Xichang

Among the several popular tourist destinations in the Sichuan Province of China, the city of Xichang is a real gem. Also known as Jianchang or Jiandu, Xichang City is located in the mountainous region of Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture. The city is surrounded by some of the best that nature can offer like towering snow-capped mountains, streams, rivers, waterfalls, cool weather, lush greenery, clean air, sunlight, lakes, and more. The Anning River flows alongside the city and adds to the natural beauty of the surroundings. Ecotourism has made the city of Xichang a popular destination for domestic as well as overseas tourists. In fact, many westerners have come to the city and settled here seeking a better quality of life.

Marco Polo in his travelogues has mentioned that the ancient kingdom in the region used gold ingots as currency instead of coins. Obviously, Xichang City (called Jiandu then) was a very prosperous region. Later, the region became the biggest producer of salt, which in those days was considered as precious as gold. In the 19th century, the city of Xichang and was the largest supplier of white wax to the Qing Dynasty empire. Consequently, the city people were always very wealthy.

Today, Xichang is a charming city with mixed nationalities and ethnicities who coexist in harmony. The ethnic minority groups include the Li, Tibetan, Miao, Hui, and Mongolian people but there is a major presence of Han Chinese who have come here in search of work over many decades. The modern Xichang is a well-developed city, the communications satellite center and the rocket-launching spaceport of China. For compulsive shoppers, the best souvenirs are handmade items made with lacquer or silver.