Qijiang Tourism | Joy in 'Qi', Endless Qi Delights [Photos, Videos]

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Qijiang District, Chongqing

Chongqing . Qijiang

One of the main urban districts of Chongqing, the second batch of national pilot areas for new urbanization.

Taking the high-speed rail from Chongqing West to Qijiang East, the train glides through green mountains and clear waters.

In less than half an hour, you can see the winding "Qijiang River."

Named after the river, Qijiang City is a place of beauty and talent.

In the past, the great general HL repeatedly praised "Qijiang is a great place."

Have you ever been to Qijiang? ... If not, you must go and see!

In this year's government work report, the concept of "main urban area expansion" was clearly defined.

"Qijiang" among the 12 districts has been upgraded to a true main urban area.

Qijiang Tourism Recommendation: The perfect combination of human history and natural environment.

Qijiang is a city with a long history and rich culture, dating back 1,400 years. It is the "Hometown of Chinese Farmer Woodcut Paintings." Here you can find the majestic Gujian Mountain with beautiful scenery, the magnificent Laoying Mountain, the graceful Qijiang River, the nearby lofty Hushan Mountain, the famous historical and cultural town Dongxi Ancient Town, the Dinosaur Footprint Fossil National Geopark, the most beautiful countryside in China Yongcheng Zhonghua Village, and the municipal-level tourist resort Hushan Mountain. It is a place for tourists from all directions to "nourish life, nourish old age, nourish the heart," and a place to "want to come, want to stay, want to remember."

Qijiang was recognized as a civilized district of Chongqing in 2019. It is a city surrounded by mountains and three rivers, a great place to escape the summer heat, and a cultural place to inherit the "red" spirit. Therefore, this trip was arranged around these two points:

Day 01: Hengshan Flower Fairy Valley, Gujian Mountain

Day 02: Wang Liang's Former Residence, Yongcheng Blowing and Beating, Retracing the Long March Road (HJ Bridge, HJ Cave, HJ Village, Shihao HJ Martyrs' Cemetery)

Day 03: Qijiang Museum, Qijiang Farmer Woodcut Painting Academy

Food Recommendations: Crispy Wanyu, Steady Peace Mutton, Beidu Fish

Accommodation Recommendations: Star Camping (suburbs), Howard Johnson Hotel (downtown)

On the way to Hengshan Flower Fairy Valley, Provincial Road 283 is known for its "3 bends and 9 turns."

The filming location for Andy Lau's "Lost and Lonely"

Going up the winding mountain road, you reach the top of the mountain. Coming to Hengshan Mountain in summer is to enjoy tranquility, coolness, and relaxation. It is a great place to escape the summer heat.

Looking down from the mountain top, the winding roads look like colorful ribbons floating among the mountains, and large patches of green come into view. Looking far away, layers of clouds cover a corner of the sky, just blocking the glaring sunshine, adding a bit more coolness to the summer.

Arriving in Qijiang gives a great mood. At the top of the mountain, you feel like you are in a fairyland, without extra noise and bustle, only the tranquility of peace. Qijiang is truly a desirable place.

Our first stop: "Hengshan Flower Fairy Valley"

Hengshan Flower Fairy Valley is located in Hengshan, Qijiang. The average annual temperature is around 25°C, only 70 minutes' drive from the main city. It is known as the nearest "Air-conditioning Health Town" in Chongqing!

The little elf of the flower valley: Huahua Zai

It covers 6 major theme functional areas, 5 major internet-famous flower sea landscapes, more than 10 internet-famous photo spots, and over 20 interactive experience projects such as romantic flower sea and cute pet paradise. It is the first composite leisure vacation destination in Chongqing, integrating sightseeing, outings, parent-child experiences, leisure vacations, and study tours.

Watch the flower sea, take beautiful photos, walk the kids, touch the clouds, sleep when tired, wake up to scenery, eat delicious food when hungry.

There is a refined life here, balancing movement and stillness, relaxed and comfortable.

Blue-purple flower spikes, fragrant and elegant, a sea of purple. The language of verbena is: expectation. Expectation is beautiful and worthy of longing, just like they sparkle and connect into a single piece.

Besides these, there are also argali, ponies, alpacas, peacocks, black swans, and other cute little animals that children love very much. Here, kids can have close contact with animals, learn to love animals and protect nature, learning through fun is really suitable.

Like a child, happily searching for the scent of flowers, I seemed to blend into the dragonflies and butterflies flying around. After turning a corner, a large expanse of flower sea undulating with the mountain terrain came into view spectacularly.

Near the flower valley, there is a star camping base. As a highlight scenic spot of Hengshan, it has a large forest coverage area and high negative oxygen ions. While running with the fragrance of flowers, we also feel the nature.

On summer nights, you can have star camping and barbecue, listen to the cicadas and birds, children and pets play around the tents, happiness becomes so simple.

Camping, watching stars, on weekends, meeting up with a few friends, finding a beautiful place, pitching a tent on the grass or bare soil, smelling the fragrance of earth and grass, watching the sunrise together, singing old songs, telling stories... feeling the long-lost return and comfort.

Second stop: "Gujian Mountain Scenic Area"

Gujian Mountain, also called "Jigongzui," has unique natural scenery and rich cultural landscapes. It is 800-1300 meters above sea level, known as the "Little Emei of Eastern Sichuan," and one of the twelve scenic spots of Chongqing.

Between two solitary peaks on the steep cliff of Jigongzui, ancients connected them with a stone arch bridge, named Yang Bridge. It is also called Sheshen Cliff because legend has it that a high monk of Gujian Mountain gave up his corporeal body there to ascend to paradise.

The Jingyin Temple on the mountaintop has thriving incense, with a continuous stream of pilgrims. There is a saying: "The Bodhisattva of Jigongzui responds to distant prayers, not nearby." The mountain air is humid, with high negative oxygen ions, the ecological environment is very good, it's great for getting some oxygen.

Gujian Mountain Scenic Area covers about 100 square kilometers, with the highest peak Jigongzui at 1300 meters above sea level. It is a Chinese forest health city and a national geological relic park. The scenic area contains rare Danxia landforms, high mountains and canyons; many kinds of nationally protected animals and ancient trees; the thousand-year-old ancient temple Jingyin Temple, the painter's village, the drum-beating rock, and many other natural and cultural landscapes.

Walking all the way through Jingyin Temple leads to an interesting small courtyard, then finally to an observation deck where you can see Qijiang City, the road you came from, and the parking lot below, all in full view. People with acrophobia might feel weak in the knees, but standing here and looking out truly makes you feel the wonder of nature and the smallness of humans.

If there are elderly who want to burn incense but find it hard to climb, it's okay: there is a road straight to the top, only a short walk to reach the temple.

At the foot of Gujian Mountain, there are dozens of reservoirs of various sizes, all with good water quality, and most allow fishing. There are many types of fish, including sharp-toothed fish. Fishing costs 30 yuan per day, and catching silver carp is not allowed. Many people go up in summer to escape the heat and enjoy the cool.

Gujian Mountain Tent Campsite

The campsite is a typical mountain tent campsite, covering 115 mu. It adopts a stepped, clustered construction with 1 RV site, 6 themed tent sites, 22 fixed tent sites, 40 free tent sites, 10 wooden cabin sites, a visitor reception center with bathrooms, children's play area, barbecue area, etc., connected by V-shaped roads.

Equipped with complete supporting facilities, such as independent drinking water and sewage treatment systems, perfect domestic electricity system, lighting system, wifi system, modern showers, toilets and other sanitation facilities, supermarkets, restaurants, laundry rooms, etc., meeting the daily needs of tourists. The key is that fees are reasonable, with standards high and low, generally affordable for ordinary working-class people.

Third stop: "Wang Liang's Former Residence"

Qijiang is a city with a long history and heavy culture, and also the only place where the Red Army passed through Chongqing during the Long March. General Wang Liang was born here.

Wang Liang was a commander of the Red Army, but his military career lasted only five years, yet he made great contributions in many counter-encirclement campaigns. Born into a wealthy family, Comrade Wang Liang received a good education from childhood, learning both Chinese and Western knowledge. Later he followed his ideals, joined the revolution, and was adept in both civil and military affairs. In 1932, while returning to the army, he tragically and heroically sacrificed.

Wang Liang's former residence is a square courtyard layout, one story up one story down, facing east and west, backing onto Fengguan Mountain and facing Laoying Mountain. It is a typical Sichuan-style column-and-tie construction.

Wang Liang was from Yongcheng Town, Qijiang District, Chongqing. He knew three foreign languages. At 21, he abandoned his studies to join the military. He once studied at the Whampoa Military Academy. His life was brilliant but short. He participated in many dangerous and fierce battles against the enemy, leaving eternal contributions.

Comrade Mao Zedong wrote the majestic poem: "Crimson clouds amid the countless frosty trees, the wrath of the celestial army rushes to the sky." In that battle, the one who made outstanding achievements was the early famous general, General Wang Liang.

The entire exhibition room takes the life story of General Wang Liang as the main line, using text, pictures, real objects, and other forms to bring our thoughts back to that era. The theme is distinct, divided into three exhibition halls: the residence itself, Red Qijiang, and Wang Liang's deeds.

Fourth stop: "Yongcheng Blowing and Beating"

Yongcheng Blowing and Beating is a traditional music form of the mountainous countryside of Chongqing, the most popular, active, and oldest traditional music form.

Yongcheng Blowing and Beating has over 300 years of history. Among them, the largest and most influential is the Liu Family Band, which has been passed down for 18 generations. The Liu Family Band was founded by Liu Yiwen from Xiniuping, Xiaogan, Hubei during the Ming Dynasty, with only 6 people at that time.

Fifth stop: Retracing the Long March Road

Located in Shihao Town, Qijiang District, built in the Qing Dynasty. In January 1935, the Red First Army crossed this bridge. Because it witnessed the history of the Central Red Army's Long March to Qijiang, later generations named it "Red Army Bridge."

It is a stone-and-wood structure bridge, with a rest-mountain-style green tile roof design and column-and-tie beam frame, presenting the original ancient bridge design. It is the Red Army Bridge. Compared with traditional bridges, the Red Army Bridge carries more historical missions, witnessing the eventful years of the Red Army's Long March to Qijiang. It is like a mirror reflecting the past and present.

Strolling on the ancient bridge, you can almost hear the Red Army's shouts. In a flash, nearly a hundred years have passed like a fleeting white pony, only the old bridge remains unchanged.

On January 21, 1935, the medical team of the First Red Army column and First Division stayed overnight at the home of farmer Li Shuqing in the Qishuping area of Lihanba, Shihao. The next day, when the medical team left, they left four seriously wounded Red Army soldiers from Jiangxi, entrusting Li Shuqing to help care for their recovery.

To avoid searches by warlord troops, Li Shuqing moved the wounded to a cave called Yougangzui Rock Cave at the foot of the mountain behind the house. Li Shuqing's family took turns delivering food and finding herbs to treat their wounds. Between February and March of the same year, two of the Red Army soldiers died of their severe injuries. Li Shuqing and fellow farmer Tang Mingxing buried their remains outside the cave.

One recovered and left in April; one recovered and helped Li Shuqing with work on the farm. Two years later, he was forcibly taken away by Guomindang troops in Datong Town and was never heard from again. To commemorate the sacrificed Red Army soldiers, the locals renamed "Yougangzui Rock Cave" to "Red Army Cave."

After parking, we need to walk about 500 meters along a mountain path to reach the Red Army Cave.

In Chonghe Village, Anwen Town, Qijiang District, a journey full of red cultural memory is attracting more and more attention. Tourists walk on the trail, occasionally take out their phones to take photos and share their inner joy.

Chonghe Village is about 1.5 hours' drive from Qijiang urban area, bordering Yaolongshan Town, Tongzi County, Guizhou. It is a typical border village with style of Chongqing and Guizhou.

Here, the melody of "Seeing off the Red Army Ten Times" lingers in the ears. The battle with the most casualties during the Long March was the Xiangjiang Battle, where the Central Red Army sharply decreased from over 86,000 troops at the start to just over 30,000.

Shihao Red Army Martyrs' Cemetery

After the founding of the People's Republic of China, the people of Qijiang were liberated and never forgot the source of their happiness. Between 1964 and 1983, they built Red Army Martyrs' Cemeteries near Baiguo Village and Shihao Market, gradually moving the remains of five Red Army soldiers together.

In 1991, it was renovated and expanded to become the current Shihao Red Army Martyrs' Cemetery. The entire cemetery consists of seven parts: the Long March poetry tablet, martyrs' graves, martyrs' statue, martyrs' memorial tower, inscription stele forest, exhibition hall, and Red Army propaganda slogan stele forest.

Shihao Red Army Martyrs' Cemetery was inscribed by General Yang Chengwu. The martyrs' memorial tower bears inscriptions by Marshal Liu Bocheng, General Zhang Aiping, and General Li Wenqing.

Shihao Red Army Martyrs' Cemetery is a Chongqing cultural relic protection unit, a Chongqing patriotism education base, and a Chongqing national defense education base.

Sixth stop: Qijiang Museum

Located in Farm Community, Gunan Street, Qijiang District, it is a comprehensive museum showcasing the culture of the Qijiang River basin, and the only museum in China featuring Lao culture.

The museum has four exhibition halls: the preface hall, the geology hall, the history and culture hall, and the stone carving hall.

The first floor is the preface hall, which houses a sand table model of the Qijiang geopark. The sand table is 4 meters long and 3 meters wide. It intuitively displays the topographical features of Qijiang, a microcosm of Qijiang's geography.

The second floor is the geology hall. The exhibition is divided into six units, showcasing Qijiang's petrified wood and dinosaur footprint national geopark's four characteristic resources and five treasures of the museum.

The four characteristic resources are petrified wood resources, dinosaur footprint resources, dinosaur fossil resources, and Danxia landform resources. The five treasures of the museum are dinosaur footprint fossils, dinosaur fossils, fish fossils, crinoid fossils, and ichthyosaur fossils.

Unit 1: Comprehensive Science Popularization Area

Where does life come from? Where do we come from? Here you can find answers about the origin and evolution of life. Let us follow these footprints, travel through the time tunnel, explore the earth, and understand the process of life's evolution.

Unit 2: Petrified Wood Exhibition Area

Qijiang's petrified wood is widely distributed, found in Gunan, Wenlong, Dongxi, Yongxin, Longsheng, Hengshan, etc. Moreover, Qijiang petrified wood has three notable characteristics: rare, precious, and unique! Like other plant and animal fossils, petrified wood is a very precious geological paleontological relic resource and a precious natural heritage left to us by nature. This is another characteristic resource of the Qijiang Geopark.

Unit 3: Geological and Mineral Exhibition Area

Qijiang is rich in mineral resources, with coal and iron ore as advantageous minerals. It is the largest coal supply base in Chongqing, with proven coal reserves accounting for 40% of the entire Chongqing and production capacity accounting for 20% of Chongqing. In the geological and mineral exhibition area, you can learn in depth. In addition, you can also see precious fossil specimens in the display cabinets.

Unit 4: Dinosaur World

Dinosaurs are mysterious animals. Stepping into the dinosaur hall, the ancient life information comes to you. We often see dinosaur skeletal fossils, but dinosaur footprint fossils are extremely rare. In Qijiang Museum, the five treasures will absolutely amaze you!

Treasure of the museum: "Crinoid Fossil"

On the wall, an ink wash lotus hanging upside down? Actually, it's not a painting, but a fossil; not a lotus, but a crinoid. This crinoid fossil is our fourth treasure. This fossil is 3.65 meters high and 1.86 meters wide. Crinoids are not plants but animals, a kind of echinoderm plankton living in the ocean. They have roots on top, leaves below, growing upside down and drifting with the current. From an ornamental perspective, this specimen has stems, flowers, and leaves, is huge in size, elegant in posture, complete in shape, outstanding in appearance, and can be called a fine crinoid fossil.

Third floor: History and Culture Hall

The third-floor history and culture hall includes seven parts: Ancient Qijiang, Mysterious Qijiang, Red Qijiang, etc. Qijiang is a place of outstanding people and abundant talents. In the Han Dynasty, there was the great scholar Yin Zhen who set up an altar to teach in Qijiang. Qijiang farmer woodcut paintings are renowned at home and abroad. Yongcheng Blowing and Beating, Shihao Yang Opera, Hengshan Kun Ci, Qijiang Bagu Pottery and other cultural and artistic treasures are breathtaking.

The quiet and elegant Qijiang Museum carries the long history and culture of Qijiang on one hand, and conveys the beautiful future of Qijiang to people on the other.

Seventh stop: Qijiang Farmer Woodcut Paintings

Qijiang farmer woodcut paintings originated from woodblock New Year pictures in the Ming and Qing dynasties. They are pure handmade works, first carving a picture on a wooden board, then using manual rubbing to make prints. The compositions are bright, the colors are vivid, and they are famous at home and abroad. They are a Chongqing intangible cultural heritage project, and Qijiang is named the hometown of farmer woodcut paintings.

The themes are mostly drawn from the production and life practices of the vast masses of farmers, with strong ethnic folk customs and life flavor. Artistically, they absorb a lot of folk art essence widely circulated among the people, such as wood carving, stone carving, cloth appliqué, cross-stitch, paper cutting, woodblock New Year pictures, blue calico, etc. The printing materials have developed from woodblocks to stone blocks, paper blocks, and other materials. Ink colors and printing techniques are increasingly rich. The works always present a simple, rustic, exaggerated, and romantic artistic effect, with unique national style and distinct regional characteristics.

They have been invited to exhibit in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, France, Japan, and other countries. Many works have been collected by the National Art Museum of China, provincial (municipal) museums, Chinese embassies abroad, foreign art museums, and foreign friends.

In recent years, Qijiang has increased support for farmer woodcut paintings, promoted them into primary and secondary school classrooms, established woodcut painting studios and companies, and continuously developed the woodcut painting industry. Qijiang people innovatively integrate woodcut painting elements into daily necessities and tourism products, creating cultural and creative products such as handbags, folding fans, silk scarves, umbrellas, wine sets, etc., with woodcut painting styles.

Beidu Fish: Qijiang Spring Beidu Fish, Wu Ji Old Brand

Address: About 100 meters southeast of the intersection of Jiulong Avenue and Gongshang Branch Road in Qijiang District (north of Jinfu Garden)

Beidu Fish became famous in the 1980s and is renowned at home and abroad. It originated from the Beidu Ferry in Qijiang. The method is to scale and clean a live fish, cook it in a rustic stove, add the fresh fish, sprinkle a large amount of chili, Sichuan pepper, garlic, and some special seasonings after taking it off the heat, and then pour over a secret boiling oil. The resulting Beidu fish is fresh, aromatic, numbing, spicy, tender, and crisp, becoming a famous Jianghu dish.

Now, a classic "one fish four ways" has been developed: spicy fish, tomato fish, pickled vegetable fish, and fish head soup wonton, making it a famous Chinese dish.

Steady Peace Mutton: Liu's Main Street Mutton

Address: 100 meters from the expressway exit of Anwen Town, Mutton Village (Lanchai Highway, Anwen Toll Station)

Steady Peace Mutton has a history of over 200 years. It uses traditional techniques and secret recipes, has been listed as a district-level intangible cultural heritage in Qijiang, and has won the title of "Chongqing Time-honored Brand." Its unique mutton cooking method is well received by diners.

The lamb used is local goat. The mutton soup is really fresh, and the meat texture is more chewy. This restaurant has been open for decades and is an intangible cultural heritage.

Steady Peace Mutton specially offers a variety of dishes including one sheep many ways: clear broth, red broth, braised lamb chunks, fresh mutton, special steamed mutton, special roast lamb chops, braised lamb chops, special roast mutton slices, special lamb trotters, roasted lamb liver, nutritious health soup, etc., all favorites of diners.

Crispy Wanyu Whole Fish Feast

Address: Cuì Wěi Yu Yǎng Zhí Chǎng, Huilong Village, Shanzhen

Wanyu (grass carp) is named for its firm texture, more meat and fewer bones, refreshing and crispy taste. It is even more delicious, with the characteristics of soft and smooth texture, crispiness, and uniqueness. The best part is the belly. Due to its tough texture, it can be cooked in various ways: stir-fry, steamed, stewed, each with its own flavor. Crispy grass carp itself has very rich nutritional value, comparable to salmon and eel. Today we recommend this "one fish six ways" crispy whole fish feast.

It can be made into several flavors: spicy fish balls, double-pepper fish cubes, cold mixed fish slices, sweet and sour fish ribs, braised fish head, fish-flavored fish shreds.

Crispy Wanyu: 68 yuan/catty, Crucian carp soup: 38 yuan/catty

Dongxi Fermented Bean Curd, Fan Zao Yang, Jinjiao Laosichuan Beef Jerky

High-speed rail: Chongqing West to Qijiang East, 26 minutes, 22 yuan/person

Self-driving: Chongqing main city - Inner Ring Expressway (G75 Lanhai Expressway), 1 hour 10 minutes, 70 km, toll about 20 yuan

Hengshan Flower Fairy Valley: Opening hours: 09:00-17:00, ticket price 60 yuan

Address: No. 22, Tiantai Mountain, Hengshan Town, Qijiang District

Gujian Mountain: Open for free all day, electric car up the mountain 10 yuan/person

Address: Qingshui Village, Jigongzui, Qijiang District

Wang Liang's Former Residence: Free

Address: Sanhuaiba Society, Zhonghua Village, Yongcheng Town, Qijiang District

Address: Next to Wang Liang's Former Residence

Red Army Bridge: Lianghekou, Shihao Town, Qijiang District