Highlights Tour in Guang’an - Deng Xiaoping’s Hometown

Guang’an, a small city located 300km away from Chengdu and 150km away from Chongqing, is always known as the hometown of Deng Xiaoping, who was the core figure of the second leading generation of the Communist Party of China.

Guang'an City on Sichuan Map

Born in 1904 in Xiexing Town,Guang’an City, Deng Xiaoping had his unforgettable childhood and earlier teenage time in the hometown and then left in 1919 for the study to Europe. After getting back, he devoted himself to the revolutionary struggle for national independence and people's liberation. From the Agrarian Revolution, the War of Resistance Against Japan to the War of Liberation, he has held many important leadership positions in the party and army and become one of the founding fathers of the People's Republic of China. The great policy concepts of "Reform and Opening up" and "One Country and Two systems" advocated by him has changed China in the late 20th century and also affected the world. The Former Director of the London Department of Economic and Commercial Policy spoke highly of Deng Xiaoping as the greatest economists all over the world since the 20th century.

Picture of Deng Xiaoping

And it was under the guidance of his great ideas that China opened its door in economy to the outside world and gradually developed into what it is now.

As the hometown of Deng Xiaoping, Guang’an is a quite young city, only 22 years old. Even though it’s not a developed city, people here are hard working and enthusiastic. If you travel here, you can find the locals hospitable and are always ready to give a hand. 2.5 hours’ journey by fast train will take you from Chengdu to Guang’an, if you are coming from Chongqing, it needs only 1.5 hours by train. There are many trains shuttling forth and back every day from early morning to the evening.

If it’s your first time to travel in Guang’an, the Former Residence of Deng Xiaoping shouldn’t be missed. Located 8km away from Guang’an downtown, 15 minutes’ taxi driving takes you there easily, or you can take bus NO.8 to arrive there.

Entrance of Dengxiaoping’s Former Residence

The Former Residence areas are more like a park and garden. It has approximately 20 main attractions, the former residence areas, Hanlin School Yard, the Bronze Statue Square, Silkworm House Yard, Deng Shaochang Tomb(Tomb of Deng Xiaoping’s father), the Dengs’ Old Well, Xiyanchi(Inkstone Washing Pond), etc. which have fully shown the youth activities of Deng Xiaoping and become an important base for people to follow his footprint in the earlier years.

The former residence areas are a typical triple courtyard in northeast Sichuan areas. Locals used to call it “The Dengs’ old courtyard".

The Dengs’ Old Courtyard

On the lintel of the door in the former house is a wooden plaque inscribed "The Former Residence of Comrade Deng Xiaoping" by Chairman Jiang Zemin, the core figure of the third leading generation in China.

Former Residence of Deng Xiaoping

Deng Xiaoping was born here, and spent his 15 unforgettable childhood and teenage years here.

Bedrooms of Deng Xiaoping and His Families

Sitting in the natural environment of ancient trees and green grass, the bronze statue of Deng Xiaoping is 2.5 meters high and weighs 1.2 tons. This cast bronze statue shows a gentle face, thin cheeks, and keen eyes. Wearing a short-sleeved shirt, military trousers, and cloth shoes, Xiaoping sat on the chair with a smile, watching the mountains and rivers of his hometown with affection.

Bronze Statue Square

The memorial hall mainly introduces the life of Deng Xiaoping and his wife Zhuo Lin. The statue of Deng Xiaoping stands in the hall.

Deng Xiaoping Memorial Hall

Statue of Den Xiaoping in the Memorial Hall

Leave the Former Residence, return to the city, you can pay a visit to Siyuan Square，a landmark project of Comrade Deng Xiaoping’s 100th birthday. It’s a comprehensive city square with functions of entertainment, leisure and viewing. It consists of entrance square, central plaza, waterscape plaza, Baoding plaza and Flowers Garden and it’s surrounded by ecological parking lot, library & viewing pavilion etc.

Guang’an Siyuan Square

At the highest point stands the world's largest bronze treasure tripod, with a total height of 10 meters, diameter of 7.04 meters, and weight of 41.8 tons. It inscribed the slogan“Development is the cardinal principle”by Dengxiaoping when he visited the industries and factories in Guangdong province( in South China) in 1992.

World's largest bronze tripod - Three feet stand for the “3 downs and ups” in the political career of Deng Xiaoping

The waterscape plaza in the center offers audience wonderful musical fountains and water screen movies in the evening.

Guang’an Siyuan Square at Night

Walking downstairs from the bronze treasure tripod, you’ll get to the Qujiang Park, which is an important part of the Siyuan square. Continue going downstairs is a passage connecting the north and south of the city.

When going down along Binjiang Avenue to the east, you will arrive at Xiaoping ’s alma mater, Guang’an Middle School. About twenty or thirty meters to the west is the Xingguo Temple built in Tang Dynasty.

Xingguo Temple

If you want to leave the city and get close to the nature, Huayingshan Mountains National Geological Park would be an ideal place for you, which is only 40km away from Guang’an city. Located at the boarder of Huaying City and Linshui County, the national geological park is divided into 2 parts: Huayingshan Stone Forest Scenic Areas in Huaying and Tianyigu Valley Scenic Areas in Linshui.

Huaying Mountain Stone Forest Scenic Area is a national AAAA-level tourist area, and also National Forest Park, National Geopark and the“Red”Tourism Classic Scenic Spot. The scenic area is based on the green and dense mountain forests, and is represented by the typical karst wonders of the early karst development in the world. It is the highest mountain-type stone forest in China.

Entering the scenic spot, you’ll see the huge red statue of “Two-Gun Old Lady”.

Statue of the Legendary Two-gun Old Lady

The well-known "Huaying Mountain Guerrilla" was based on the current location of the Huaying Mountain Geopark. The Huaying Mountain guerrillas mainly refers to the Southwest Democratic Coalition Army organized and led by the Communist Party of China in the fall of 1948. The "two-gun old lady" in the famous novel "Red Rock" is the image reproduction of the Huaying Mountain guerrillas.

The internal vegetation coverage rate in the stone forest scenic area is as high as 95% and the average annual temperature is 17-22 ℃, because of which it has been a rare "natural oxygen bar" and an ideal summer resort for numerous tourists.

Different from Yunnan Stone Forest and Guilin Stone Forest, Huaying Mountain Stone Forest is featured as delicacy & elegance.

Eight Hundred Arhats

Kiss in One Thousand Years

Red Lichen on the Stone

The red lichen originated 200 million years ago is an important living fossil specimen of Huaying Mountain.

Tianyigu Valley Scenic Areas, formerly known as Huaying Mountain Grand Canyon, is a national 4A-level scenic spot on the southern foot of the main peak of Huaying Mountain. The canyon scenery (typical karst landforms), wonders of karst caves, peculiar stones and hundreds of waterfalls, etc. make up the highlights of the scenic area.

Not far away from the entrance gate, you’ll see the huge Welcome Waterfall lying in front of you, and the Fochen Waterfall stood on the top of it.

Welcome Waterfall& Fochen Waterfall

Walking along the plank road in the valley, you will be feasted by various waterfalls both sides.

Various Waterfalls along the Plank Way

Walking around 2 hours, you’ll arrive at the best wonder of the scenic area “Three Heavenly Spirit Cave” which needs to be climbed up via the winding iron ladders for visiting.

Winding Iron Ladders up to the Natural Stone Buddha

Up to the top of the cave, you’ll see a natural stone Buddha that has been formed by water droplets calcification for 100 million years.

Look up at the Natural Stone Buddha from the Bottom

Natural Stone Buddha

Walking along the plank road next to the stone Buddha into the cave, you’ll see a heavenly river descending from the sky straight into the bottom of the pool.

What a rare & spectacular river in the cave!

The whole tour needs around 3-4 hours in Tianyigu Valley Scenic Area. After the wonderful trip, you can get back to Guang’an City by 1 hour’s driving and leave for Chongqing/ Chengdu with happiness and satisfaction.