宜宾市

Why this place

Yibin is where the Jinsha and Min rivers join and the river becomes the Yangtze — a confluence marked in the city. It is also the home of Wuliangye, one of China's most valuable liquor brands, made in old cellars.

What to see

• The Hejiang Gate and the confluence where the Yangtze officially starts
• The Wuliangye cellars and the liquor museum
• The Bamboo Sea (Zhuhai) at Changning — a large bamboo forest park in the hills south
• The Lizhuang ancient town, with its Ming–Qing lanes

What to eat

• Sichuan southern cooking; Yibin is known for its 'yibin ranmian' — dry-tossed noodles with chilli and peanuts
• The local 'bamboo' dishes: bamboo shoots and bamboo fungus

Best time

March–May and September–November; the bamboo sea is green from April