The 1,730-year-old riverside village of Huanglong Xi is situated 45kms south of Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan Province. This delightful spot has been lovingly restored to keep its rural charm although you will come across some touches of modernity.
Strolling in the ancient cobbled streets lined with Qing Dynasty-style buildings will take visitors into a page in history, with temples and wharves along its bending alleys. A number of the old wooden houses have been turned into shops where you can acquire souvenirs from Huanglong Xi at reasonable prices if you know how to bargain.
Among the village’s renowned temples are Zhenjiang Temple, Gulong Temple and Chaoyin Temple. Huanglong Xi is particularly popular with groups of old Chinese ladies who come here to pray for their grandchildren to Guanyin, the Buddhist prophet to whom every temple is dedicated. On the ninth day of both the sixth and ninth lunar months, Huanglong Xi hosts temple fairs that recreate the vibrant scenes of the olden days.
Getting There & Away
Shiangliu International Airport in Chengdu is a 2-hour flight from Beijing. Buses leave from Chengdu’s Xinnanmen Bus Station for Huanglong Xi until early afternoon, while return buses run until at least 15:30. It is 500 meters from the highway bus stop to the old village gate; the left-hand lane is so narrow that you can almost touch either side when walking down the middle.
Things to Do
Huanglong Xi Attractions
- 2 - Old village
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A walk through the cobbled alleys flanked by ancient wooden
houses will let you take in the ambience of the Qing Dynasty dating from over
1,500 years ago.