Guang'an Trip

Spend the weekend exploring Guang'an. This city actually has a lot of unique characteristics, with a deep cultural heritage of the ancient Ba people, though unfortunately the locals haven't fully developed or utilized it. Only the Xiaoping Former Residence is well-known. The first stop was to visit the Xiaoping Former Residence. This residence is very large, at least the size of a bus stop, with great feng shui—mountains and water all around. Various famous groups have planted many trees here, all grown tall and lush. In the evening, I had grilled fish upstairs at the hotel. I have to say, prices in Guang'an are really cheap. This grilled fish costs at least 80 yuan in Chengdu, but here it’s only 58. Such a great deal. The next day, I relaxed at the hotel for half a day, then in the afternoon went to Shenlong Mountain Ba People Stone City. This stone city is very impressive, steep and precipitous. It was an important route between the ancient Ba Kingdom and Qin Shu. Historically, it served as a military fortress multiple times. At the end of the Warring States period, the Ba Kingdom set defenses here against the Qin army, and during the Southern Song Dynasty, it was fortified against the Mongol army. There are two fortresses: the thousand-year-old fortress Nifeng City, a military stronghold left by the ancient Ba Kingdom; and Longmen Pass, built atop a towering rock shaped like a dragon’s head, with a strategic position. Longtai is located at the peak of Shenlong Mountain and is the core of Nifeng City, with a well-organized structure and complete functions. There is also Longze Temple, built at the end of the Northern Song Dynasty, as well as attractions like the Ba Kingdom’s gateway, Ba King Stone, and Weng City. Nifeng City and Longmen Pass form a strong defensive pair, practically impregnable and hard to attack. Given the ancient productivity levels, it would have been impossible to capture this fortress by force. According to research, it is speculated that the Qin army conquered the Ba Kingdom by capturing this fortress, likely through internal sabotage, similar to the tactic used to conquer Shu with the Golden Ox. This city is a treasure of Guang'an and really should be better utilized to leverage the Ba people's cultural heritage. After touring Stone City, you can conveniently dine at the nearby five-star Yilin Howard Johnson Hotel, where a two-person set meal costs only 78 yuan, which is very cost-effective. The dishes from a five-star hotel definitely taste better than those from ordinary restaurants. The black gold beef shank is very chewy and full of texture, unlike the soft and mushy versions made elsewhere. In the evening, I strolled around Guang'an Night City. It was cold and not many people were out. I had a bowl of beef noodles for just 13 yuan. The prices here are truly amazing.