Hidden Gems around Chengdu: Tiantai Mountain in Qionglai, Pingle Ancient Town, and Daliang Winery

Chengdu locals never worry about where to go on weekends—the outskirts of Chengdu are full of hidden gems. Just over an hour's drive away, Qionglai offers delicious food and fun activities, with surprisingly affordable prices. In winter, at Tiantai Mountain, you can wander through pristine forests with no one around, watching waterfalls flow gently, and if you're lucky, you might even see snow. Pingle Ancient Town in winter has the atmosphere an ancient town should have—without the summer crowds. Walk along the ancient stone streets, find a teahouse by the river, and spend an afternoon there, soaking in the slow pace of life. At Daliang Winery, you can even watch master brewers making wine firsthand—this is the charm of Qionglai liquor. Winter Tiantai Mountain. Aerial view of Daliang Winery in Qionglai. Aerial view of Pingle Ancient Town. Qionglai's 'Little Penang'—Tiehua Lane. Self-drive itinerary suggestion: D1: Chengdu - Pingle Ancient Town - Tiehua Lane - Daliang Winery. D2: Daliang Winery - Tiantai Mountain - Chengdu. Jiaguan Ancient Town, a pleasant surprise. Jiaguan was not originally in our plan; we just passed by and found it quite interesting. We parked by the roadside and went in for a look, discovering it was a wonderful place. This is what an ancient town should be like, with very few tourists stopping by. According to research, Jiaguan Ancient Town has a history of over 2,300 years. It is one of the three major ancient towns in Qionglai and the most important post station on the Tea Horse Road. There are many ancient buildings from the Ming and Qing dynasties, ruins of the Qin-Han post road, Han Dynasty iron-smelting sites, ancient bridge inscriptions, stone arches, Xiangya Temple, etc.—an important historical and cultural town in western Sichuan. Now it remains completely uncommercialized, with local residents living there. Walking on the ancient stone bridge, you can enjoy the water town scenery; strolling through the ancient streets, you feel the pulse of local life; you can also wander through miles of tea plantations, take a deep breath of fresh air, and experience the joy of tea picking. In Qionglai, the most common snack is milk soup noodles. Milk soup noodles are made with fresh pork bones, trotters, brains, pork knuckles, and free-range chicken, simmered into a fragrant, creamy white soup, served with noodles and garnishes. Smooth yet not greasy, satisfying even after repeated meals, suitable for all ages—it's a unique specialty of Qionglai. To enjoy milk soup noodles properly, you must pair them with poached chicken in chili oil and pickled vegetables. Poached chicken in chili oil has a history of over a hundred years, dating back to the Qing Dynasty. It is served in an earthenware pot with red oil chili sauce and various seasonings, mixed with boneless chicken slices, duck feet, duck wings, etc. The chicken skin is crispy, the meat tender, with a spicy and numbing flavor. When I settled the bill, the price list hanging at the door shocked me. I repeatedly asked the owner if this was the current price. In Chengdu, I haven't had noodles this cheap for over a decade. Passing by a stone bridge, I saw a basket of something—I don't know what it is. Does anyone know? 'Pingle'—a place you want to visit just by hearing the name. It is conveniently located, only 93 kilometers from Chengdu, accessible via highway. Pingle Ancient Town is known for its ancient streets and authentic, simple western Sichuan folk customs. In the ancient town, you can fully enjoy the long-lost ancient charm and tranquility away from the city. Shedding the restlessness of modern civilization, you can appreciate the spiritual mountains and waters, the flowers and plants, open your heart, forget worries, indulge in nature, and let time flow backward... Pingle Ancient Town, anciently called 'Pingluo', originated during the prehistoric Shu Kingdom's Kaiming period when Pingluo, a green basin surrounded by mountains, became a settlement due to water conservancy and agriculture. According to the 'Book of Documents: Tribute of Yu', during Yu the Great's flood control efforts, 'Cai and Meng were leveled, and He Yi accomplished merits.' The Baimo River, which flows through the town, was divided into 'Inner River' and 'Outer River' by the Feisha Weir, forming a unique pattern of one river splitting into three streams. By 150 BC during the Western Han Dynasty, it had already formed a market town, with a history of over 2,000 years. In the third year of the Kaibao reign of the Northern Song Dynasty (970 AD), Huojing County was established in Pingluo for over two hundred years. After the Yuan Dynasty, it belonged to Qiongzhou. In the 29th year of the Republic of China (1940), Pingluo Township was established, and this name continued after the founding of New China. In 1950, the town and township were separated. In April 1983, the township was abolished and the town was established, called Pingluo Town, with a town-village system. In March 1993, it was renamed Pingle Town. In September 2004, Qionglai City adjusted its administrative divisions, merging the neighboring Xiaba Township into Pingle Town, collectively called Pingle Town. Pingle has been known as the 'First Town of the Tea Horse Road, First Post Station of the Southern Silk Road' since ancient times. Today in Pingle, we can still see historical traces—the 'Nine Ancients': ancient streets, ancient temples, ancient bridges, ancient trees, ancient weirs, ancient workshops, ancient roads, ancient customs, and ancient songs. Pingle Ancient Town preserves ancient residential houses from the Ming and Qing dynasties. Most buildings on the ancient streets are two-story wooden structures, with shops on the ground floor and living quarters upstairs, reflecting a strong western Sichuan style. The ancient Leshan Bridge in the town was built in the first year of the Tongzhi reign of the Qing Dynasty, funded by local virtuous people Zhou Tongxuan and Zhang Dabin. Quarrying took seven years, and the bridge took a total of ten years to complete. It has seven peach-shaped arches, with a total length of 120 meters, height of 16.6 meters, and width of 10 meters—the largest surviving ancient stone arch bridge in Sichuan. Ancient streets: Pingle Town has a long history and was once the seat of Huojing County, serving as an important water and land transportation hub and trading port. This has resulted in a distinct style of residential architecture and street layout different from other western Sichuan ancient towns. As an important distribution center and water-land dock in western Sichuan, the main feature of the streets is that they are built along the river for convenient loading, unloading, and trading. The layout is fishbone-shaped. The 33 streets vary in length and curvature, with intersections often serving as docks. To facilitate business and residence, buildings along the streets are all upper-residence and lower-shop, usually two stories, with wooden column-and-tie construction, green tiles, and wooden eaves, staggered in height. There are currently 235,400 square meters of Ming and Qing buildings and 22 streets maintaining the ancient street style of the Ming and Qing dynasties—the largest and most unified in style in western Sichuan. On the ancient streets, you can also taste the most authentic Sichuan snacks. Qionglai's three famous snacks—milk soup noodles, poached chicken in chili oil, and spicy blood curd—can be found on any street in the ancient town. In summer, it is the most popular place for Chengdu locals to play in the water; in winter, it is relatively quiet. A food street in the ancient town, lined with various Qionglai delicacies. Perhaps many people don't know that Qionglai also has a trendy alley. This alley is called 'Tiehua Lane', with murals covering the streets, which suddenly reminded me of 'Penang' I once visited. It is worth mentioning that this was once the place where the richest man in the country 'struggled'. In the history of Qionglai and even the whole country, it holds a significant chapter. Tiehua Lane has one main lane, 570 meters long; 12 branch lanes, 1,290 meters long; totaling 1,860 meters. It is surrounded by Tianqing Street, Qixing Street, Huayuan Lane, and Nanhuan Road. Originally a large field, it was called 'Iron Slag Field' by Qionglai locals because the ground was covered with solidified furnace slag from iron smelting. At some unknown time, people refined the name 'Iron Slag' to 'Iron Flower'. These furnace slags (iron flowers) are extraordinary, with a history of over 2,000 years, related to Zhuo Wangsun, the father of Zhuo Wenjun, and record a glorious period in Qionglai's history. According to historical records, the Zhuo family of Zhao was a hereditary iron-smelting clan. After Qin destroyed the other six states, Zhuo Wenjun's grandfather moved to Linqiong in Shu. Linqiong area had rich iron ore resources and was strategically located at the gateway of the Southern Silk Road. In the early Han Dynasty, Zhuo Wangsun recruited poor people with cheap food to mine iron ore, smelt iron, and cast iron tools for the Shu people and southwestern ethnic minorities. They also sold iron products via the ancient Shu Road (Southern Silk Road) to Yunnan, Guizhou, South Asia, and West Asia. He became the richest man in the country with a thousand household servants. From the Western Han Dynasty onward, the government set up an iron office in Linqiong, making the ancient city one of the 'Five Great Iron Cities' of the Han and Tang dynasties. According to modern archaeology, the area around Tiehua Lane is highly likely to have been one of Zhuo Wangsun's large iron-smelting bases. Those iron slags or iron flowers are the furnace slag left from iron smelting. Archaeological reports indicate that the iron slag area covers 500,000 square meters, with a thickness of 30 cm—equivalent to 70 football fields. For thousands of years, the scenery of Tiehua Lane and its name have conveyed historical events spanning over two millennia, making Linqiong ancient city famous through the ages. As the historical site of Zhuo Wangsun's iron smelting, Tiehua Lane is an important cultural and geographical landmark showcasing the Han culture and industrial prosperity of ancient Linqiong. It witnesses the prosperity of ancient Linqiong and is a significant component of Wenjun culture, as well as a key area for showcasing the material and cultural heritage of a famous cultural city. Today, Tiehua Lane, in addition to inheriting Qionglai's culture, has become a famous food street in Qionglai. Although it has become a trendy spot, the prices here are still very affordable. China Wine Village—Daliang Winery. Qionglai has a long history of wine culture, known as the 'Hometown of Wine' since ancient times. When you come to Qionglai, how can you not visit the wine village to experience its wine culture? So, for our accommodation in Qionglai, we chose this winery. 'Daliang Winery' is a themed tourism village centered on wine culture and leisure experiences. It not only recreates the stories of winemakers, but you can also go to the Daliang Brewing Workshop and participate in the entire brewing process with the master brewers according to century-old traditional methods. You can also store a jar of self-brewed liquor in the cave and, after three to five years, open and enjoy the unique flavor of 'cellar-aged old liquor'. The hotel at Daliang Winery is also unique—each room is shaped like a wine barrel, and there is a vegetable patch in the yard with various vegetables. This time we stayed in a standard room with a large space. There was liquor prepared in the room, but it required an extra fee. On the Wine Culture Square, classic plays related to winemakers are performed regularly on the 'Daliang Old Stage', fully interpreting the profoundness of wine culture. Entering the winery feels like traveling through time, especially seeing the big tripod in the middle of the square, as if returning to the Warring States period. Besides our accommodation, Daliang Winery has several characteristic guesthouses with different styles. One is called 'Xinsu' (Heart's Rest). Its decoration uses antique items collected from old times. Every piece tells a story of history. The winery's cellar-stored liquor is spectacular. From the outside, it might not seem special, but once inside, you discover a 'hidden world'. Inside, rows of neatly arranged cellar-stored liquor are lined up. Some jars that have been stored for a long time have lost their original color. In the workshop of Daliang Winery, you can watch workers brewing sorghum liquor on-site. So that's how sorghum liquor is made. The Jiuchao Guild Hall, with a backdrop of China's 5,000-year history, has 13 private rooms, including Spring and Autumn, Warring States, Han, Tang, Qing, etc. Each dynasty presents the historical culture of that era. In the Han Dynasty room, you'll feel transported to the Han Dynasty, with maids in Hanfu warming and pouring wine for you. Guests sit on cushions, drinking wine and tea at low tables, experiencing the etiquette and dining style of the Han Dynasty. In the Yuan Dynasty room, it feels like being in a khan's tent, with Mongolian girls offering beef legs and roast lamb. In the Qing Dynasty room, with Qing palace style and costumes, accompanied by classical music of the era, it is truly a wonderful time travel. After staying one night at Daliang Winery, we went directly to Tiantai Mountain the next day. It is only a little over 50 kilometers from Daliang Winery to Tiantai Mountain, accessible without taking the highway. This is also the off-season for Tiantai Mountain, and the ticket price is very cheap, only 29 RMB per person. You don't need to take the scenic area shuttle; self-driving cars can enter the scenic area directly, just need to pay 20 RMB for parking. During the off-season, there are very few tourists at Tiantai Mountain. Many scenic spots and shops along the way are almost empty. When we drove halfway up the mountain, we saw a uniquely shaped stone. We got off and found it was also a viewpoint. That stone is the 'Inverted Boot Stone'. The Inverted Boot Stone rises abruptly 200 meters high, with a width of over 20 meters, towering into the sky like an upside-down long boot. Legend has it that the Barefoot Immortal attended the Queen Mother's Peach Banquet, got drunk, and lost his boot here, forming this stone. After about a 30-minute drive, we arrived at the terminal of Tiantai Mountain—Zheng Tiantai. This is also a large parking lot; if you take the shuttle, you get off here. The rest of the way requires walking. Many farmhouses at Zheng Tiantai are still operating, offering accommodation and meals. And in this winter season, the prices are very affordable. As we passed, we happened to see them roasting chicken for guests; after touring the attractions inside, we could have it. Leiyin Temple is the first attraction at Zheng Tiantai, a very ancient temple. 'Since ancient times, famous mountains are mostly occupied by monks; ten parts of scenery belong to the monk's family.' Leiyin Temple was originally a Taoist temple in the Han Dynasty, gradually converted into a Buddhist temple after the Tang Dynasty. It was destroyed by war at the end of the Ming Dynasty. Today, we can still imagine its former grandeur from the ruins. Due to the pandemic, the temple is not open to the public, so we could only take photos outside. From the stone lions at the entrance, you can tell the temple has a long history. A long corridor outside the temple is called Monk Street. One can imagine the glorious scene when Buddhism flourished here. On both sides of Monk Street, summer is the season to watch fireflies. Because it is near the river, with good air quality, it has become a favorite habitat for fireflies. The high-altitude plank road in the primeval forest. Can you imagine how it feels to be high in the forest? This project, which was very popular in Australia, can now be experienced at Tiantai Mountain. End of November is the season for camellias. At this time on Tiantai Mountain, blooming camellias are often seen along the roadside. When you see a waterfall, it means you have arrived at the core attraction of Tiantai Mountain—Shili Xiangcao Valley. In summer, it's almost impossible to take a photo without people. Coming in winter feels like having the place to yourself. The only way to enter Shili Xiangcao Valley is by taking a bamboo raft (20 RMB per person, round trip). Since there are no tourists in winter, the boatman doesn't wait for us. He said we could ring the bell a few times when we want to return, and he would come to pick us up. That was fine—we experienced the most primitive way of communication. Shili Xiangcao Valley is a narrow mountain valley. It gets its name because fragrant grasses are dense here, mostly immersed in water. At the same time, the valley is the most popular water-play spot at Tiantai Mountain in summer. In summer, you can experience eighteen types of water activities, such as water swings, mother-and-child wooden boats, dragon pumps, water climbing ladders, and waterfall climbing. But in winter, it's best not to play in the water—it's too cold if you fall in. The Bailong Stream flowing through Shili Xiangcao Valley originates from the primeval forest at an altitude of over 1,800 meters. It is a tributary of the Jinlong River and merges into it on the 'Upper Tiantai' platform. The widest beach on Tiantai Mountain—Butterfly Beach—is formed by this stream. Every summer and autumn, countless butterflies gather on Butterfly Beach, flying around visitors. This creates a wonderful scene before entering the valley. The waterfall at Tiantai Mountain is also one of the most beautiful scenery, though the water flow is small in winter, it's really stunning in summer. This is the legendary water swing. On the way back, there were even fewer people in the scenic area. The lake was very calm, with blue sky and white clouds reflected in the water. Pink camellias were also in bloom. Truly beautiful. Does Qionglai in the off-season have a unique charm? Especially on sunny days, whether you are on the ancient stone bridge by the river in the ancient town or listening to the babbling water in the primeval forest of Tiantai Mountain, you can find the free life you yearn for. When we tire of city life, why not drive out and explore these hidden gems around Chengdu?