Chengdu ⇆ Panzhihua: Weekend Round Trip Guide
Define your goals: Eat fruit, bask in the sun, find delicious food, and take a stroll.
Pre-trip preparation: Check the weather forecast and pick a weekend with good weather.
What to bring: Sun hat, sunscreen, sun protective clothing, sun umbrella 🌂, ID card, change (some grandparents at the farmers market sell agricultural products and only take cash), toiletries, etc. For the mountain city, wear comfortable and breathable sneakers.
1️⃣ Transportation: Bullet train is the first choice for being fast and affordable.
① Friday after-work train times
18:06 (Chengdu South) → 22:40 (Panzhihua South)
18:18 (Chengdu South) → 22:55 (Panzhihua South)
23:52 (Chengdu West) → 05:44 (Panzhihua South)
② Sunday return train times
13:34 (Panzhihua South) → 18:14 (Chengdu East)
14:22 (Panzhihua South) → 19:06 (Chengdu East)
15:29 (Panzhihua South) → 20:12 (Chengdu South)
17:38 (Panzhihua South) → 22:27 (Chengdu South)
17:59 (Panzhihua South) → 23:25 (Chengdu West)
18:31 (Panzhihua South) → 23:04 (Chengdu South)
2️⃣ Itinerary: For reference
Day 0: check in to a hotel near the South Railway Station
Day 1: Breakfast (Yilangman, Xiao Ni Lamb Rice Noodles) → Renhe Rural Passenger Station to take the small yellow bus → Jinsha River Grand Canyon → Yishala Yi Village (can eat jelly, pea cake) → Take the small yellow bus back to Renhe → Donghua Mountain to watch the sunset (take a taxi to the foot of the mountain, take the elevator up the mountain) → (walk down the mountain) City Eye to see the night view → Renhe Snack Street
Day 2: Hotel breakfast → Choose one of three (① Third-Line Construction Museum or ② Panzhihua Park to see the popular leopard or ③ Yinhu Lake Park to see the Jinsha River Beach) → Smart Trade Market (every Sunday 7:30-14:00) → South Railway Station
3️⃣ Food: Choose whichever is closest
① Barbecue: Wang Glasses, Roast Bajie, parking lot, Yumen Barbecue
② Lamb Rice Noodles: Yilangman, Xiao Ni, Laoyanbian Zhenwei
③ Jelly Noodles: Salian Qiwei, roadside stalls in Yishala Yi Village
⑤ Specialties: Song Yanhua (Yanbian cuisine), Hao Dama Restaurant, Jiahui Beef Restaurant (beef soup pot), Tu Baschi (Zhuhu Garden), Dishui Qingqing Halal Restaurant (Pickled Pepper Shredded Beef, Beef Jerky), Miyi Copper Hot Pot, Miyi Chongfeng Chicken Fire Silk
4️⃣ Fruit (not much to say, see the pictures)
Introducing a few niche and unmissable options
🍉 Sandy Land Watermelon: If you encounter fresh sandy land watermelon produced in Panzhihua, you must buy one to try. The sandy, sweet, and fragrant taste is amazing.
🥭 Dried Mango: Sold in stores or markets, usually 20-30 yuan per bag (500g), pure dried mango baked, no additives, although ugly, but everyone who has eaten it says it is good.
🍏 Yugan (Amla): Locally called olive fruit, a small green fruit, the first bite is sour and astringent, but be sure to chew it a few times, the more you chew, the more sweet and refreshing it becomes, with a mouth full of saliva and a sweet aftertaste. There are dried fruits available, buy a can and soak them in water to drink.