Hechuan is a district in Chongqing Municipality about 70 km northwest of downtown Chongqing.
Understand
[edit]Hechuan’s main urban area is at the confluence of the Fu and Jialing rivers.
The main visitor attractions in Hechuan are the Diaoyu Fortress and the old town of Laitan.
Get in
[edit]By train
[edit]- 1 Hechuan Railway Station (合川站), Gaoyang Road (高阳路) (bus nos. 116, 118, 126, 128, and 929B). If coming from central Chongqing, you may take a train to Hechuan from either Chongqing North Railway Station or Chongqing West Railway Station. There is also one direct train per day from Jiangbei Airport Station, which departs at 14:38.
By bus
[edit]- 2 Hechuan Bus Terminal (合川汽车客运中心), 2 Beihuan Road (北环路2号) (multiple public buses stop outside the station, including bus nos. 118, 128, 528, 632, 808A, 808B, 813, 815, 825, 919, 959A and 959B), ☏ +86 23 42831998, +86 23 42846800. Hechuan’s main long-distance bus station. Buses arrive here from multiple bus stations in central Chongqing, including Chenjiaping Bus Station, Chongqing West Bus Station, Hongqihegou Bus Station and several other bus stations. The bus from Chongqing Jiangbei Airport also terminates here.
Get around
[edit]
Map of Hechuan
See
[edit]- 1 Diaoyu Fortress (钓鱼城, Diaoyucheng), Diaoyucheng Avenue (钓鱼城大道) (get a taxi or catch bus no 929A), ☏ +86 23 42822763. 08:30-17:00. One of the best preserved of the more than 80 mountain fortresses built during the Song Dynasty to resist the Mongol invaders. The fortress successfully repelled over 200 Mongol attacks before it was overrun in 1279. Mongol leader Möngke Khan was killed here in 1259 during the Siege of Diaoyucheng. ¥60.
- 2 Diaoyu Fortress History and Culture Museum (钓鱼城历史文化博物馆), 8/278 Yiwu Avenue (义乌大道278号附8号) (bus nos. 126, 632, 808A and 808B). Normal opening hours are W-Su 09:00-17:00; however, since the museum is run by a local college, it often closes during major holiday periods. Museum devoted to the history of the Diaoyu Fortress. Free.
- 3 Hechuan Art Museum (合川美术馆), Dongjintuo Riverside Park, 619 Jiabin South Road (嘉滨南路619号东津沱滨江公园内) (on the west side of the park; take bus no. 225 or 815), ☏ +86 23 42715366. 09:00-17:00, closed on Mondays. Free.
- 4 Wenfeng Ancient Street (文峰古街) (between the Fu River No. 1 Bridge and the Jialing River Nanping Bridge; take bus no. 225 or 815). Tourist area consisting largely of imitation or rebuilt historical buildings plus a tiny number of genuine historical sites such as the Wenfeng Pagoda.
- 5 Chongqing Hot Pot Museum (重庆火锅博物馆), Yongning Street, Nanjin Street Subdistrict 南津街街道永宁街 (next door to the Chongqing Gongzhou Jinke Hotel), ☏ +86 23 42613613. 09:00-11:30, 14:00-17:30. Not to be confused with similarly named museums in central Chongqing. The museum is inside a 1930s warehouse that was originally used to store salt. Free.
- 6 Wenfeng Pagoda (文峰塔), Wenfeng Ancient Street (文峰古街), ☏ +86 18996212278. 09:00-12:00, 13:00-17:00. A 13-storey pagoda dating from the early 19th century. Climbing the pagoda costs ¥10.
- 7 Laitan Ancient Town (涞滩古镇), 47 Huilong Street (回龙街47号) (about 30 km northeast of the main urban area; buses to Laitan depart from the Hechuan Bus Terminal), ☏ +86 23 42561888. A walled town with a number of historical sites. The most notable site is the Erfo Temple (or Temple of the Second Buddha), which was founded during the Tang Dynasty and rebuilt during the Qing Dynasty. Entry to the old town is free but there is a fee of about ¥20 to enter the Erfo Temple.
Do
[edit]Cruise boats depart from a pier in the middle of Dongjintuo Riverside Park. The fare is ¥58 for a daytime sightseeing cruise and ¥68 for a nighttime cruise. A round trip to the old fishing town of Caojie (草街) costs ¥98. Discounts are available for children and seniors. Tickets may be purchased on the WeChat account of the Hechuan Sanjiang Cruise Boat Company (合川三江游船公司).
Buy
[edit]Eat
[edit]Drink
[edit]Sleep
[edit]- 1 Chongqing Gongzhou Jinke Hotel (重庆恭州金科酒店), 38 Wenfeng Ancient Street (文峰古街38号) (next door to the Chongqing Hot Pot Museum), ☏ +86 23 85135888. Check-in: 14:00, check-out: 12:00. A four-star hotel. Room rates start from about ¥250 per night.