Get to know Yongchuan District
Photo adjustments
Full frame retained; resized proportionally to a maximum dimension of 960 pixels and converted to WebP quality 88. No crop, retouch, generated elements, or subject alteration. Final website rendition: full frame retained, proportionally resized to at most 720 pixels and converted to WebP. No additional retouching or subject alteration. Card displays may crop the view.
- Administrative area
- District · 市辖区
- Part of
- Chongqing
- Chinese name
- 永川区
- Local areas
- District guide
History
A county was set up here in 776. Under the Song dynasty Yongchuan belonged to Changzhou (昌州); the Yuan folded its land into Hezhou (合州) in 1283, and the Ming restored Yongchuan County in 1373 under Chongqing. From 1952 the Jiangjin prefectural office sat in Yongchuan, and the prefecture was renamed after the town in 1981. The county passed to Chongqing in April 1983, became a city in 1992 and a district of Chongqing in 2006.
What to see
Chashan Zhuhai (茶山竹海), "tea hills and bamboo sea", is a national forest park and 4A scenic area where about 30,000 mu of tea gardens adjoin 50,000 mu of bamboo. Legend has Zhuge Liang (诸葛亮) naming the hill Jishan (箕山), and the district government calls it the only location in China used for Zhang Yimou's film House of Flying Daggers (十面埋伏). Named spots include the Guishan tea garden (桂山茶园), Jinpen bamboo sea (金盆竹海), Zhu De Building (朱德楼) and Baoji Temple (宝吉寺).
Songji (松溉古镇), at the southern tip of the district, is on the fourth list of China's historic and cultural towns. It keeps 26 streets and lanes and more than 5,000 metres of flagstone paths, several ancestral halls including the Luo clan hall, and is the home town of the actress Joan Chen (陈冲). Chen Pengfei (陈鹏飞), tutor to Emperor Gaozong of Song, taught here.
Shisun Mountain (石笋山), a 4A area in Hegeng (何埂镇) on the border with Jiangjin (江津区), rises to 700 metres and combines rock pillars with the Sanjiao (三教寺) and Mituo (弥陀寺) temples. Yongchuan Museum (永川博物馆), opened in 2018 at the southern foot of Chashan Zhuhai, holds Eastern Han pictorial stone coffins, a Ming silver phoenix crown, dinosaur fossils of Yangchuanosaurus (上游永川龙) and paintings by Chen Zizhuang (陈子庄). Lehe Ledu (乐和乐都) is a 4A theme park with a wildlife section.
Food and local products
Yongchuan Xiuya (永川秀芽) is a tea picked to a standard of one bud and one leaf; the Chongqing government describes tight, slender leaves and a clear green liquor. Fermented black beans (豆豉) are another product the district names. In Chashan Zhuhai visitors can eat tea-water tofu pudding (茶水豆花), green-tea spare ribs (绿茶排骨) and bamboo shoots stir-fried with cured pork.
Getting oriented
The Chengdu–Chongqing and Chongqing–Kunming high-speed railways cross in Yongchuan, and Zhutuo Port (朱沱港) on the Yangtze is described by the district as the first deep-water port on the upper river.
Highlights
- Chashan Zhuhai 茶山竹海: National forest park of tea gardens and bamboo; a location for House of Flying Daggers.
- Songji 松溉古镇: Old river town on the fourth national list of historic and cultural towns.
- Shisun Mountain 石笋山: 4A area with rock pillars and three temples on the Jiangjin border.
- Yongchuan Museum 永川博物馆: Opened in 2018; Han stone coffins and Yangchuanosaurus fossils.
- Yongchuan Xiuya 永川秀芽: Local green tea of one bud and one leaf.
Sources for this guide
永川区情简介_重庆市永川区人民政府 · Yongchuan District People's Government, Chongqing
历史沿革_重庆市永川区人民政府 · Yongchuan District People's Government, Chongqing
茶山竹海景区（AAAA级）_重庆市永川区人民政府 · Yongchuan District People's Government, Chongqing
乐和乐都主题公园（AAAA级）_重庆市永川区人民政府 · Yongchuan District People's Government, Chongqing
重庆石笋山旅游区（AAAA级）_重庆市永川区人民政府 · Yongchuan District People's Government, Chongqing
松溉古镇（AAAA级）_重庆市永川区人民政府 · Yongchuan District People's Government, Chongqing
永川博物馆（AAA级）_重庆市永川区人民政府 · Yongchuan District People's Government, Chongqing
永川秀芽_重庆市人民政府网 · Chongqing Municipal People's Government
Original English written from the listed sources and checked sentence by sentence against quoted extracts by a separate reviewer. Updated 2026-09-25.
Explore Yongchuan District
Core places to explore, with English and Chinese names.
Places to explore around Yongchuan District
Tea Mountain Bamboo Sea · Niwu Viewpoint · 茶山竹海·霓雾观景台Tea Mountain Bamboo Sea · Niwu Viewpoint茶山竹海·霓雾观景台
Niwu is a named lookout in Yongchuan's Tea Mountain and Bamboo Sea, a forest landscape where tea cultivation and extensive bamboo groves share the slopes. The viewpoint belongs to a wider network of places including Tianbao…
Read the place guide →
Old street lined with traditional wooden houses in Song Gai ancient town, Yongchuan District, Chongqing · 重庆永川区松溉古镇老街，传统木结构民居 Source-recorded photograph date: Taken on 6 February 2011.Songgai Ancient Town松溉古镇
Songgai is an old town on the north bank of the Yangtze, 40 kilometres south of Yongchuan District, Chongqing, named for a local pine mountain and the Ji river. Covering 1 square kilometre with 26 streets and lanes, it was listed among the fourth group of Chinese historic and cultural towns in 2008.
Read the place guide →
Ceremonial gate at the entrance to Chashan Zhuhai (Tea Mountain Bamboo Sea) park, Yongchuan District, Chongqing · 重庆永川区茶山竹海公园入口牌坊 Source-recorded photograph date: 20 February 2008 (original upload date).Chashan Bamboo Sea茶山竹海
Chashan Zhuhai National Forest Park stands two kilometres north of the built-up part of Yongchuan District, Chongqing, and covers 117 square kilometres of tea terraces and bamboo. It is a AAAA-grade tourist scenic area.
Read the place guide →Local life & food
Yongchuan District local specialties
永川区特色美食 · 6 specialties to discover
Yongchuan Twice-Cooked Pork with Black Beans 永川豆豉回锅肉AI illustration · AI 示意图（仅供参考，非实拍）
Yongchuan Twice-Cooked Pork with Black Beans (永川豆豉回锅肉) is the Yongchuan District (永川区) version of Sichuan-Chongqing twice-cooked pork, made with the district's own fermented black beans, 'Yongchuan douchi' (永川豆豉).
Read the dish guide →
Yongchuan Osmanthus Cake 永川桂花糕Reference photo of a similar dish · 同类菜品参考照片
Yongchuan Osmanthus Cake (永川桂花糕) is listed among the local specialties of Yongchuan District, Chongqing. The term 糕 points to cakes.
Read the dish guide →
Photo adjustments
Full frame retained; EXIF orientation normalized, proportionally resized to at most 800 pixels and converted to WebP. No generated pixels or subject changes. Cards may crop the display.
Yongchuan Pine-Flower Century Eggs 永川松花皮蛋Reference photo of a similar dish · 同类菜品参考照片
Yongchuan Pine-Flower Century Eggs (永川松花皮蛋) are duck eggs preserved in a coat of lime-and-ash mud in Yongchuan District (永川区), Chongqing.
Read the dish guide →
Photo adjustments
Full frame retained; EXIF orientation normalized, proportionally resized to at most 800 pixels and converted to WebP. No generated pixels or subject changes. Cards may crop the display.
Fish with Fermented Black Beans 豆豉鱼
Fish with Fermented Black Beans (豆豉鱼) in Yongchuan (永川) includes a crucian carp preparation built around the district’s douchi (豆豉), a fermented soybean seasoning.
Read the dish guide →
Photo adjustments
EXIF orientation normalized; resized without changing aspect ratio; converted to WebP. No subject edits.
Yongchuan Tea-Scented Chicken 永川茶香鸡AI illustration · AI 示意图（仅供参考，非实拍）
Yongchuan Tea-Scented Chicken (永川茶香鸡) is a braised hen from Yongchuan District (永川区), Chongqing, cooked with Yongchuan Xiuya (永川秀芽), the tea brand developed in the district.
Read the dish guide →
Xinghu Baby Fish 星湖鱼AI illustration · AI 示意图（仅供参考，非实拍）
Xinghu Baby Fish (星湖鱼) are small fish bred and cooked in Weixinghu Subdistrict (卫星湖街道) of Yongchuan District (永川区), Chongqing, where they carry the registered name Xinghu Ruyu (星湖乳鱼).
Read the dish guide →More dishes from across Chongqing are in the Chongqing food guide.
Plan your visit
Getting there
Yongchuan District is about 65 km in a straight line from central Chongqing. Search for 永川区 in a map app to find stations and your accommodation.
Where to stay →Build your route
Tea Mountain Bamboo Sea · Niwu Viewpoint and Songgai Ancient Town are both listed here. The linked place guides have entrance and visit details.
Continue with Chongqing →More in Chongqing
Sources & geographic information
Administrative names and parent areas: Official geographic directory · Reference date 2026-09-06.
Photo: Tea Mountain Bamboo Sea · Niwu Viewpoint · Source photographer · License not provided. EXIF orientation normalized; resized without changing aspect ratio; converted to WebP. No subject edits.
Photo: Songgai Ancient Town · JtWang · CC BY-SA 3.0. Full frame retained; proportionally resized and converted to WebP. No retouching or changes to the photographed subject. Card displays may crop the view.
Photo: Chashan Bamboo Sea · JtWang · CC BY-SA 3.0. Full frame retained; proportionally resized and converted to WebP. No retouching or changes to the photographed subject. Card displays may crop the view.
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors. Pins mark approximate centres, not entrances or boundaries.