrimps, sour and spicy fungus, potato sauerkraut soup, chicken fir soup
• Asi Beef and Buckwheat Garden BBQ（阿斯牛牛荞香花园烧烤）

Drink

Sleep

• 🌍 Qionghai Hotel, No. 115, Haibin Middle Road (bus 、taxi), ☏ +86 834 395 3333. Check-in: 14:00, check-out: 12:00. ¥622. (updated Sep 2023)

Festival culture

Xichang Torch Festival： The most grand annual event of the Yi people, also called the Oriental Carnival, starts at the end of July every year. The opening ceremony in Xichang is particularly large in scale and is divided into main venue and branch venues, which is full of atmosphere.

There will be many ethnic minority girls who will help everyone dance together and feel the ethnic customs here. There are different performances at each venue. Among them, the torch parade is the highlight of the Torch Festival.

Host place:

The torch Square is located in the central area of Xichang City. Activities: Opening ceremony, large-scale theme performance, lighting ceremony, bonfire dance, torch parade carnival, etc

XICHANG YI YEAR

Chinese traditional Yi festival Yi Year is a traditional festival of the Yi people in China. In history, the Yi ancestors once created the October solar calendar, 10 months a year, 36 days a month, October for the festival, so it is also called October year.

The festival generally has no fixed date, and is mostly held in October after the autumn harvest by the Bimo (wizard). Others are determined by the head of the family. During the New Year, kill pigs and worship ancestors, bake around the fire, listen to the old man, pray for grain harvest. 3 days later, visit relatives and friends, greet each other and drink "round wine" together. In the old days, slaves would send pigs' heads and goods to the head of the household. At present, the time of the New Year is determined by the masses themselves according to the busy or idle farming, and it is not uniform in all regions. During the festival, archery, wrestling, bullfighting and other entertainment activities are also held.

Year of the Yi Nationality in Xichang Yi nationality year, Yi language called "library history", is a collection of ancestor worship, entertainment, entertainment, clothing system and many other folk matters as one of the sacrificial and celebratory folk festival. It is distributed in the vast Yi areas of Sichuan, Yunnan, Guizhou and Guangxi. It is held around November 20 every year. Liangshan Yi nationality year, mainly in Butuo, Meigu, Zhaojue, Ganluo, Xide and other 17 counties (cities), among which Zhaojue, Meigu, Butuo, Xide and other counties Yi nationality year is representative, full of characteristics.

Go next

• Chengdu — 3 hours by train, 6 hours by bus
• Kunming — 4 hours by train, 6 hours by bus
• Lugu Lake — 6 hours by bus
• 3 hours to Chengdu
• to Kunming