Yibin Yuexi River

Yibin Yuexi River

Yibin Yuexi Provincial Scenic Area is located in Longxing Township, Yibin County, 35 kilometers from downtown Yibin. Situated in the heart of Yibin County along the lower reaches of the Yuexi River, it is traversed by the Yibin–Leshan Expressway and the Yibin–Weiyuan Cement Road, and lies to the west of the lower reaches of the Minjiang River.

The scenic area features a low hilly landscape, with mountain ridges ranging between 50 and 100 meters in relative height, and elevations between 296 and 408 meters. The average annual temperature is 17.8°C, with an annual precipitation of 1179.5 mm, annual sunshine hours of 1125.8, and a forest coverage rate of 53.7% (reaching 90% in the core scenic zone).

The Yuexi Provincial Scenic Area boasts a long and rich cultural history, comparable to other renowned sites such as the Shunan Bamboo Sea, the Stone Forest Cave Town, and the Hanging Coffins of the Bo People, forming a major tourist loop around Yibin City. The area is known for its natural beauty and has been home to many scholars. Historical figures born here and who studied at the Panlong Academy within the scenic area include Cheng Gongxu, a scholar of the Dragon Diagram Pavilion during the Song Dynasty; Yin Ziqiu and Fan Yiheng, both officials during the Ming Dynasty; and the Sichuan-born female poet Yin Renlan. The scenic area also attracted famous historical visitors such as the Song Dynasty poet Huang Tingjian, the Ming Dynasty's famously honest official Fan Yuan, and Emperor Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty. In more recent times, early revolutionary figures including Zhu De, Xu Xiangqian, Zheng Youzhi, Jiang Shaofu, national heroine Zhao Yiman, and Shanghai labor leader Liu Hua were active in the region.

This area was once the center of Buddhist culture in Southwest China. Historical records indicate that within the 60 square kilometers of the scenic area, there were over a hundred temples, among which the Qingming Temple was even larger than the White Horse Temple, earning it the titles “China’s Number One Temple” and “Buddhist Capital of the Southwest.” Due to its stunning landscapes, this region attracted eminent monks throughout history, giving rise to a unique Buddhist culture. Notably, the area is famous for its distinctive form of posthumous burial for monks—underground pagoda forests stretching continuously for ten miles in grand scale, an exceptional sight often described as “Terracotta Warriors in the north, monks’ pagodas in the south,” making it highly valuable for tourism and archaeology.

Here, “the green mountains are like dark ink paintings, and the clear waters resemble fine artwork.” With excellent vegetation and beautiful surroundings, the wide riverbanks are lined with lush shrubs, trees, bamboo, and wild grasses that remain green all year round. The air is fresh, and the green hills and bamboo groves stretch along the 50-kilometer river stretch free from industrial pollution. The water quality is rated above Grade II, with gentle, serene, and crystal-clear emerald-green currents, earning the area the nickname “Hundred-Mile Emerald Lake.” It is an ideal destination for vacationers seeking leisure and relaxation. The area offers beautiful landscapes, profound historical culture, unique Buddhist heritage, and convenient transportation and living conditions.

This is a “natural oxygen bar”—welcome everyone to come for sightseeing, leisure, and vacationing.