Xichang

Introduction

Xichang is a city in the south of Sichuan, China, and serves as the seat of the Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture. It is the administrative centre of a prefecture that is home to the Yi people, and it sits in the southern part of the province.

Before you go

Xichang is the capital of Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture and is also known as China Moon City, China Space City and Xiaochun City. Its best-known feature is the Xichang Satellite Launch Center, sometimes called "Base 57", which lies about 64 km (40 miles) northwest of the city.

• The city has a reputation as "Spring City" thanks to its spring-like weather all year round and its pleasant climate.
• It belongs to the tropical plateau monsoon climate area, with warm winters and cool summers and all seasons like spring.
• Rainfall is abundant and concentrated, and sunshine is plentiful, with rich light and heat resources.
• Solar radiation is strong during the day, and the temperature difference between day and night is large, so plan your clothing accordingly.

For emergencies, note that the fire alarm number is 119, the police phone number is 110, and the emergency hotline is 120.

Getting there

Getting around

Xichang has no metro or tram network, so buses are the backbone of local public transport — and conveniently, the routes most useful to visitors all start at Xichang West Railway Station. The No. 6 bus runs from the West Railway Station to Yuecheng Square, a good base for eating and for visiting Jianchang Ancient City. The No. 108 Huanhu (lake-circuit) bus goes from the West Railway Station to the entrance of Wetland Park Party School, where you can pick up a sightseeing bus onward to Jinlin Beach. The No. 106 bus, another Huanhu service, runs from the West Railway Station to Walnut Village, passing through Lushan, Qionghai Park and Dashiban Ancient Village, while the No. 111 bus runs from the West Railway Station to the small fishing village, passing through Xichang city. Buy bus tickets on board with exact change or a transport card, and expect services to wind down in the evening.

Taxis are a straightforward option for short hops and for reaching the stations with luggage, and ride-hailing apps work in Xichang — often the easiest way to cover a specific point-to-point trip, such as from your hotel to a lake entrance or to the tourism distribution center, without working out which bus route applies. Have your destination written in Chinese, since English is not widely used by drivers. Central Xichang is compact enough that the area around Yuecheng Square and Jianchang Ancient City can be explored on foot, which is the most pleasant way to see the old city; elsewhere the city is spread out and the sights around Qiong Lake are strung along the shore rather than clustered together, so walking works best combined with the lake-circuit buses or a taxi for the longer stretches. For longer-distance coaches and tourist services, two practical anchors are the Xichang Tourism Distribution Center on West Railway Station East Road and Xichang East Passenger Transport Station.

Where to stay

In the centre of Xincheng District, the Mingren Hotel puts you within easy reach of the district's shops and services, while the Xichang Minshan Hotel on Shengli South Road is another established choice. Rates across these properties sit in the mid to upper range, with the lakeside hotels costing more than the central ones.

Food & drink

Xichang's food scene draws on both the city's lakeside setting and the wider Liangshan region. Fishing Village Spicy Fish Fillet is a local creation from Xichang's small fishing village, made with fresh fish from Qionghai Lake and served spicy. Side fried potatoes, a specialty of Xide County, can also be found here, while Vietnamese bean curd — a home-style dish from Yuexi County — pairs bean curd with fried crispy pork and a secret sauce. For Yi cooking, head to Old Yi flavor, where the pickled cabbage and potato soup is a must-order appetiser. Cupot vegetables is a copper-pot hot pot built on a chicken-stock base and loaded with local wild vegetables. Huili chicken fire wire bait block, a morning staple for locals, resembles thin shreds of rice cake in a flavourful soup with shredded turkey and local ham. Fat Brother Chuan Chuan is known for buckwheat jelly, roll noodles and cold noodles in a sweet-and-sour style.

Barbecue is a mainstay of the local dining scene, with spots such as Li Xiaochang Special BBQ, Asi Niu Niu (Asi Beef and Buckwheat Garden BBQ) and Mianning Local Restaurant, which serves Sichuan cuisine with dishes including two pepper mushrooms, Qionghai drunken shrimps, chicken fir soup and potato sauerkraut soup. To drink, try Liangshan snow yogurt, Xichang's own specialty yogurt, which is refreshing alongside barbecue and helps cut the spice, or the city's special rice wine. A bar food street is also part of the evening scene.

What to see and do

Xichang's sights cluster around two poles: the old town and the lake-and-mountain scenery to the south. In Xichang Ancient City, the Ming-era city gate is the standout structure, and the street layout still follows the old plan, with four archways at the centre and streets radiating out to the north, south, east and west. The wider area holds ancient ruins, tombs, stone carvings, rock paintings and old buildings, and the calligrapher He Shaoji and the educator Huang Yanpei are among those who left ink marks here. On Lushan hill, the Liangshan Yi Slave Society Museum is the only museum in China devoted to the slavery system of the Yi people, which persisted in the Liangshan area into the 1960s.

• Qionghai Lake and Lushan Mountain Scenic Area – south of the centre, with a wetlands bike path looping roughly 40 km around the lake; parts of the shore can be reached without a ticket.
• Xichang Lushan – climb on foot or take the ropeway up and the slide down; monkeys on the mountain come close enough to interact with, so watch your food. The summit gives a panoramic view over the city.
• Luoji Mountain – a vast Yi-inhabited scenic area of high peaks, Quaternary glacial relics, glaciers, hot springs, springs and waterfalls. The undeveloped sections have no roads or people, so do not venture in.
• Xichang Dashiban Ancient Village – a Ming-founded village rebuilt in the Qing, once a post station on the Southern Silk Road and the Ancient Tea Horse Road, facing Qionghai with Luoji Mountain behind it.
• Xichang Satellite Launch Center – in Zeyuan Township, operating since the early 1980s and the site of numerous satellite launches.

For gentler outings, Qionghai National Wetland Park is a plateau wetland reserve that conserves water, moderates the urban climate and shelters wildlife. Xichang Haihe Park is where locals stroll after dinner, and you can take tea at a riverside teahouse. Moonlight Style Town, at the foot of Qionghai Lushan, blends moonlight and fishermen culture, while the Small Fishing Village was historically the lake's main fishing base.

When to go

Xichang's year-round spring-like tropical plateau monsoon climate makes it a comfortable destination in any season, which is why it is known as a "Spring City." Expect strong sunshine whenever you visit, and plan for a noticeable difference between day and night conditions.

• Winter: Days are warm and spring-like rather than cold, so time outdoors stays pleasant. Strong solar radiation during the day gives way to noticeably cooler nights, so pack layers for a large day-to-night temperature swing.
• Summer: Temperatures stay cool and spring-like rather than hot, keeping daytime sightseeing comfortable. This is the rainy stretch, with rainfall concentrated into the season, so bring rain gear and be ready for frequent wet weather.

Three days in Xichang

Day one: Start in Xichang, the Spring City of Sichuan, and get your bearings around Yuecheng Square before wandering into Jianchang Ancient City, where the old streets and Yi culture set the tone for your stay. In the afternoon, head for the Qionghai area and follow the shoreline through Huanhu, with a stop at Jinlin Beach and the Wetland Park Party School section. If you have time before dusk, climb Lushan for views over the lake and the city.

Day two: Give the day to Qionghai Park and its surroundings. Walk or cycle the lakeside paths, then continue to Walnut Village and Dashiban Ancient Village for a slower look at rural life in Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture. Keep the pace easy, since the weather here is mild and sunny for much of the year, and the lake is the main draw. In the evening, return to the city for a meal and an early night.

Day three: Head out to the Xichang Satellite Launch Center, the reason many travellers put this corner of China on their route. The journey there and back takes a good part of the day, so plan accordingly. If you are continuing onward, Xichang West Station and the Xichang West Railway Station connect you by high-speed rail toward Chengdu and Kunming, while the older Chengdu-Kunming Railway remains the classic overland link through the region.