Things to do in Zitong

No. 12 of Best Things to Do in Mianyang

LIANGDANCHENG OF CHINA

Liangdancheng is located within Shengdile Village in the Economical and Technological Development Area of Zitong County, Jinyang City. It was built in the 1960s on the former site of China Academy of Engineering Physics. It was the development base of China's atomic bombs and missiles. There are over 100 perfectly preserved red brick houses, which serves to show China's nuclear weapon's development history. It is a unique Red travel destination.

Qiqushan Scenic Spot

Qiqushan Scenic Area is about 9 kilometers north of Zitong County, Mianyang City, Sichuan Province, and south of Jianmen Shu Road Scenic Spot. The Jinniu Ancient Shu Road (now National Highway 108) runs from north to south. The entire tourist area is distributed in a belt along the ridge, covering an area of ​​29.3 square kilometers. Qiqushan Scenic Area is famous at home and abroad for being the birthplace of Wenchang culture and the largest pure ancient cypress forest in the country. There are more than 50 cultural landscapes with ancient Shu Road, ancient imperial cypress, ancient buildings and ancient culture as the main body, and the cultural heritage is extremely profound. It is a national AAAA-level tourist Attraction.

No. 12 of Fall Viewing Attractions in Mianyang

Qiqu Mountain Temple

The Qiqu Mountain Temple is a famous scenic spot in the northwest of Sichuan. Here is the perfect place to burn incense and pray for the Taoist culture. The old temple of Qiqushan was formerly known as “Wenchang Palace”, which is the special temple of Zhang Wenzi, the “Wenchang Emperor”. Therefore, every important exam such as the college entrance examination, there are many students and parents who come here to burn incense. From the gate of the Qiqu Mountain Temple, take the trail up the mountain. The Thunder Temple on the mountain is the commanding height of the whole mountain. It overlooks the surrounding area and has a good view.

2026 Global 100 - Best Things to Do

Jiuzhaigou National Park

Jiuzhaigou National Park features towering snow-capped peaks, lush forests, and stunningly colorful pools and shoals. Crystal-clear streams meander through the forests and shoals, complemented by traditional Tibetan wooden houses, prayer flags, and the unique traditional customs of the Tibetan and Qiang ethnic groups, earning it the name "beautiful fairy-tale world." Jiuzhaigou National Park is shaped like a "Y" and consists of three valleys—Shuzheng Valley, Rize Valley, and Zechawa Valley—with a total length of over 60 km. Fall is the golden season for sightseeing, as the mountain forests gradually shift in color from emerald green to golden yellow and then to fiery red, contrasting beautifully with the azure lakes and presenting an unforgettable picture.

2026 Global 100 - Best Things to Do

Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding

The Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding is home to many adorable giant pandas, and you can observe these charming national treasures up close. Located in the northern suburbs of Chengdu, the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding is approx. 10 km from the city center, and its construction fully simulates the wild living environment of giant pandas, with lakes, streams, bamboo forests, lawns, and more. The Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding has many "panda villas", which are enclosed leisure areas for pandas. Each features an outdoor yard and an indoor rest room. When the weather is cool, the giant pandas play in the yard, and visitors can watch the adorable pandas through the railings; when the weather is hot, the giant pandas hide in the air-conditioned rest rooms, and visitors can only watch them through the glass. You can also see pandas in the new area of the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, and they are our hero pandas. The pandas' home is bigger, and their activity range is wider. Seeing pandas is the main draw, but there is plenty more to do and see. A must-visit is our landmark building — the internet-famous Panda Tower. As a new landmark of Chengdu, it stands at the highest point of the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding. The tower is 69.8 m tall with 11 floors. Its exterior resembles a giant bamboo shoot, while the interior is shaped like a blooming hibiscus flower. Inside, 81 platforms are distributed throughout, allowing visitors to enjoy the views of the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding from multiple angles. There is also the Art Museum (New Building) located in the dense forest area of the new district, which uses emerging exhibition methods such as multi-sensory interaction, lighting installations, interactive installations, and thermal sensing to create immersive exhibition scenes for visitors. The new area of the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding plans to set up science popularization display boards and interactive facilities with rich content and diverse forms in four major zones, so that visitors can learn about giant pandas while watching them and enhance their interactive experience. On festivals related to animal and environmental protection, themed science popularization activities will also be carried out for visitors of different age groups, such as interactive lectures, family-friendly science popularization, mystery exploration games, and other activities that combine education with entertainment. When you're tired from playing, you can also go enjoy a musical — "Panda": it vividly presents to the audience the scene of magical animals, with the giant panda as their representative, coexisting harmoniously, sharing nature, and loving life on the beautiful and fertile land of Chengdu, Sichuan. Through the form of a musical, it reflects the livable landscape of Chengdu, Sichuan, and the simple and leisurely life of the local people. In terms of total area, it has increased from the original 1,035 mu to 3,570 mu, expanding by 2.5 times. During the expansion, the original topography and landforms were fully followed and preserved, and the multi-level landscape belts of mountain valleys formed by mountain gullies and streams were utilized to create 11 giant panda venues, multiple science popularization venues, and visitor pedestrian streets and other sightseeing locations. After the expansion project is completed, it can accommodate no fewer than 180 giant pandas and companion animals such as red pandas and golden snub-nosed monkeys. As of now, multiple giant pandas and red pandas have moved into the "new homes" in the expansion area, and rare animals such as golden snub-nosed monkeys will also be waiting to welcome everyone in the future. In terms of design, the new area is equipped with ample visitor facilities in accordance with 5A attraction standards. It not only provides basic facilities such as sightseeing vehicles and tourist restrooms, but also equips the hill commercial street, the exit commercial street, and scattered commercial complexes in various zones with a large number of tourism service facilities. The planned business formats include dining, souvenir sales, postal services, cinemas, theaters, and experiential education, among others, and the quantity is sufficient to meet visitor demand. After nearly a year of operation, in response to the practical issues of the new area's large size and uneven distribution of supporting facilities, the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding has added multiple beverage vending machines, direct drinking water dispensers, and shared convenience facilities throughout the new area to improve the visitor experience. Next, the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding will further supplement and improve visitor rest facilities, inquiry service facilities, and guide and navigation facilities to meet visitor needs. The expanded Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding will help Chengdu build a demonstration site of harmonious coexistence between humanity and nature, improve conditions for giant panda research and conservation, protect biodiversity, fully demonstrate the brand value, cultural value, and economic value of giant pandas, and build the cultural tourism brand of "Sanxingdui, Jiuzhaigou, and Giant Pandas: A Leisurely Journey Through Sichuan." New businesses and projects such as the Panda Art Museum, IMAX Theater, and Panda Theater are now open, meeting visitors' needs for dining, entertainment, sightseeing, shopping, and leisure while they watch giant pandas.

2026 Asia 100 - Best Things to Do

Dujiangyan Scenic Area

The Dujiangyan Irrigation System is located along the main branch of the Lancang River, west of Dujiangyan City. It was constructed in the Qin dynasty around 256 BC by Li Bing, Prefecture Chief of Shu County, and his son. It is one of the few ancient Chinese water conservancy projects that has remained preserved and intact. The project consists of three primary works—Yuzui Diverting Embankment, the Feishayan Spillway, and the Baopingkou Water Inlet, and two secondary works which include the Baizhangdi (the thousand-feet dam) and Renzidi (the y-shaped dam). They divide the Yongjiang River into an outer and an inner branch, the former of which is used to divert floods and the latter for irrigation. This has allowed the Western Sichuan plateau to become "the land of abundance" as we now know it.

No. 18 of Family-friendly Attractions in Sichuan

Mianyang Fantawild Oriental Heritage Park

Mianyang Fantawild Oriental Heritage Park is a large-scale high-tech cultural theme park carefully built by Huaqiang Fantawild Group. The theme park is the inheritance of Chinese history and culture. Through new content creativity, technological innovation and exquisite layout, it integrates myths and legends, historical allusions, folk customs and Bashu culture, allowing visitors to experience the Unlimited charm of the integration and collision of technology and culture. The park uses a combination of technologies such as dynamic dome flying theater, panoramic AR, integrated three-dimensional track, 5D dynamic effects, program-controlled magic bricks, and real-life performances to present visitors with a splendid picture of the essence of China's 5,000-year history and civilization in a way of participation, experience, and interaction. The park includes 11 unique large-scale indoor high-tech cultural theme projects and 34 outdoor recreation projects, as well as more than 200 special leisure landscapes and four theme restaurants, integrating sightseeing, leisure, interaction, and excitement. Visitors will experience a series of creative high-tech cultural theme projects here, including "Nuwa Patching the Sky" and "Nezha Conquers the Dragon King" based on classic myths, "Liang Zhu", "Meng Jiangnu" and "Water Flooding Jinshan" that interpret romantic and sad love stories, "Jiuzhou Charm", "Divine Painting" and "Idiom Fairy Tales" that combine education with entertainment and promote Chinese culture, and the thrilling and challenging "Shenzhou Tower", "Dayu Controlling Floods" and "Circus Carnival". The park also has large outdoor special landscape projects such as the Festival Square that reflects the great integration of various ethnic groups. In Mianyang Fantawild Oriental Divine Painting, people can feel the profoundness of Chinese history and experience the brilliance of modern technology. The park's diversified and personalized theme amusement experience will meet the entertainment needs of tourists of different ages, allowing the whole family to share high-quality joyful experiences.

Space Science and Technology Museum

No. 11 of Night Attractions in Sichuan

Yuewang Tower

The Yuewang Tower was built by the Emperor Gaozong of the Tang Dynasty. It is also known as the Yellow Crane Tower, Tengwang Pavilion, and Yueyang Tower. Li Baishen wrote "The Night's Monastery" and Du Fu's "Vietnam House Song" was created here. Yuewang Tower was damaged several times. The rebuilt Yuewang Tower is still located in the original site of Guishan.

No. 4 of Best Things to Do in Sichuan and Chongqing

Mount Qingcheng

Mount Qingcheng has long been praised as "Tranquil Paradise under Heaven," with its peaks encircling like city walls—hence the name. Legend says Zhang Daoling of the Eastern Han dynasty established Taoism here in a thatched hut, making it the ancestral home of Celestial Master Taoism, where temple incense still burns today. The mountain divides into front and back sections: the front features Taoist temples and cultural relics, commonly referred to as "Mount Qingcheng" by most travelers; the back excels in natural landscapes like pools, waterfalls, streams, and gorges, making it ideal for hiking and summer retreats. The highlights of Qianshan are concentrated. Starting from Jianfu Palace beside the mountain gate, follow the ancient stone steps upward past Natural Picture, Tianshi Cave, Chaoyang Cave, and Shangqing Palace, with the summit's Laojun Pavilion as the final vantage point. Tianshi Cave, also called Changdao Temple, is one of the mountain's largest Taoist complexes—its front courtyard holds a millennium-old ginkgo tree allegedly planted by Zhang Daoling, while the cliffside Ink-throwing Trough behind is said to be where the celestial master drew mountains with vermilion ink. Painting master Zhang Daqian once resided at Shangqing Palace, styling himself "Guest of Qingcheng." At the mountain's base, Yuecheng Lake's mirror-like waters add ethereal beauty to the lush greenery. The rear mountain entrance is the quaint Tai'an ancient town. From here, the trails connect Wulong gully and Feiquan gully into a loop, with views like Misty spring triple pools, Double spring water curtain cave, and Hundred-zhang long bridge accompanied by the sounds of water and shaded woods. The Longyin gorge walkway built along cliffs overlooks rushing streams below, making it a dedicated hiking route. The mountain stays pleasantly cool even in midsummer. The front mountain and back mountain entrances are not connected, usually requiring separate itineraries. Most 1-day tours choose one of the two. The front mountain's main temples can be visited in half a day, while the back mountain loop is longer and requires reserving most of a day. Travelers wishing to see the sunrise often ascend the mountain a day early, staying overnight at mountain temples for convenient morning viewing.