King Gesar City Scenic Area

King Gesar City Scenic Area

The King Gesar City Scenic Area is a national AAAA-level tourist attraction.

The King Gesar City Tourist Area is located southeast of Ganzi County, adjacent to National Highway G317, 58.7 kilometers from Gesar Airport and over 380 kilometers from Kangding, offering excellent transportation accessibility. The scenic area consists of two main parts: King Gesar City and Yalong Bay Wetland Park. Surrounded by snow-capped mountains and bordered by the Yalong River to the south, the King Gesar City Tourist Area boasts picturesque surroundings nestled against mountains and water. It primarily includes various types of attractions such as cultural landscapes, natural mountain and water views, landform landscapes, water body landscapes, celestial phenomena, pastoral scenery, and eco-agricultural experiences, with over 70 large and small sites. The King Gesar City Tourist Area has now been developed into a classic cultural-tourism integrated destination that combines mountain and water sightseeing, leisure vacations, cultural enjoyment, folk experience, Gesar studies heritage, and religious pilgrimage.

Ganzi County innovatively developed a "enclave" model to foster the growth of collective economy. At the gateway of National Highway 317 entering the county town, an investment of 630 million yuan was made to construct King Gesar City, which commenced operations in September 2019 alongside Gesar Airport. This scenic area is currently the largest poverty alleviation through industry and cultural tourism project in Ganzi County. Within the city, visitors can explore the Gesar Culture Zone, Wetland Leisure Zone, Grassland Experience Zone, and Epic Sightseeing Zone, with constantly changing scenery at every step. Activities include listening to Gesar storytelling, watching Tibetan opera, enjoying tap dancing, and shopping for thangka paintings. For dining, there’s the Prosperous Royal Banquet, or one can relax in the Zhumu Hot Springs when tired. Adventurous visitors can try horse riding and archery, or simply enjoy the soothing sound of flowing water. By day, admire emerald-green mountains; by night, gaze at a sky full of stars. Stay in Tibetan-style guesthouses and purchase unique handicrafts from the snowy region... All of this offers a complete “panoramic” experience of Gesar culture.

Since the scenic area began operations, all 128 individual buildings have been leased out. Over 300 businesses have “signed” into the city, including popular hotpot spot Shilinglong, Indian-style Tibetan cuisine, Bollywood music dining bars, as well as distinctive local products such as clay sculptures, Tibetan knives, and silverware. These businesses have generated over 11 million yuan in direct income for 129 impoverished villages, becoming a strong support for the county's more than 15,000 people in poverty to “conquer strongholds,” and serving as a core industry driving efforts to win the battle against poverty.

Clouds reach the snowy region and become mountains; mountains on the plateau turn into seas. At the foot of Nailong Mountain, along the banks of the Zhaqu River and the Yalong River, the present-day King Gesar City is lush and charming, attracting a continuous stream of visitors.

In accordance with the national standards of the People's Republic of China "Classification and Evaluation of Quality Grades of Tourist Attractions" and the "Management Measures for Quality Grades of Tourist Attractions," and upon recommendation by the state-level culture and tourism administrative department, the Department of Culture and Tourism organized the evaluation and completed the public announcement on May 18, 2020. The King Gesar City Scenic Area in Ganzi County meets the requirements of the national 4A-level tourist attraction standard and has been designated as a national 4A-level tourist attraction.

Source: Sichuan News Network