Dujiangyan lies between the swiftly rising Tibetan plateau to the north and west and the Sichuan basin to the south with the Min River coursing down from the plateau, through the town and into to the capital. 

Dujiangyan town is most famous for the 2,250 year-old irrigation project built by Li Bing, Shu Governor during the Qin Dynasty, and his son. The Dujiangyan dam deftly re-directs the roaring Min River down through the Sichuan Basin, lending the people use of the mountain waters and earning Sichuan the moniker, “Land of Abundance.” 

The dam and the river form the heart of Sichuan’s famed abundance and therefore the heart of Sichuanese civilization itself. The dam is surrounded by a large park dotted with temples and shrines dedicated to former governors and Taoist sages.

Much of the park was damaged during the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake, including the beautiful Erlang Temple which perched upon the hillside for centuries. The city has rebuilt much of the temple and fixed the cracks in the pavement, toppled statues and brushed away the debris. If you go now, the park looks brand new in many ways. 

The dam itself didn't suffer a scratch – a testament to ancient building methods. As you are walking through the park, be sure to check out the signs that describe the building of the dam.

Every summer a beer festival is held along its banks and several bridges built in the old styles still span the Min, including the still-terrifying An Lan suspension bridge, built in 1,000AD by Mao Yisheng. 

Just a few minutes drive from Dujiangyan proper, the waters of the Min blend into the mountains of the plateau to create an environment both inspiring and soothing – an area that drew the attention of the legendary Taoist sage, Zhang Daoling. 

According to legend, Zhang developed Taoism here, in the Qing Cheng Mountains, and then ascended to heaven as a Taoist immortal. Qing Cheng Mountain then became the ancestral home for the Heavenly Master School of Taoism – among the ten great Taoist mountains, Qing Cheng is ranked five. 

Qing Cheng mountain is divided into the front and back peaks, both easily accessible through the shaded gates of Jianfu Palace, built in the Tang Dynasty or up the winding mountain road leading to the back gate and Tianshi Cave, built 1,200 years ago during the Sui Dynasty. Although the majority of the buildings on the mountain were flattened by the earthquake in 2008, the White Cloud Temple at the top – like the ancient dam – emerged unscathed. 

It takes a full day to climb up to the White Cloud temple – through temples and palaces, bamboo groves and across wooded ridges – and it is possible to sleep there if you like. Both the front and back roads up to the mountain are lined with cottages offering bed and breakfast in the traditional Sichuan nong jia le style – small rooms leading to a garden overlooking the peaks across the valley formed by the Black Dragon Stream.

During the sticky Chengdu summer, Dujiangyan is a godsend – only a short ride away, but deep enough in the mountains to provide relief: I have great summertime memories of the Min River, walks along the ancient dam, evenings on Qingcheng Mountain, slightly drunk from baijiu and drying off after a dip in the Black Dragon Stream.

Below are train times from Chengdu to Qingcheng  Mtn. and back.

Train timetable Train>>>>Chengdu>Dujiangyan>Qingcheng Shan 

D6101——06:32———06:59———07:07 
D6103——07:15———07:56———08:05 
D6105——08:15———08:56———09:05 
D6107——09:30———no stop