攀枝花市
A steel city in a hot river valley with a giant karst cave
Why this place
Panzhihua was built from nothing in the 1960s to exploit an iron ore deposit in a deep, hot river valley — it is one of the warmest cities in Sichuan, growing mangoes and tropical fruit. Nearby is the Zhihua cave, one of the largest karst cave systems in China.
What to see
- The Zhihua Cave — a huge dry cave with extraordinary formations and a 30-metre chamber
- The Jinsha River gorge and the Ertan dam
- The fruit plantations — Panzhihua mangoes are famous in China
What to eat
- Sichuan cooking with a tropical twist — mango, papaya and local fish
- Panzhihua is known for its 'yantang' salt-baked dishes
Best time
October–April; the valley is very hot in summer
HSKHSK 3
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