Shunan Bamboo Sea

About 300 km (190 miles) south to Chengdu and 60 kilometers (37 miles) from downtown Yibin, Shunan Bamboo Sea is also known as the Bamboo Forest, the Bamboo City, or Shunan Zhuhai National Park. Over 4,600 hectares (11,000 acres) of bamboos cover 27 mountains and more than 500 mountain ridges and peaks. With such a large area of bamboos, the air becomes a natural oxygen bar providing you comfortable relaxation.

Map of Shunan Bamboo Sea

Green Bamboo Sea

As one of the Bamboo Sea’s name cards, Emerald Gallery is a must for visitors. It is actually a road some several hundred meters long, paved with red sandstone. Along it all kinds of green bamboos flourish and as you walk along, it is as though you enter a painted world of green screens with a red carpet.
 

Xianyu Cave is in the Ca’eryan Cliff, south of Bamboo Sea. Named after a Taoist Priest Tianyu, a Taoist temple was first built in the natural cave and then a Buddhist temple, so it is a place where you can find both Taoist and Buddhist culture. In the temple lies a reclining Buddha, carved in the red-sandstone cave wall. It's also a good viewpoint to enjoy the bamboo sea scenery and the 'Hundreds of Turtles Kowtowing', which are actually hundreds of hills beneath the cliff.
 

Tianbao Stockaded Village in Shunan Bamboo Sea is said to have been built in 1862 during Qing Dynasty (1644-907). Built along the 1,000 meters (3,300 feet) long cliff edge, it used to be a defensive position. Walking into the stockade village, you can see a huge yellow mushroom stone, over 10 meters (33 feet) high. It’s said to be the Taoist Priest Tianyu’s umbrella. So the stone is called Huangsan Stone, which means a yellow umbrella-like stone. In the cliff you can see the thirty six frescos, which are the scenes of the famous military work Thirty-Six Stratagems.
 

Because of the dark red stones under the water and the mosses on them, the Ink Stream appears dark from afar. The whole stream is about 3 kilometers (1.9 miles) long. As you walk alongside the stream, you can enjoy some other attractions including pavilions, waterfalls and valleys in Shunan Bamboo Sea.

There is a legend about the Ink Stream. After receiving orders, a god disguised as a Taoist priest came to the Bamboo Sea. Upon his first sight of the place, he was totally attracted by it. He spent so much time here that the task he was set was forgotten. The Jade Emperor became angry and sent the Gods of Wind and Thunder to urge his return. The Taoist priest got nervous and spilt his ink in the stream, hence the name.
 

In the museum you can learn all about bamboo culture. With an area of about 1 acre, the museum contains six halls, displaying all kinds of bamboo and its photos.

As well as all the attractions mentioned above, some others are also enjoyable, such as Wangyou Valley, Colorful Waterfall, and Guanyun Pavilion.
 

There are two ropeways in Bamboo Sea. One is built over a grand canyon is 70 storeys high. It costs CNY20 and takes over ten minutes to cross. The entrance point is near the Xianyu Cave. The other is mainly used for sightseeing, from where you can see the whole scenery of the Bamboo Sea. It's about 2,700 meters (1.6 miles) long and 350 meters (1,100) high. A ride on it takes nearly 30 minutes and you can get on it near the Sea Watching Pavilion. It costs CNY30 for a single trip and CNY40 for a round trip.
 

In the Bamboo Sea, a rafting tour starting from the museum and ending at the west gate is 2,578 meters (1.6 miles) long, providing cool enjoyment on a hot day. The first stretch is gentle and peaceful, allowing you to have a relaxing trip in the bamboo sea. The latter part becomes a little rapid with the drop of 86 meters (280 feet), providing more of a white knuckle ride. It costs about CNY130.
 

Locals make use of all kinds of bamboos, creating delicious bamboo dishes. Bamboo shoots and bamboo fungus are the two most typical materials. They are all cooked in a bland diet and packed with bamboo tubes or leaves, giving you a special taste after you’ve eaten too much greasy food. Packed with bamboo leaves, those little munchies made of sticky rice have a unique fragrance of bamboo. A bamboo feast costs about CNY200-600.

If you enter from the west gate, you can follow this route: Emerald Gallery-Xianyu Cave-Tianbao Stockaded Village-the Ropeway over the grand canyon-Wangyou Valley-Museum.
If you enter from the east gate, it is suggested you visit this way: Colorful Waterfall-Wangyou Valley-Museum- Emerald Gallery-Xianyu Cave-Tianbao Stockaded Village- Xiannv Lake.
 

From west gate:
Day one: Yu River- the Ink Stream- Museum- Wangyou Valley- the Sightseeing Ropeway- Emerald Gallery- Guanyun Pavilion
Day two: Xianyu Cave- Tianbao Stockaded Village-the Sightseeing Ropeway- Xiannv Lake- Colorful Waterfall-Qingyun Gallery.

From east gate:
Day one: Ancient Dwelling- Qinglong Lake-Colorful Waterfall- Xianyu Cave- Tianbao Stockaded Village
Day two: Guanyun Pavilion- Emerald Gallery- the Sightseeing Ropeway- the Ink Stream- Museum- Wangyou Valley

Notes: It's rather far between each attraction, so it is suggested that you hire a mini-bus. It may cost you around CNY200 each day.
 

1. Take a bus Chengdu-Shunan Zhuhai at Chandianzi Bus Station. There are ten buses a day, departing from 08:00 to 16:00 at an interval of about an hour.
2. Take a bus Chengdu-Shunan Zhuhai at Xinnanmen Bus Station. Two buses are available each day and the departure times are 09:10 and 15:30.
It takes you over 5 hours from Chengdu to Shunanzhuhai (Shunan Bamboo Sea).
 1. Take a bus Yibin-Zhuhai at South Bus Station. The departure times are 9:00, 10:00, 16:00, and one more between 12:20 and 13:20 based on passenger flow. It takes you about 100 minutes.
2. Take a bus Yibin-Changning at the South Bus Station and get off at Changning County, then take a local bus to your destination.
 

January-November	CNY110
	CNY55 for children from 6 to 18 years old
December	CNY60
	CNY30 for children from 6 to 18 years old
Free for children under 6 years old or 1.2 meters (3.9 feet) tall