Xichang 4 Days 3 Nights: Enjoy the Kaihai Festival and Chrysanthemum Exhibition for 800 RMB Per Person

While the whole country is still waiting for the red leaves to dye the hills, Xichang has already turned autumn into a carnival—on October 2nd, the drumbeats of the Qionghai Kaihai Festival shattered the lake surface, 40,000 pots of chrysanthemums spread out like a golden ocean in the wetlands, the sea of clouds sunrise atop Lushan Mountain dyed the sky the color of orange soda, and even the rocket launch’s tail flame carried the fiery passion of golden autumn! This local insider’s 4-day, 3-night guide teaches you how to experience the Kaihai Festival fish king auction, ancient city Hanfu time travel, Yi village long table feast, all for just 800 RMB per person, while avoiding 90% of the tourist traps! 🌅 4 Days 3 Nights Itinerary Overview Day | Core Activities | Autumn Must-Experience Day 1 | Jianchang Ancient City → Datong Tower Night View | Hanfu night tour in Lantern Alley, Mid-Autumn Moon Worship Ceremony Day 2 | Qionghai Kaihai Festival → Fisherman’s Feast under Moonlight | Sea Worship Ceremony, Fish King Parade, Ten Thousand People Fish Banquet Day 3 | Lushan Mountain Sunrise → Qionghai Cycling → Wetland Chrysanthemum Exhibition | Sea of Clouds Sunrise, Golden Scale Beach Sunset, Aerospace-themed Chrysanthemum Exhibition Day 4 | Dashiban Ancient Village → Lingying Temple → Return Trip | Yi-style Travel Photography, Ancient Village Hot Springs, Intangible Cultural Heritage Silver Jewelry Experience 🍁 Daily Highlights (with Hidden Easter Eggs) Day 1: Time Travel 600 Years Back in Jianchang Ancient City 🌙 3 Must-Do Activities Datong Tower Light Show (19:30-21:00 Free): The Ming and Qing dynasty ancient city walls are projected with aerospace rockets and Yi totems. Use your phone’s 0.5x wide-angle to shoot upwards and instantly feel like you’re on the set of “The Longest Day in Chang’an”! Yongquan Street Lantern Alley: Inside the 200-meter tunnel of red lanterns hides the “Jianchang Stories” NPC (18:00-22:00). Say the secret code “Moon City Dream Seeking” to the Hanfu-clad ladies to get free osmanthus wine! Nanjie Old Teahouse: Order a 5 RMB cup of bitter buckwheat tea with walnut cake and listen to local grandpas tell legends of the “Nine Streets and Eighteen Alleys.” The teahouse backyard offers panoramic views of the ancient city. Day 2: Qionghai Kaihai Festival Celebration Day 🚢 Full Kaihai Festival Guide Sea Worship Ceremony (9:30-10:30 at Moonlight Venue): Fishermen carry the 68-jin (about 75 lbs) “Fish King” in a parade. Join the crowd shouting “Good Weather and Harvest” to catch some good luck. Front-row spots need to be reserved an hour early! Ten Thousand People Fisherman’s Feast (12:00-14:00): 60 RMB ticket includes three fish dishes (fish head soup + drunken shrimp + spicy fish slices). The Qionghai fish cooked in earthen pots is so tender it’s hard to pick up. Don’t forget to add Yi-style pickled vegetables! Langhua Market (15:00-18:00): Buy handmade shrimp paste for 10 RMB, try freshly grilled silverfish for 5 RMB. Kids can enjoy fun fish-catching games (20 RMB/person, and you can keep the fish you catch). 📸 Photo Tips Wear white or blue clothes and stand at the fishing boat dock. When the sea worship parade carrying banners passes by, take continuous shots with the sparkling Qionghai lake as the background. Refer to Photo 1 “Moonlight Dock Fisherwoman” for the fisher hat + blue cloth shirt outfit! Day 3: Lushan Sea of Clouds + Wetland Chrysanthemum Exhibition 🌄 Lushan Sunrise Step-by-Step Guide Transport: Take a taxi before 6:00 AM to Lushan Mountain Gate (20 RMB from downtown), then take the cable car up (one-way 35 RMB, first ride at 7:00 AM), 20 minutes to the 2,317-meter-high viewing platform. Photography: The sea of clouds is thickest between 7:15-7:30 AM. Use your phone’s portrait mode to blur the prayer flags in the foreground. Refer to Photo 2 “Lushan Overlooking Qionghai” for the side face resting chin pose, shoot against the light to capture hair halo! Downhill Bonus: Wild monkeys at Guangfu Temple entrance will try to snatch snacks. Pretend to feed them bananas but actually take photos. Remember to wear your bag on the front! 🌸 Hidden Wetland Chrysanthemum Exhibition Activities Aerospace Chrysanthemum Dream Zone: 40,000 pots of chrysanthemums form rocket and satellite patterns (located 300 meters from the Wetland Phase 3 entrance). Wear light-colored clothes and squat among the flowers while friends shoot from a low angle to instantly become a “Flower Astronaut”! Monet Chrysanthemum Realm: At 4 PM when the sunlight slants, spray water on the pink ball chrysanthemums and shoot close-ups of the water droplets reflecting light, resembling an impressionist oil painting. Refer to Photo 5 “Wetland Chrysanthemum Exhibition Daisy Girl” holding bouquet and smiling pose. Day 4: Dashiban Ancient Village Slow Life 🛖 Healing Itinerary Lingying Temple Red Walls: The orange-red temple walls against the blue sky. Wear the same Charva cloak as in Photo 4 “Lingying Temple Yi-style Girl” (rental 30 RMB/hour). Use your phone’s live mode to capture spinning moments! Silver Jewelry Intangible Cultural Heritage Experience: “Yi Charm Workshop” (50 RMB per person) lets you handcraft Yi-pattern rings. The master carves blessings in Yi language, making it a meaningful gift. Howard Johnson Hot Springs (Entrance 88 RMB): Natural sulfur hot springs in the ancient village. Soaking at 3 PM lets you see the shimmering Qionghai waves. Remember to bring swimwear! 🌶️ 5 Must-Try Legendary Restaurants Xiong’s Beef and Lamb Offal Noodles (Haibin Middle Road): 8 RMB a bowl with mint and millet chili. Locals line up as early as 5 AM. Pair with 1 RMB fried potato chips—amazing! Li’s Small Intestine BBQ (Aerospace Road): Grilled piglet meat (3 RMB/skewer) dipped in “chili powder + bean powder” combo. Honey-glazed tofu grilled until bursting. 50 RMB per person for a satisfying meal! Old Xiao Fresh Fish Restaurant (Gangyao Village): Pumpkin fish head soup is milky and sweet, made with freshly killed Qionghai silver carp, cooked with tofu for 10 minutes. The soup with rice can be eaten three bowls! Asinuu Yi Cuisine: Tuotuo meat with bitter buckwheat cake, plus vegetable residue stew to cut the grease. The long table feast includes Yi homemade Gan Gan wine (low alcohol, sweet but with a strong aftertaste!). Tangyuan Night Market Ice Jelly: 10 RMB sticky rice ice jelly piled high with 8 toppings. Perfect to cool down after barbecue, a hot and cold sensation! 🥮 Autumn Limited Snacks Jianchang Smoked Duck: Vacuum-packed 35 RMB each, the most authentic from Nanjie “Zhao Duck.” Yi-style Grilled Milk Fan: Sold in Dashiban Ancient Village, 5 RMB per slice. The milky flavor mixed with rose sauce. It hardens when cold, so eat while hot! 🚲 3 Transportation Options High-Speed Rail Independent Travel: Chengdu → Xichang West (3 hours/150 RMB). Take bus 106 (2 RMB) from the station directly to Qionghai. Rent an electric scooter in the scenic area for 60 RMB/day (50% cheaper than taxis!). Lake Loop Line: Bus 106 tourist line (5 RMB) circles Qionghai, passing all attractions. Use Alipay to get the “Moon City Bus Card” for direct QR code scanning. Kaihai Festival Shuttle: Free shuttle bus from October 2-4 (Xichang West Station → Moonlight Venue), running every 30 minutes from 7:00 to 18:00. 🏡 3 Treasure Accommodation Areas Area | Recommended Hotel | Price | Highlights Qionghai 17 Degrees | Hanting Hotel | 200 RMB/night | 5-minute walk to Wanda Plaza, high-floor lake view rooms 260 RMB Dashiban Ancient Village | Yunli·Fancheng Homestay | 300 RMB/night | Zen-style homestay with courtyard, includes hot springs and breakfast Jianchang Ancient City | Manxin Hotel | 400 RMB/night | Siheyuan design, free Hanfu rental, stunning night views ⚠️ Pitfall Warning: Avoid low-priced inns at the entrance of “Qionghai Park.” Many have no elevators, prices double in peak season, book 15 days in advance! This autumn, who do you most want to come to Xichang with to see the Kaihai Festival? Are you cheering at the Fish King auction during the Sea Worship Ceremony, or taking photos in Yi costume by the red walls of Lingying Temple? Tag 3 friends in the comments to win Kaihai Festival limited edition postcards (featuring a real photo of the 68-jin Fish King!)~