Yijiaheba Rural Tourism Area

Yijiaheba Rural Tourism Area

Yijiaheba Rural Tourism Area is a national AAAA-level tourist attraction.

SanShui Yijiaheba Rural Tourism Area is located in Youyi Village, SanShui Town, Guanghan City, and is a national AAAA-level scenic spot. The area is 40 kilometers from Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan Province, 7 kilometers east of Guanghan City proper, and lies at the junction of the Jian River, Shiting River and Mianyuan River. The scenic area spans 3.0 square kilometers, with the water area covering about 1.77 square kilometers. Blessed with a unique geographical location and abundant high-quality aquatic and pastoral resources, the site features beautiful farmland scenery, a sound ecological environment and a wealth of leisure and sightseeing offerings. It mainly comprises several functional areas: the Sanjiang Lake Leisure Sightseeing Zone, Happy Water World, Sanjiang Riverside Wetland Landscape, Competitive Fishing Base Outdoor Sports Area, Sangu Ancient Ferry, Feiyang Horse Farm, Lotus Zen Fishing Zone, and Huojia’an. It is a rare comprehensive rural tourism destination in western Sichuan, integrating pastoral landscapes, water-based recreation, fishing, horseback riding and bird watching, as well as outdoor sports and specialty food shopping.

I. Overview of Scenic Resources

Yijiaheba Rural Tourism Area is located in Youyi Village at the confluence of three rivers (Shiting River, Mianyuan River, and Jian River), featuring well-established facilities, comprehensive amenities, convenient transportation with direct bus routes. The area has rational layouts, attractive landscaping, and ample parking. Over 80 ponds form a contiguous body of water, surrounded by flowers and trees, teeming with migratory birds—preserving an excellent natural ecological environment. It serves as an oasis in the Guanghan, Jintang, and Qingbaijiang regions, and is the largest integrated fishery base in Deyang, offering activities such as breeding, fishing, sightseeing, leisure, conferences, gourmet dining, aquarium displays, and cultural sports. The area has also driven the development of tertiary industries such as catering, chess and card games, and entertainment in the surrounding regions.

With the development of Yijiaheba Rural Tourism Area, Youyi Village in SanShui Town has successively been awarded titles such as National Most Beautiful Fishing Village, National Civilized Village, National Recreational Fishery Breeding Base, National Star Creation Land, Advanced Unit in Rural Revitalization by the 2019 Boao International Summit Committee on Rural Revitalization, China’s Most Beautiful Fishing Ground by the China Angling Association, Top Ten Collective Economy Villages in Sichuan, Top Hundred Famous Villages in Sichuan, Top Ten Industrial Prosperity Villages in Sichuan, and New Countryside Construction Model Village in Sichuan. It has been designated as a Specialized Fish Village by the Deyang Municipal People’s Government, a “One Village One Product” Model Village in Sichuan by the Sichuan Provincial Party Committee Office of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Sichuan Provincial Rural Tourism Demonstration Village by the Sichuan Provincial Commission of Agriculture and Rural Affairs and former Sichuan Provincial Tourism Administration. The village is also recognized as an Environmentally Beautiful Demonstration Village in Sichuan under the Sichuan Urban-Rural Environmental Comprehensive Management Program by the Sichuan Provincial Government.

(1) Beauty of Riverbank Wetlands

The Shiting River and Jian River converge north of the scenic area, encircling it, forming vast natural wetlands rich in lush water plants and numerous river islands. The Jian River is also known as the Duck River, named for the thousands of migratory anseriformes birds (commonly called wild ducks) that winter here each year from northern regions. According to observations by the Chengdu Bird Watching Society from the winter of 2004 to 2016, the area hosts 66 species of waterfowl, 5 species of raptors, spanning 9 orders and 15 families, totaling 110 avian breeds. Among them, there is 1 Class I wildlife species (the Scaly-sided Merganser) and 9 Class II wildlife species. Due to its exceptional ecological and landscape value, the Duck River Wetland has been selected as one of the Top Ten Bird-Watching Destinations in Sichuan and one of the 15 Most Beautiful Wetland Parks in the province, boasting extremely high ornamental worth.

(2) Beauty of Western Sichuan Fishing Village Water Towns

The scenic area is situated at the convergence of the Qingbaijiang, Shiting and Mianyuan Rivers, where its unique geographic environment fosters rich and high-quality aquatic and pastoral resources, representing a rare water-town-style pastoral landscape on the western Sichuan plain. Covering 3 square kilometers, approximately 1.3 square kilometers of which are water, the intersecting water networks create a diverse range of lake and pond landscapes such as Sanjiang Lakes, Koi Ponds, Fishing Bases, Crab Farming Bases, and the Lotus Zen Fishing Zone—all highly scenic.

(3) Beauty of the Millennium Ancient Ferry

Sangu Ancient Ferry, located in the riverfront zone in the northeast of the scenic area, boasts a history of over a thousand years. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, it became a well-known water transport hub and goods distribution center. Although the bustling scenes of hundreds of boats once vying for passage at this ancient ferry have long disappeared, the clear waters of the Jian River and the lush reeds along its banks remain. To preserve and utilize this millennia-old ferry to the greatest extent, the scenic area has reconstructed the Sangu Wharf and Sangu Tower and developed riverside landscapes, revitalizing the once-silent ancient ferry.

(4) Joy of Diverse Leisure Activities

Leveraging its pastoral water-town resources, and integrating agriculture, sports and tourism, the scenic area offers a high-value range of leisure activities, including competitive fishing experiences, water-based relaxation, farming experiences, grape picking, and outdoor sports.

II. Qualitative Evaluation of Tourism Resources

(1) Extraordinary Physical Volume of Tourism Resources

The scenic area features massive water-based tourism resources represented by riverbank wetlands, Sanjiang Lakes, and various fishponds. The aquatic area combined with surrounding green spaces exceeds 85% of the total scenic area (3 square kilometers), encompassing more than 80 fishponds, making for picturesque watery vistas.

(2) Optimal Density and Distribution of Tourism Resources

High-quality tourism resources in the SanShui Yijiaheba Rural Tourism Area—including Sangu Ancient Ferry, Ecological Wetland, Sanjiang Lakes, Training and Competition Base, Happy Water World, Root Carving Art Exhibition Area, Lotus Zen Fishing Zone, Feiyang Horse Farm, and Huojia’an—are centrally clustered. Supporting agricultural landscape (such as crab and chrysanthemum farming bases) and pastoral scenery are distributed around them, forming a well-structured system with dense cores and dispersed peripherals. The spatial arrangement of tourism resources is well-balanced in terms of density and distribution.

(3) High Historical Value

Sangu Ancient Ferry has a history of a thousand years. In the fourth year of the Hongwu reign during the Ming Dynasty (1371), the Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang established the SanShui Pass Patrol and Inspection Department and stationed troops here. Hence, SanShui Town was historically referred to as “SanShui Pass.” From the Ming and Qing periods onward, SanShui Town became a renowned water transport hub and trade center, serving as a strategic corridor for regions such as Jianzhou, Zizhou, Huaizhou, Jintang, and Neijiang leading to Hanzhou, Shifang, Deyang, and the provincial capital. The scenic area still retains historical sites such as Sangu Ancient Ferry, Qingjing Temple, Yijia Courtyard, and Xiejia Courtyard—valuable cultural relics that offer essential insights into ancient trading logistics, folk religion, and residential architecture, thus bearing significant historical worth.

(4) Rich and Diverse Cultural Value

1. Fishing Culture

Yijiaheba has long been famed for its “Ancient Ferry Fishing Families,” developing a distinctive fishing culture centered around “fish.” The area features time-honored fishing customs such as fish tasting, fish viewing, fishing, and cormorant fishing, and regularly hosts fish-themed events such as “Fishing Festival” and “Gourmet Festival.” With its beautiful pastoral water-town scenery and rich angling folklore, the area was designated by the Ministry of Agriculture as a “National Most Beautiful Fishing Village”—the only one in Sichuan to receive this honor—making it a model and example for the inheritance of fishing culture, and possessing high cultural value.

2. Ancestral Hall Culture

The name Yijiaheba originates from the Yi family who pioneered their livelihood and thrived in the area through generations. Originating from migrations during the late Ming and early Qing dynasties (the “Huguang Filling Sichuan” movement), the Yi family was known for diligence, kindness, farming-literacy traditions, and maintaining harmony with neighbors—their stories becoming local legends. The scenic area still retains vital cultural relics such as the Yi Family Ancestral Hall and Yi Family Genealogy. The ancestral hall, as a key traditional site for passing down Chinese culture, serves as an important physical testament to the study of modern clan systems, ancestral architecture, and the cultural customs of western Sichuan, therefore holding very high cultural value.

3. Folk Art

Guanghan is recognized as the “Sichuan Province Dragon and Lion Lantern Specialty Culture Town,” and the scenic area continues the traditional custom of dragon and lion lantern performances during festivals and major events.

In recent years, the scenic area has fully tapped into local skilled artisans, encouraging the establishment of folk art workshops to enrich cultural experience offerings and enhance the area's cultural significance. The Wang Yongzheng Root Carving Studio within the scenic area follows the design philosophy of "focusing on discovery, valuing natural forms, and pursuing individuality," creating works rich in symbolism and allegory. Its root carvings are sold both within and outside the province.

(5) Typical Scientific Value

1. Outstanding Science Popularization Demonstration Base: The scenic area’s production technologies, represented by modern aquaculture, possess significant scientific value. It has been recognized as a Ministry of Agriculture Model Farm for Healthy Aquaculture and an Sichuan Provincial Outstanding Science Popularization Demonstration Base.

2. Model of Rural Reform and Innovation: The reform case of Youyi Village was nominated as one of the “Top Ten Supply-Side Structural Reform Cases” by People’s Daily and the Sichuan Provincial Department of Agriculture in 2017, serving as an important reference for current rural revitalization and innovation reforms.

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