PUBLISHED June 23rd, 2020 05:00 am | UPDATED July 22nd, 2024 05:11 pm
For most of us, the mere mention of ‘Sichuan‘ instantly gets our tongues tingling. China’s Sichuan Province, though, is so much more than the home of mouth-numbing peppercorns. This mountainous province in the southwest boasts a bevy of dramatic landscapes – towering falls, colourful lakes, and UNESCO World Heritage spots. It’s also the native birthplace of China’s cuddliest icon: giant pandas. Delve into Sichuan’s sizzling spread of cultural and natural gems with our virtual itinerary, along with a detour into neighbouring Guizhou.
Explore The Alpine Fairyland of Jiuzhaigou
Sprawling over 72,000 hectares, Jiuzhaigou National Park is where nature goes to run riot with her paintbrush. Arguably Sichuan’s most famed UNESCO heritage site, this valley is a sea of fantastical colours that shift with every season. Soak in the peacock tints of Five Flower Lake through this 360° virtual tour. Legend has it that this emerald, amber, and sapphire-hued lake is frequented by the gods, though the scientific reason is more prosaic – the presence of lime and calcium carbonate in the waters.
No less breathtaking are its many waterfalls, chief among which is the Nuorilang Falls – reportedly China’s widest fall. This drone video offers a bird’s eye view over Jiuzhaigou’s water wonders, complete with lush shots of its pristine forests and surrounding mountains.
Pay Homage to the Leshan Giant Buddha
Few works inspire awe quite like a 71-meter-tall statue, carved directly out of a rugged cliff. Officially the world’s largest Buddha statue, the Leshan Giant Buddha was the ninety-year labour of Tang dynasty monks and workers, who hoped his presence would calm the treacherous waters of the three rivers he overlooks. A steep plank road along the cliff face allows visitors to make the pilgrimage from his feet up to his head. Enjoy close-ups of the Buddha’s serene face from various vantage points with this 360° panorama.
Cuddle Up to Chengdu’s Giant Pandas
Chengdu is Sichuan’s bustling capital, and it also happens to be the world’s capital for fluffy, cuddly giant pandas. The renowned Chengdu Research Center For Giant Panda Breeding cares for about a third of the 600-odd pandas living in captivity worldwide – a feat given that it started out with only six. Get your dose of giant cuteness with the center’s 24-hour live cam, or catch the highlights reel of pandas tumbling, play-fighting, and bamboo-munching on their iPanda Facebook page.
Discover The Many Faces of Sichuan Opera
Being two-faced – indeed, many-faced – is an art form in Sichuan opera. Sichuan performers are famed for their unrivaled skills in bian lian, or face changing – a secret, lightning-fast technique of switching the masks over their face to dramatize emotions. Combined with other unique stunts like fire-breathing and fluttering of long water sleeves, this folk art makes for quite the stunning spectacle. Sit back and be enthralled here.
Fire Up Your Taste Buds
If your tongue isn’t numb and your cheeks streaming with tears, did you really go to Sichuan? From mala huo guo (spicy hotpot) to mapo tofu (stir-fried beancurd), there’s no cuisine like Sichuan for bringing the heat. For a taste of its other iconic specialties, try whipping up your own dan dan noodles – a popular street food featuring thin noodles tossed with chili oil, Sichuan peppers, and minced pork. Another delicacy that’s not for the faint-hearted is spicy rabbit heads – check out this video for a look at how diners slurp down the brains.
Guizhou
Once overshadowed by its more popular neighbours, Guizhou Province has been luring in explorers in search of fresh air and antique charm. Linked to Sichuan by high-speed railway, this lesser-known gem punches way above its weight in man-made and natural wonders.
Admire The Cherry Blossoms of Guian
The world’s largest sea of cherry blossoms isn’t in Japan – it’s right here in the heart of Guizhou. The Guian Cherry Garden is blanketed with over 700,000 trees in full bloom each March, amongst which flutter fantastical native birds like the golden pheasant and Reeves’s pheasant. Get lost in a boundless sea of pink with these dreamy aerial shots over the garden.
Cross The World’s Highest Bridge
Acrophobes, look away now – this video tour will take you to new (fear of) heights. Soaring 565 meters above the Beipan River Canyon, the Duge Beipanjiang Bridge is the first crossing to ever break the 500-meter height threshold. As you traverse its 1,341-meter length, you can enjoy views of steep limestone cliffs dropping towards the mighty Beipan River, so far below that it seems only a ribbon. In fact, if super-high bridges float your boat, the Beipan region is criss-crossed with them – there’s also the Beipanjiang Railway Bridge Qinglong, the world’s highest high-speed railway bridge.
Whet Your Thirst with China’s ‘National Liquor’
In a small town in northern Guizhou, the most expensive spirit brand in the world makes its home. Moutai (or maotai) is a brand of baijiu crafted by famed distillery Kweichow Moutai, the boozy pride of its eponymous town. The micronutrient-rich waters of the Chishui River give moutai its unique soy sauce notes, mixed in with funky fruit flavours. Bottled at a fiery 53% ABV, this red sorghum spirit has become a coveted luxury item; in 2018, an 80-year-old vintage fetched a record RMB 1.97 million in auction. Learn more about the making of moutai with this fantastic overview of the terroir and brewing process.
Escape Into Nature at Huangguoshu
Plunging a magnificent 78 meters into the Baishui River, the roaring of Huangguoshu Waterfall can be heard several kilometers away. On sunny days, the mist thrown up by the powerful cascade creates rainbows – try spotting some colourful arches in this mesmerizing drone video. Halfway up the cliff behind the waterfall lies the Water-Curtain Cave – a naturally-formed cave believed to be the shelter of the Monkey King Sun Wukong ( a legendary figure that’s also a main characters in 16th-century Chinese novel Journey to the West). Here, you can reach out to touch the waterfall and let its thundering wash away all worries in your mind.
Top Image: Michael Lowell on Flickr