Bailu Sino-French Style Town Scenic Area

Bailu Sino-French Style Town Scenic Area

The Bailu Sino-French Style Town Scenic Area is a national AAAA-level tourist attraction.

The Bailu Scenic Area is located in Bailu Town, in the northwest of Pengzhou City, Sichuan Province, deep within the Longmen Mountain Range. It is 30 kilometers from downtown Pengzhou and 69 kilometers from Chengdu, covering an area of 78.9 square kilometers. To the northwest, it borders the Longmen Mountain National Nature Reserve and the Longmen Mountain National Forest Park. The scenic area spans longitude 103°56’ and latitude 31°10’ to 31°17’, sharing the second and third terraces of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau with Yinchanggou, Dujiangyan, Huanglong, and Jiuzhaigou. Bailu Town boasts beautiful mountains and clear waters, fresh air, and a pleasant climate, with a forest coverage rate of over 90%. The annual average temperature is around 12°C, making it “never too cold in winter nor too hot in summer,” and since ancient times, it has been a renowned summer resort both in China and abroad.

The Bailu Scenic Area features elegant green mountains and clear waters, as well as majestic and uniquely shaped glacial erratic flyover peaks. There is also a vast and diverse network of large karst caves. With picturesque mountains, clear streams, fresh air, and a comfortable climate, the area is characterized by undulating peaks and crisscrossing valleys. The Bailu River flows gracefully from the Mushui Cave from north to south through the entire region, with emerald green mountains lining either bank, graceful and charming. Bailu Peak rises like a giant bell amid the surrounding mountains, while the majestic and precipitous flyover peaks and the diverse karst cave formations add radiant splendor to the Longmen Mountain Geopark.

Bailu originates from a prehistoric legend about a woodcutter shooting a deer. Its cultural landmarks are rich in historical significance. Although the old Qing Dynasty street has weathered the passage of time, it still exudes a captivating and timeless ancient charm. Liu Shahe, a renowned poet from Sichuan Province, once described Bailu: “Brilliant flowers speak to guests, churches sing hymns reminiscent of European style; the distant Bailu follows the fairies, while the town’s cuckoo cries faintly echo the charm of Shu.” The ruins of the foreign summer retreat at Bailu Peak are filled with dreamy emotions and romance. The century-old Catholic building, the Lübao Seminary (also known as the Upper Seminary), was leveled to the ground during the 5.12 earthquake. Today, the government has faithfully reconstructed it on the original site, bringing back the pristine white church of a hundred years ago in the deep mountains, adding even more solemnity and sacredness.

The post-earthquake rebirth of Bailu Town radiates a strong exotic flair. Strolling along the stone-paved roads and steps of the town, visitors are greeted by red-roofed, white-walled buildings with stone foundations in the French architectural style, attracting countless photography enthusiasts. The cafés and beer houses lining the streets add unique charm.