Atlas of China
Shunan Bamboo Sea 蜀南竹海Shǔnán Zhúhǎi
Ridge upon ridge of feathery bamboo, laced with misty trails, waterfalls and cliff shrines
- Best time
- Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct
- Time needed
- 1–2 days
- Days to budget
- 1½ days
- Stay in
- Yibin
- Region
- Sichuan
- Type
- Nature
- Listed as
- 4A scenic area
Why go to Shunan Bamboo Sea
The Shunan Bamboo Sea blankets some 120 square kilometres of low ridges in southern Sichuan with hundreds of bamboo varieties, led by towering moso. Roads and footpaths run through green tunnels to lakes, waterfalls and cliff-face galleries such as Xianyu Cave, and a cableway from the West Gate floats you over the canopy. It is cool, hushed and loveliest early in the morning, when mist hangs among the stems.
The story
Legend says the Song-dynasty poet Huang Tingjian was so struck by the view that he wrote the area's old name, Wanlingqing ('ten thousand wooded ridges'), using a broom for a brush. Film crews have followed: local accounts list Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon among the productions shot here, though its famous treetop duel is usually credited to Anji in Zhejiang.
What to see at Shunan Bamboo Sea
- Bamboo Sea Museum 蜀南竹海博物馆: A museum of bamboo culture built over the Moxi stream in the style of a southern Sichuan house, with courtyards and covered walkways. Many visitors start here, as it explains the area before you walk out among the stems.
- Emerald Corridor 翡翠长廊: A road of red local sandstone running between walls of bamboo that arch overhead, the scenic area's best-known stretch.
- Sea within the Sea 海中海: A lake of about four hectares made by damming a low valley and opened in 1998, which looks like a calm bay in the middle of the bamboo. Wire-assisted 'flying' over the bamboo is offered here.
- Wangyou Valley 忘忧谷: A shaded valley entered through a gate made of bamboo, where a path follows a clear stream between dense stems. The name means 'forget-your-cares valley'.
- Seven-Colour Falls 七彩飞瀑: A stream that drops in four stages down a cliff between two ridges.
- Xianyu Cave 仙寓洞: A cavern in a cliff on the boundary of Changning and Jiang'an counties, with an open front that looks out over rolling ridges of bamboo. It links with Fairy Lake and Tianbao Fortress in a loop.
How to visit Shunan Bamboo Sea
The scenic area covers about 120 square kilometres, with a core of about 45, so plan on vehicles or the cableway plus short walks rather than walking between sights. A half day covers the museum, Emerald Corridor and the Sea within the Sea. A full day adds Wangyou Valley and the Seven-Colour Falls, and a second day suits the Xianyu Cave loop.
How to get to Shunan Bamboo Sea
High-speed trains from Chengdu reach Yibin in about 1.5 hours, or Changning on the Chengdu–Guiyang line in about 2 hours; from either it is roughly an hour by bus or taxi to the West Gate.
Where to stay
Stay inside the scenic area near Wanling, where guesthouses let you walk the bamboo paths before the day-trippers arrive. For more choice, base yourself in Changning county town or in Yibin city, about 58 km away.
What to eat
- Bamboo-fungus chicken stew 竹荪炖鸡: Chicken simmered with bamboo fungus, the lacy mushroom grown under the bamboo, in a clear soup. It is one of the dishes of the area's bamboo banquet, a provincial intangible-heritage meal.
- Bamboo-tube rice 竹筒饭: Rice steamed inside a length of fresh bamboo, which keeps the bamboo's fragrance.
- Yibin burning noodles 宜宾燃面: The gateway city's best-known noodles: oily, chilli-dressed noodles with pickled Yibin greens and peanuts, said to be so oily they would burn if lit.
Tips for visiting Shunan Bamboo Sea
- Stay a night in a guesthouse inside the scenic area to walk the bamboo paths in the early-morning mist, before the day-trippers arrive.
- The sights are spread over a large area, so use the cableway, park transport or a hired car rather than trying to walk everything.
- Try a bamboo banquet of fresh shoots, bamboo-fungus chicken soup and rice cooked in bamboo tubes.
Nearby
- Zigong, City of Salt and Dinosaurs 自贡 100 km
Jurassic dinosaurs, ancient brine wells and the lanterns that made the city famous
Also within 30 km: Folai Mountain, Changning 佛来山 (20 km), Bowang Mountain 僰王山 (20 km), Xijiashan Manor 夕佳山民居 (20 km), Qidonggou Gorge 七洞沟 (20 km).
On the map
Open Shunan Bamboo Sea on the illustrated map to see the terrain around it, what else is close, and to add it to a trip and plan the days.
Open Shunan Bamboo Sea on the map