Accommodation in Leshan and Yibin- Sichuan

I will be in Sichuan for 2 weeks in May. I%26#39;m seeking advice on modestly priced, 20 to 60 bed authentic Chinese hotels or gueshouses. I will be accompanied by a Chinese student acting as my guide, interpreter and companion.

Accommodation in Leshan and Yibin- Sichuan

';Authentic Chinese';? Are you looking for Chinese-y decor, or just normal cheap hotels that normal locals stay in?

20 to 60 bed?! I presume you meant 20-60 RMB/bed?

Accommodation in Leshan and Yibin- Sichuan

No, I%26#39;m not looking for cheap accommodation. I an 67 years old, healthy and an independant traveller. I have made many world trips and been to China several times. I usually fly to a major destination like Chengdu and then travel by taxi. I don%26#39;t like big hotels catering for western tourists and prefer to stay in smaller guesthouses with 20 to 60 beds.

Gosh, then everything in China would be ';authentic Chinese'; then. Probably with the exception of the big Western brand-name hotels.

I rarely hear any traveller describing size of accommodation in terms of number of beds -- in fact you%26#39;ve been the only one. And that%26#39;s not for lack of contact with travellers either.

Leshan is usually done as a daytrip from Chengdu so you could simply stay in Chengdu.

Yibin is a rather small city (by Chinese standards) and I didn%26#39;t really find any outstanding accommodation there.

Thanks for your prompt reply.

I like to travel at a liesurely pace and take lots of photographs. I had a wonderful experience in Lijiang last year when my taxi driver found me a small guesthouse, with a western twin bedroom, only taking about 12 persons, in the Ancient City.

I posted some photographs of horse riding near Lijiang.

I will take a taxi to Leshan, but by the time I visit the Giant Buddha and Mt. Emei I expect I should stay overnight.

I%26#39;m considering taking a ferry down to Yibin and spending another day in the region walking in the Bamboo Sea.

Yes, you are correct, all establishments with 20 to 60 beds will be authentic Chinese. I was hoping a someone could recommend a particular place, otherwise Ann and I will ask a taxi driver to assist us.

Readjust your thinking a bit. Leshan is done as a daytrip from Chengdu. Emeishan is done as an overnighter. If you want to combine the two I suggest that you stay in Emeishan 2 nights.

Ferry to Yibin? Where have you heard of that possibility? I haven%26#39;t.

You are very helpful. Below is the itinery I had been planning. If you have better suggestions for how I should spend these 4 days I would be very grateful.

The type of accommodation I am seeking would be similar to the Wenjun Mansions Hotel in Chengdu or smaller.

Day 1. Drive to Leshan 162 kilometers. Ferries are available from Leshan Port to the site of Giant Buddha. Stay overnight in Leshan.

Day 2. Take taxi to Mt. Emei cable car station and ride to the Golden Summit. Visit Huazang temple. Take cable car down to Wanniansi parking lot, situated half way up Mt. Emiei and take another cable car to visit Wanniansi temple. Return to Leshan.

(I have read that ferries can sail from Leshan to Yibin by the Min River - I will check the original source of this information for you)

I have read that Leshan has many scenic spots and historical relics, such as the Emeishan scenic area that includes the Emeishan Mountain and the Grand Buddha, the small Three Gorges of the Min River, the Black Dragon Pond, and the Sansu Clan Hall. The local products and specialties are tea, oranges, grapes, lychee, and fermented bean curd.

Day 3. Take a ferry from Port Leshan to Yibin. Arrange hotel. Take a taxi through the Bamboo Sea to Changing or thereabouts and stay overnight.

Day 4. Take a taxi from Changing to Jiang’an through the Bamboo Sea and return to Yibin by Taxi.

Day 5. Take a taxi to Chengdu, via Zigong and Neijiang - just a different road. Stay Wenjun Mansions Hotel in Chengdu.

Dear Ellyse,

By water: There are very many ferries to the site of Leshan Giant Buddha every day. Ferries to Yibin City, Luzhou City and Chongqing City are available at Leshan Port.

The statement above appears on Travel China Guide.com at the bottom of the page titled %26#39;Leshan Giant Buddha%26#39;.

I would suggest that you try Xufu Hotel in Yibin.

Emeishan and Leshan are NOT the same place.

Also, I think that the itinerary you put down is too optimistic for Emeishan on day 2.

There%26#39;s no need for you to take a taxi to drive you through the Bamboo Sea at Yibin. The park%26#39;s internal shuttle transport is quite adequate.

It%26#39;s spelt Changning, not Changing. Changning and Jiang%26#39;an are actually 2 towns, one on each side (west and east) of the Bamboo Sea.

No need to take a taxi back to Chengdu. Get the normal long-distance buses.

I think the ferry information is way outdated. From searching online in Chinese, I get information indicating that the routes stopped sometime in 2006!

Thanks again. I didn%26#39;t know that there was a shuttle bus service in the Bamboo Sea.

It%26#39;s kinda new. I was there in October holiday week 2007.