Sichuan Tibet Tour: Ultimate Guide to Sichuan Province

Located in the Southwest of China, Sichuan Province is bordered to the west by the Tibet Autonomous Region, and the western part of the province is actually on the lower reaches of the Tibetan plateau. One of the main hubs for transport and communications in western China, Sichuan is a major line of connection between the east and west of China. A unique location in China, Sichuan Province has long been a popular tourist destination for international travelers, and with its food, history, and the beautiful giant pandas, is a great place to visit for a few days on your way to Tibet.

Sichuan Impression: How about Sichuan in China?

Sichuan Province is an oasis for travelers itching for some real downtime, and has all you need to really relax and enjoy the area. Spacious, with luscious grasslands, exquisite mountains, alpine lakes, and plenty of yaks milling about, this southwestern land has been described as characteristically “Tibetan.”

Sichuan is the hometown of cute giant Panda.

One of the most important exports from Sichuan is the world-famous Sichuan Pepper. Widely used across China and around the world, this unique peppercorn has no relationship with either black peppercorns or the famous Red Chili Pepper. Finely ground into powder, it is used in most Sichuan cuisine dishes, as well as in some of the many Chinese herbal medicines that are now popular around the world.

Home to the famous Giant Panda, Sichuan Province, and Chengdu in particular, has become the mainstay for the breeding and reintroduction of these cuddly creatures back into the wild. The area around Chengdu, the provincial capital, is home to four giant panda breeding and research centers, the oldest having been opened back in the 1980s with just six rescued pandas. - Check the famous Chengdu to Tibet tours.

The area of Sichuan Province, a major part of which is a largely Tibetan area, has some of the most stunning landscapes in southwest China, including the area around the western side of the Sichuan Basin, which lies on the northern end of the Hengduan Mountain Range. The farthest end of the southern Himalayas also pokes its peaks into the west of the province, making it one of the most spectacular areas of China for high snow-capped mountains.

What can we do in Sichuan Province?

While you are waiting to travel to Tibet, Sichuan Province promises to bring you some of the most exciting days you can spend in China, with a wide range of natural and man-made attractions that are popular with international and domestic tourists alike.

Kung Pao chicken

Not the least of the things you can do in Sichuan is to taste the wide variety of local Sichuan cuisine dishes that are popular in the area. Sichuan Cuisine is renowned around the world, and the food that can be found here is the result of the warm, damp climate. Since it is believed in Traditional Chinese Medicine that such weather conditions necessitate a particular diet, dishes that have become staples here all have one thing in common: they are spicy. In fact, nearly every meal features the hot Sichuan pepper. The cuisine is also known for its strong fragrance and freshness, earning it the title of one of the four great traditional types of Chinese cuisine.

Popular dishes include Kung Pao Chicken and Mapo Tofu, that have become well-loved all over the world. Kung Pao Chicken is a delectable stir fry with peanuts, vegetables and chili peppers. Mapo tofu consists of ground pork or beef, tossed with tofu that’s been marinated in a bean paste. The dish is flavored further by an oily, red, spicy sauce, which it sits in for a substantial amount of time to promote absorption.

Mapo tofu

With pandas being the local animal in Sichuan, a trip to the province would not be complete without visiting one of the four panda centers around Chengdu. Run as breeding and research centers based around increasing the population of this rare creature, tourists can spend the day in the reserves, watching the giant pandas in their natural habitats.

One of the historical relics in ichuan Museum

If you have time, the Sichuan Museum, in the west of Chengdu near the Huanhua Stream Park, is the largest comprehensive museum in China. The museum has a wide range of the provinces historical relics, including ceramics, bronze-age artifacts, ancient coins and pottery, ancient Shu calligraphy and embroidery, and the amazing skull of the Ziyang Man, believed to date back to around 3,000 BC.

What sightseeing tours can we take in Sichuan?

While you spend some time in Sichuan Province, there are also a number of great tours that you can take around the area, to explore pandas and giant Buddhas, as well as some of the area’s most spectacular natural landscapes.

The Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding

The Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding and the Wolong Giant Panda Nature Reserve are the best places to see the pandas in Sichuan Province. Providing the opportunity to see pandas in their natural habitat, the sanctuaries have been crafted into widespread havens, featuring a multitude of nature reserves and specially-designed parks. The parks are home to a large percentage of the world’s panda population, a highly endangered species. Also found here are other at-risk species, like the red pandas, the snow leopard, and the clouded leopard. Providing not only a rare treat for tourists, but working on the admirable mission to preserve these animals’ lives, these are truly magical destinations.

Jiuzhaigou National Park

Jiuzhaigou National Park covers an area of over 180 000 acres, and this vast nature reserve and park has been marked as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is composed of three valleys, which altogether form a Y-shape. These are the Rize, Zechawa and Shuzheng valleys, which can all be toured by shuttle bus. Notable features include its snow-capped mountains, colorful lakes, and astounding multi-level waterfalls.

Huanglongxi National Park

Huanglongxi National Park is another highlight of the western area of Sichuan Province, and is renowned for its crystal-blue pond terraces, stunning natural valleys, and snow capped mountains, all interspersed with ancient primitive forests. Another UNESCO World Heritage Site, it is known as the “Fairy Land on Earth”, and sees thousands of visitors every year.

Wenshuyuan Buddhist Temple

Buddhism and Taoism are the main religions in Sichuan. Both ancient religions that have been major parts of the daily lives of the local people for thousands of years, there are a number of great sites where you can explore and learn more about these typically Asian religions. The Wenshuyuan Buddhist Temple in Chengdu City is a long-agreed favorite amongst travelers. Its serene atmosphere is complete with a library, school, beautiful gardens and a tea house, plus you can find restaurants nearby if you’re feeling a little hungry for some Kung Pao.

Mount Emei

Mount Emei, at the western rim of the Sichuan Basin, is one of the Four Sacred Buddhist Mountains in China, and lies in an area of unique landscapes generated by ancient volcanic activity. Sitting at 3,099 meters, the mountain is the highest of the four, and is the location of the very first Buddhist Temple in China.

Leshan Giant Buddha

The Leshan Giant Buddha lies opposite Mount Emei, in the southern part of Sichuan, and is over 200 feet tall. Carved out of the very rock of the cliff during the Tang Dynasty, it is the largest statue of Buddha in the world. The statue depicts the Maitreya, the Future Buddha, who will come to earth when the dharma is almost completely forgotten in order to teach the lessons of the dharma and achieve complete enlightenment.

Qingyang Taoist Temple

The Qingyang Taoist Temple in Chengdu is located in the west of the city, and is known as the “Goat Green Temple”. The oldest and largest Taoist temple in Southwest China, it contains the only existing copy of the classic Taoist scriptures, the “Daozang Jiyao”, which lie preserved under glass in the temple itself.

Mount Qingcheng

Mount Qingcheng, which lies in Dujiangyan City in Sichuan, is believed to be the birthplace of Taoism, as well as one of the most important Taoist centers in the world. In Chinese mythology, the mountain was the site where the Yellow Emperor studied Taoist doctrines. Now, this 36-peaked mountain is home to one of the giant panda centers, and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Sichuan Tibet Railway: How can we get to Tibet from Sichuan?

Traveling from Sichuan Province to Tibet Autonomous region gives you three options on how to get there, by flight, by train, or by overland journey.

By train (Recommended)

The trains are fast becoming the most popular option for traveling to Tibet from Chengdu in Sichuan Province, and are a cheap way to travel to Lhasa. Trains depart from Chengdu North Station every other day, and take around 36 hours to make the journey to Tibet. The route of the train at this time runs through Lanzhou and Xining, crossing Qinghai Province and entering Tibet from the north, across the Tanggula Mountains, along the Qinghai Tibet Railway. - Check the latest Chengdu to Lhasa train schedule.

Taking the train to Lhasa from Chengdu is a popular way for international friends.

The railway is the cheapest option for travel to Tibet, with the cheapest sleeper option costing from around 94 dollars per person in the low season. The railway is also the most scenic, and gives you a great view of the parts of the plateau that you would not otherwise see, such as the northern mountains and the vast Changtang Prairie.

By flight

Flights to Tibet from the Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport are still the most popular option, though flights can often be expensive, especially in the peak months for Tibetan tourism. However, flights from Chengdu actually land at the Nyingchi Mainling Airport (Lin Zhi Airport) as well as the Lhasa Gonggar International Airport, so you can choose your destination airport based on where you are traveling in Tibet.

Flights to Tibet from the Chengdu

Travel Overland via G318 National Highway

The overland route from Chengdu to Lhasa follows the Sichuan Tibet Highway, along the G318 National Road that starts in Shanghai and ends in Zhangmu in western Tibet. Covering a distance of more than 2,000 kilometers, this trip is best done from May to October and is the ultimate in epic journeys to Tibet. As well as taking you through the stunning scenery and landscapes of western Sichuan and Nyingchi, you also get to experience the local culture of the lower plateau area outside the TAR.

Conclusion

Traveling to Tibet via Sichuan Province is the ultimate in Chinese tours, covering two of the most stunning and historic areas of China. Sichuan Province can provide you with a wealth of opportunities to discover more about the most fertile region of China and the historical connections with the Tibetan people, who still live in the western areas of the province. An amazing experience, a tour of Sichuan and Tibet together is one of the best ways to travel to Tibet.