A One-Day Trip to Pengzhou

It was hard for the whole family to have a day off with nothing planned, so we decided to spend a day in Pengzhou, have some food, but it rained all day—luckily, our luck was still amazing.

✨Core Attraction Recommendations
1. Natural Wonders
📍Longmen Mountain Geological Park
Highlights: The largest karst landform area in Southwest China, famous for Feilai Peak, cave groups, and canyon waterfalls. The average summer temperature is 22°C, ideal for hiking and stream tracing.
Recommended activities:
Jiufeng Mountain (over 4000 meters altitude): Challenge the alpine rhododendron sea and sea of clouds sunrise (requires a professional guide).
Huilonggou: Hike the canyon plank road and explore the Bailong Pool glacier relics.
Swallow Valley Ice Waterfall: View the blue ice wonder in winter and try via ferrata climbing in summer.
📍Danjing Mountain
Highlights: The birthplace of the Chinese Tianpeng peony, with tens of thousands of peonies blooming from March to April and red leaves covering the mountains in autumn.
Recommended activities:
Hike the Danjing trail and climb Niuxin Mountain to overlook the Jian River valley.
Visit Tang Dynasty cliff carvings and Song Dynasty relic pagoda groups.
2. Cultural and Historical Sites
📍Bailu Town (Sino-French Style Town)
Highlights: French-style buildings rebuilt after the Wenchuan earthquake, preserving a century-old Catholic church and earthquake ruins.
Recommended activities:
Check in at Shangshuyuan (the reporting repair institute) to experience the fusion of Gothic architecture and Chinese flying eaves.
Participate in the Bailu Music Festival (summer) and listen to jazz performances in the French-style square.
📍Haiwozi Ancient Town
Highlights: The most complete Ming and Qing ancient town in Western Sichuan, with a 1.5 km-long ancient street paved with bluestone connecting the ancient theater stage and Qushang Square.
Recommended activities:
Experience traditional oil-paper umbrella making and taste the intangible cultural heritage "Nine-foot Board Duck."
Hike to Yangping Temple and explore the Taoist origin site.
3. Family Leisure
📍Tongji Flower Sea
Highlights: A seasonal flower-themed park with tulips in spring, sunflowers in summer, and pink muhly grass in autumn.
Recommended activities:
Ride a small train through the flower fields and experience a hot air balloon panoramic view.
The camping area offers tent rentals, perfect for family stargazing nights.
📍Yufu Wetland
Highlights: A natural wetland formed by a tributary of the Jian River, interwoven with dawn redwood forests and reed marshes.
Recommended activities:
Paddle a bamboo raft through the dawn redwood secret realm and observe egrets and black swans.
The wetland camping base provides barbecue equipment and offers firefly watching at night.

🍜Food Map
Must-try list:
Nine-foot Goose Intestine Hotpot: Local goose intestines are crispy and tender, paired with a secret sesame oil dip.
Juntun Guokui: Pengzhou intangible cultural heritage, crispy on the outside with spicy filling, recommended beef and brown sugar flavors.
Huzi Rabbit: Traditionally marinated spicy rabbit cubes, good cold or hot.
Dripping Oil Dumplings: Thin-skinned dumplings with large filling, served with red chili oil and garlic paste.
Recommended restaurants:
Yangping Taoist Vegetarian Restaurant: Full vegetarian banquet, recommended dishes include "Twice-cooked Pork" (vegetarian meat) and "Husband and Wife Lung Slices" (mushrooms).
Xiaoyudong Cold Water Fish Restaurant: Freshly caught rainbow trout served three ways (sashimi, barbecue, pickled cabbage).

🏠Accommodation Guide
High-end resorts:
Qisu·Earth Cabin: Forest treehouse with panoramic floor-to-ceiling windows and floor heating, suitable for couples.
Chanyi·Longxing Courtyard: Zen-style hot spring hotel with private baths, offering scripture copying and tea tasting activities.
Unique homestays:
Wusuoshiwu (Wutong Branch): French-style manor in Bailu Town with a rooftop pool facing snow-capped mountains.
Qingqing Garden: Located in Haiwozi Ancient Town, European castle style, offering Hanfu rental.
Cost-effective options:
Pengzhou Central Holiday Inn Express: Close to the high-speed rail station, includes breakfast, suitable for business trips.
Haiwozi Fan Family Courtyard: In the ancient town core area, a renovated century-old house, about 100 RMB per person.

🔹Itinerary Planning Suggestions
2-day classic tour
Day 1:
Morning: Chengdu → Danjing Mountain (1-hour drive) → Hike to enjoy peonies/red leaves
Afternoon: Bailu Town (40-minute drive) → Shangshuyuan → French-style square
Evening: Stay at Chanyi·Longxing Courtyard, soak in hot springs
Day 2:
Morning: Haiwozi Ancient Town → Yangping Temple → Oil-paper umbrella DIY
Afternoon: Yufu Wetland boating → Tongji Flower Sea
Evening: Return to Chengdu
3-day in-depth tour
Day 1: Chengdu → Longmen Mountain Geological Park (Jiufeng Mountain hiking) → Stay at Qisu·Earth Cabin
Day 2: Bailu Town → Haiwozi Ancient Town → Juntun Guokui making experience
Day 3: Danjing Mountain → Pengzhou Museum → Return trip

▫️Practical Tips
Transportation:
Chengdu to Pengzhou: High-speed rail 30 minutes (Xipu Station → Pengzhou Station), or 1-hour drive (Chengdu-Pengzhou Expressway).
Shuttle service: Pengzhou Passenger Transport Center has direct buses to Bailu Town and Danjing Mountain.

Avoid pitfalls:
Commercial street goods in the ancient town are overpriced; it is recommended to buy souvenirs at the local "Aoping Farmers' Market."
Some areas in the geological park have weak signals; download offline maps in advance.