Mianyang Travel Guide
Sichuan Province | Population: 1,355,331
Mianyang City is the second largest prefecture-level urban area in the Sichuan Province of China. It lies on the middle and upper reaches of the beautiful Fujiang River and is surrounded by tall snow-capped mountain peaks of the Trans-Himalayan Ranges. With such a magnificent landscape, naturally, the city of Mianyang is a popular tourist destination in China along with the provincial capital of Chengdu. Being in close proximity to the breeding ground of the giant panda makes the city a popular place for ecotourism.
Attractions
Fu Le Shan Park – This scenic area is located on the Fule Mountain just across the Fujiang River from downtown Mianyang. At the top of the mountain is a charming pagoda that provides a magnificent panoramic view of the river and the lush greenery that surrounds the cityscape. The park consists of several walking trails, an amusement park with rides, lake for boating, ancient tables with classic Chinese inscriptions, Buddhist statues, Mahjong courts, teahouses, picnic spots, and a fantastic miniature sound-and-light show in the evenings. This is a perfect place to spend the entire day especially for families with kids.
Holy Water Temple – This is a sprawling Buddhist temple located just a short distance from Mianyang City. The temple complex consists of the main temple structure with more than 500 Buddhist statues painted in vibrant colors. The scenery around the complex is beautiful due to the countless trees that are flourishing. The gigantic statue of the Reclining Buddha takes center-stage in the temple.
Beichuan Qiang Tourism Zone – One cannot visit Mianyang City and not experience the wonderful culture of the Qiang ethnic minority group living around the city. The Beichuan Qiang Tourism Zone is the perfect place to see their ancient customs and traditions that have continued to date. This scenic area consists of the Earthquake Ruins of Beichuan Old County, Memorial Hall of 5·12 Earthquake, Qiang Custom Museum, Beichuan New County, and Jina Qiang Village.
Wanglang National Nature Reserve – This is a conservation project for protecting the giant panda and other endangered and rare species. This mountainous area is not only a haven for the giant pandas but is also a protected area and breeding ground for the golden monkeys, cheetahs, gnus, sambars (deer), macaques, and other varieties of panda. Other animals and birds that inhabit the nature reserve include weasels, lynxes, takins, zibets, hares, Chinese goosanders, blue tails, Monal pheasants, sea eagles, and more.
Other tourist attractions in and around the city of Mianyang are Xianhai Lake Scenic Area, RiverWalk Park, Tie Niu Square, People's Park, Science City, etc.
Getting There
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Mianyang Nanjiao Airport |
Mianyang Nanjiao Airport is the 2nd largest in Sichuan province after Chengdu Airport and sits to the south with a remoteness of 10 kms from downtown Mianyang. A car ride covers the distance in 25 minutes, whereas public bus 806 takes 1.5 hours. Lucky Air, Xiamen Air, Sichuan, Spring and Shandong are most active. Residents of Mianyang can book flights to Shanghai, Lijiang, Beijing, Jinan, Kunming, Tianjin, Lhasa, Shijiazhuang, Lanzhou and Haikou among other destinations.