Nanchuan
Introduction
Nanchuan is a district of Chongqing, in China, sitting at the city's southern edge where it borders Guizhou province. It was formerly a county in its own right before becoming a district of Chongqing.
Before you go
Nanchuan is a district of Chongqing, set in the hills south of the main urban area. Plan your trip around the terrain: the landscape here is mountainous, so allow extra time for getting between places and expect roads that wind rather than run straight.
- Check the season before you pack. The climate is humid subtropical, with hot, sticky summers and cool, damp winters.
- Bring footwear suited to slopes and steps if you intend to explore beyond the town centre.
- Expect rain at any time of year, and carry something waterproof rather than relying on a forecast.
Getting there
Nanchuan has one railway station, Nanchuan North Railway Station, on Beigu Road. Trains from central Chongqing leave from Chongqing East Railway Station. Local bus routes 108 and 111 serve the station.
Buses to Nanchuan also run from several bus stations in central Chongqing, including the airport bus station. Once you arrive, the city has two main bus stations: Nanchuan Central Bus Station on Huochezhan Avenue, reached by bus routes 101, 102, 103, 111 and 112, and Nanchuan West Bus Station at the intersection of Jinshan Avenue and Xuetang Road.
Getting around
Nanchuan is a compact district, and local buses are the main way to move around the built-up core. Numbered routes link the transport hubs with the rest of the city: bus nos. 108 and 111 serve Nanchuan North Railway Station on Beigu Road, while nos. 101, 102, 103, 111 and 112 serve Nanchuan Central Bus Station on Huochezhan Avenue. If you are staying near either station, you can reach other parts of town by changing between these routes. Pay your fare on board, so keep small change or a mobile payment method handy, and buy your ticket from the driver or conductor rather than in advance.
Taxis are a practical fallback for trips the buses do not cover conveniently — reaching a station early or late, or when you are carrying luggage. Ride-hailing apps work here and are a good choice if you do not speak Chinese, since you enter your destination in the app; have it written in Chinese characters to show the driver if needed. The central area is small enough to cover short distances on foot between your accommodation, restaurants and bus stops, and the local rice noodles make an easy stop while walking. For anything beyond the immediate centre, plan on a bus or taxi, because the main scenic areas lie well outside the urban core. Decide in advance whether you are arriving by train or long-distance bus, as they use different stations and your onward local route depends on which you choose.
Where to stay
Nanchuan's accommodation is concentrated in the downtown area, which puts you within easy reach of the commercial core and its amenities. The Heisman International Hotel Nanchuan Wanda sits on Yunan Avenue, roughly 900 metres northeast of Nanchuan West Bus Station, and is served by bus routes 107 and 108 if you're arriving on public transport.
- Heisman International Hotel Nanchuan Wanda — a four-star property on Yunan Avenue in the downtown area, handy for the West Bus Station and the surrounding shopping and dining.
Food & drink
Nanchuan is known for its rice noodles, made with local selenium-rich rice and cooked in strontium-rich spring water drawn from Jinfo Mountain. The noodles are served in a spicy, savory broth and have a chewy, springy texture that sets them apart from ordinary rice noodles. The source material lists no notable drinks for the city, so plan your meals around the noodles themselves.What to see and do
Nanchuan's sights split between town-centre heritage and the mountains that rise around it. In the Dongcheng Subdistrict, the Nanchuan Museum on Heping Side Road is reachable by bus and free to enter, though it closes on Mondays. Across in the Xicheng Subdistrict, the Yinzi Memorial Hall Cultural Park on Yinzi North Road honours Yin Zhen, a scholar who spread Confucian ideas through Nanchuan in the Eastern Han Dynasty; the park also takes in the Haihe Academy, a Confucian academy founded on the site in the late Qing Dynasty. Both are free, and buses serve each. The bigger draw is outdoors. Jinfo Mountain, also called Gold Buddha Mountain, stands in the Nancheng Subdistrict and forms part of the South China Karst World Heritage Site; it doubles as a skiing destination, with the cable car and sightseeing bus covered by the admission charge and the ski field costing extra. Buses leave Nanchuan Central Bus Station a few times a day, and one bus a day runs from Nanchuan North Railway Station. Further south, Shenlong Gorge sits in Yong'an Village in Nanping Town, with buses departing from Nanchuan North Railway Station. Note that the gorge's opening arrangements change between the August-to-April and May-to-October periods.Three days in Nanchuan
Day one: Plan your arrival through Nanchuan North Railway Station, served by trains from Chongqing East Railway Station, or by long-distance bus from Guizhou and elsewhere in Chongqing. Local buses and taxis meet the stations; numbered routes run along Huochezhan Avenue and Jinshan Avenue toward the centre. Check in around Beigu Road or Yunan Avenue, where the Heisman International Hotel Nanchuan and the Wanda complex give you a base for the trip. Spend the afternoon in Dongcheng Subdistrict, then eat a Chinese dinner near Nanchuan Wanda.
Day two: Decide on Jinfo Mountain for the full day. Expect a long ride from Nanchuan West Bus Station or Nanchuan Central Bus Station; bring layers, since the summit is colder than the town. If you pay for a taxi, agree the fare first. Back in Nanchuan in the evening, walk Xuetang Road for local food.
Day three: Ride to the Nanchuan Museum in the morning for the region's history, then take a bus or taxi along Beigu Road for a last look at the town. Check onward trains at Nanchuan North Railway Station, or buses from the West Bus Station if you are heading toward Guizhou. It is a short stay, but the mountain and the museum make it worthwhile.