Things to do in Guang'an

2026 Asia 100 - Best Things to Do

Chengdu Du Fu Thatched Cottage Museum

Chengdu Du Fu Thatched Cottage is the former residence of Du Fu, the Sage of Poetry, during his exile in Chengdu. In the winter of 759 AD, Du Fu came to Chengdu with his family to escape the An Lushan Rebellion. In the spring of the following year, he built a "thatched cottage" by the Huanhua Stream and lived there. Du Fu resided here for three years and nine months in total, during which he composed more than 240 poems that have been passed down to this day. Chengdu Du Fu Thatched Cottage is hailed as "the holy land of Chinese literary history." In the late Tang Dynasty, the poet Wei Zhuang located the site of the thatched cottage and rebuilt the thatched hut. Thereafter, Du Fu Thatched Cottage underwent fourteen large-scale renovations and expansions from the Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing Dynasties to the present day. After the founding of New China, in 1952, Du Fu Thatched Cottage was fully renovated and officially opened to the public. In 1955, the Du Fu Memorial Hall was established, and in 1985 it was renamed Chengdu Du Fu Thatched Cottage Museum. It is now one of the first batch of Major Historical and Cultural Sites Protected at the National Level, a National First-Class Museum, a National Key Protection Unit for Ancient Books, and a National 4A-Level Tourist Attraction. Its area has also grown from the "one mu of cleared thatch" when Du Fu built the cottage to nearly 800 mu today, including 300 mu of cultural relic area and 500 mu of Huanhua Garden area. Chengdu Du Fu Thatched Cottage Museum is a public welfare Class II institution, and is also additionally designated as the Du Fu Thatched Cottage Poetry, Calligraphy and Painting Academy Art Museum and the Chengdu Chinese Calligraphy Museum. It currently has an authorized staffing of 123 positions and 16 internal working bodies, with its main source of funding being admission ticket revenue. Chengdu Du Fu Thatched Cottage Museum is a museum of ancient architecture, a large-scale center for the collection and display of Du Fu research materials and Du Fu poetry calligraphy and painting in China, an important platform for inheriting and promoting excellent Chinese poetry culture, a representative base of classical gardens in western Sichuan, and a protection and exhibition center for ancient architecture in western Sichuan. Its ancient buildings feature wooden column-and-tie structures, with representative buildings including the Grand Hall, the Hall of Poetry History, the Ministry of Works Hall, the Thatched Hut, and the Sutra Library; its distinctive poetic garden views include the Bonsai Garden, the Orchid Garden, and the Plum Garden.

Duangjia Courtyard

2026 Asia 100 - Best Things to Do

Sanxingdui Museum

Sanxingdui Museum is a thematic site museum displaying cultural relics unearthed from the Sanxingdui site, with its grounds located at the northeast corner of the site. The Sanxingdui site is an important remnant of ancient Shu civilization, dating back approximately 3,000 to 5,000 years. Within the site, remains such as the eastern, western, and southern city walls and the inner city wall at Moon Bay still exist, and it is hailed as the "source of Yangtze River civilization." The museum's permanent exhibition is divided into three sections: "A Century of Dreams," "The Majestic Royal Capital," and "Heaven, Earth, Man, and Gods," systematically presenting the archaeological excavation process and research findings of Sanxingdui civilization. The museum displays a large number of precious artifacts unearthed from the site, among which the uniquely shaped bronze objects are particularly striking. The bronze standing figure measures over 2.5 m in total height and is a rare, massive early bronze human figure in China; the pose of its hands, held in a hollow ring grip, has prompted various scholarly interpretations. The bronze mask is over 1 m wide, with extremely exaggerated facial features and eyes that protrude in cylindrical form, creating a strong visual impact. The bronze sacred tree stands nearly 4 m tall, with sacred birds and dragon-shaped ornaments cast on its trunk, and is speculated to be related to ancient sun worship and the mythological "ladder to heaven." In addition, the gold objects represented by the gold staff and the jade and stone objects represented by the jade border zhang are likewise rare and important remains of ancient Shu civilization. When visiting, it is recommended to allow ample time. The three exhibition areas unfold along the threads of archaeological discoveries, the layout of the capital city, and spiritual beliefs, progressing layer by layer. The bronze sacred tree and the bronze standing figure are the museum's iconic exhibits and are well worth pausing to examine in detail. The museum also displays artifacts newly unearthed in recent years, presented to the public, and are worth noting for visitors interested in new archaeological findings.

2026 Global 100 - Night Attractions

Hongya Cave

Hongyadong commercial street is located on Cangbai Road of Yuzhong District, Chongqing City. It is at the intersection where the Yangtze River and the Jialing River meet. Most of its buildings are “Diaojialou” style, which reflects traditional architectural features of Bayu. It is a great place to go if you want to check out the old streets of Chongqing, appreciate the two rivers, or try local cuisines. At the same time, it is home to a bustling night scene, making it a fascinating attraction for photographers.

2026 Asia 100 - Best Things to Do

Chengdu Wuhou Shrine Museum

Chengdu Wuhou Shrine Museum is a shrine and temple complex commemorating Liu Bei, Zhuge Liang, and other heroes of Shu Han. It consists of Hui Ling Mausoleum, Han Zhaolie Temple, Wuhou Shrine, and Sanyi Temple, and is one of the few shrines in China where a ruler and his ministers are worshipped together. Hui Ling Mausoleum was first built in 223 AD, the third year of the Zhangwu era of Shu Han, when Liu Bei was buried. Over subsequent dynasties, additional sacrificial structures were gradually built around the mausoleum. The special shrine commemorating Zhuge Liang was approximately built during the Southern and Northern Dynasties period, located beside Hui Ling. In the 24th year of the Hongwu era of the Ming Dynasty (1391), Zhu Chun, Prince Xian of Shu, under the rationale that "sovereign and minister should be integrated as one," merged Hui Ling, the Han Zhaolie Temple, and the Wuhou Shrine into a single entity. Because Zhuge Liang had a profound influence among the common people, they customarily referred to the entire area collectively as the "Wuhou Shrine." The main structures of the existing shrine were rebuilt during the Kangxi era of the Qing Dynasty. The buildings within the shrine are arranged along the central axis from south to north, passing in sequence through the main gate, the second gate, Liu Bei Hall, the transitional hall, and on to Zhuge Liang Hall and Sanyi Temple. Liu Bei Hall enshrines a statue of Liu Bei, with the side halls on either side housing statues of Guan Yu and Zhang Fei respectively, while the east and west corridors contain dozens of statues of Shu Han civil officials and military generals. A large number of Three Kingdoms cultural steles and inscribed plaques and couplets are preserved inside and outside the halls, among which the Tang dynasty "Three Excellences Stele"—with text by Pei Du, calligraphy by Liu Gongchuo, and engraving by Lu Jian—and the "Attacking the Heart Couplet" inscribed by Zhao Fan of the Qing dynasty are particularly well known. The "red walls and bamboo shadows" within the attraction is a representative photo spot in Chengdu, featuring red walls lining the path and lush green bamboo casting shade, with outstanding light and shadow effects. The garden area on the west side of Chengdu Wuhou Shrine Museum was originally the cemetery of Liu Xiang, a general of the Sichuan army. It contains structures such as a stone memorial archway gate, a three-arch gate, a square pavilion, and Jianxin Hall, featuring the architectural style of northern cemeteries, which is relatively rare in the southwestern region. Chengdu Wuhou Shrine Museum is adjacent to Jinli Ancient Street, so visitors can easily visit both during the same trip.

No. 9 of Best Things to Do in Sichuan

Leshan Giant Buddha

The Leshan Giant Buddha, also known as the Lingyun Giant Buddha, is situated on the cliff of Qiluan Peak on Lingyun Mountain at the confluence of the Min River, Qingyi River, and Dadu River in Leshan, Sichuan. It is a colossal seated stone statue of Maitreya carved during the Tang Dynasty, standing approx. 70 m tall, with a single instep spacious enough to accommodate over a hundred people. Legend has it that the turbulent waters at the confluence once frequently capsized passing boats. To calm the currents, the monk Haitong of Lingyun Temple initiated the carving of the Buddha. Over several generations, craftsmen continued the construction, which took approx. ninety years to complete. On the cliff to the right of the Buddha, an inscription from the Tang Dynasty titled "Jiazhou Lingyun Temple Great Maitreya Stone Statue" remains to this day, revealing its original name—the Great Maitreya Stone Statue of Jiazhou Lingyun Temple. The common route to visit the giant Buddha is to first arrive at Lingyun Temple beside the Buddha's head, then descend along the winding Jiuzhaigou plank road built against the cliff. View the Buddha's spiral hair buns and robe folds up close, and reach the platform at the Buddha's feet to look up at the full figure. Only then can one truly appreciate the grandeur of "a mountain being a Buddha, and a Buddha being a mountain." Lingyun Temple has continuous incense offerings, and many travelers also join their palms here to pray for blessings. For a different perspective, take a boat cruise or view from the riverside of Leshan ancient city: the continuous mountain outlines of Wuyou Mountain, Lingyun Mountain, and Guicheng Mountain resemble a giant reclining Buddha facing upward, with the grand Buddha seated precisely at its chest—creating the marvel of "Buddha within Buddha." The river view also captures the grand Buddha's full profile alongside the scenery of three rivers, making it especially effortless for travelers with limited stamina or those seeking panoramic shots.

Clear Water Drifting

Clear Water Drifting in Linshui County is located from Qingshui Village, Liangban Township, Linshui County to Daqiao Village, Lianghe Town. The rafting is about 4.8 kilometers long and is covered with forests. It avoids the scorching sun. The water flow is sometimes turbulent and sometimes slow, which makes people feel relaxed and happy. The rocky mountains on both sides of the river surround the water flow, and the scenery along the way is different and the air is fresh. Qingshuixi Tourist Area is equipped with Qingshui Lake Reservoir, a large water park, navel orange sightseeing and picking garden, Tianpingzhai hiking trail, health and elderly care base, picnic and camping base, and leisure fishing base.

2026 Asia 100 - Night Attractions

Yangtze River Cableway

Yangtze River Cableway has developed into a must-visit attraction for tourists in Chongqing. The cableway starts at Chang'an Temple (Xinhua Road) in Yuzhong District and crosses the Yangtze River to Shangxin Street (Longmenhao) in the Nan'an District. As you take the cableway and travel to the other side of the river, you can see the scenery of the skyscrapers, the Yangtze River, and the south bank of the river. There is a saying that “If you don't see the night view, you have not been to Chongqing”. So take the Yangtze River cableway so have a glimpse of Chongqing's night skyline. The Yangtze River cableway has also become a favourite for many filmmakers in Chongqing. Whenever there are cableway footages in domestic film and television dramas, the audience will know that it was shot in Chongqing.

LOHAS City - Huanglongxia Waterfall

The waterfall is approx. 25m high and approx. 147m wide. It is a naturally formed large waterfall and is also one of the large waterfalls closer to the Guang'an urban area.

No. 2 of Global Traveller-Picked Attractions in Chongqing

Three Natural Bridges

Three Natural Bridges is located in Xiannüshan Town, Wulong, Chongqing, and is a typical karst landscape attraction. The three natural stone arch bridges—Tianlong Bridge, Qinglong Bridge, and Heilong Bridge—are arranged longitudinally and span the Yangshui River gorge in parallel, with each bridge standing more than 200 m tall, connecting the mountain masses on both banks into one whole and forming the unique view known as "three bridges flanking two pits." The huge depressions enclosed between the bridges are what people commonly call "heavenly pits." It is quite rare to find three giant natural bridges appearing in succession within such a short stretch of gorge—such a bridge cluster view is truly uncommon. The three bridges each have a distinct form: Tianlong Bridge is tall and massive, with a through-cave developed beneath it; after rain, waterfalls often cascade down from the deck of Qinglong Bridge, and the mist catches the sunlight to form a rainbow—hence the bridge's name; Heilong Bridge takes its name from its deep, dark arch cave, with several mountain springs hanging along its walls. At the bottom of the pits, streams murmur and trees are lush and green; looking up, you see nearly vertical cliff faces, with mountain springs plunging down from the cliff tops—walking through feels like passing through a gorge at the center of the earth. Tours usually begin by taking the sightseeing elevator down to the bottom of the sinkhole, then following the valley-floor trail through three bridge arches in succession, looking up at the bridge arches and cliff faces. Tianfu Post Station at the bottom of Tianlong Bridge sinkhole is a faux-antique quadrangle courtyard with gray-tiled roofs, gray walls, and upturned eaves. A post station once stood here during the Tang Dynasty, and the courtyard has been restored to its original appearance. Director Zhang Yimou's film "Curse of the Golden Flower" was shot on location here, and it is also a filming location for "Transformers: Age of Extinction" and the film adaptation of "Ten Miles of Peach Blossoms." After the tour, visitors can walk up the trail to exit the attraction and transfer to a shuttle bus back to Xiannüshan Town Visitor Center, or make a side trip to the adjacent Longshuixia Ground Fissure to see both karst landscapes—the "sinkhole" and the "ground fissure"—in one visit.