Get to know Nanchuan District
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- Administrative area
- District · 市辖区
- Part of
- Chongqing
- Chinese name
- 南川区
- Local areas
- District guide
Setting and landscape
The district is mountainous and has a humid subtropical monsoon climate. It borders Daozhen (道真), Zheng'an (正安) and Tongzi (桐梓) counties of Guizhou to the south, Wulong (武隆) to the east, Fuling (涪陵) to the north, and Banan (巴南) and Qijiang (綦江) to the west. The district government promotes its selenium-rich soil and strontium-rich water.
History
The area belonged to the state of Ba in the Spring and Autumn period. Longhua county (隆化县) was split from Ba county in 637, under the Tang, and in 1285 the Yuan re-established Nanchuan county there. The name is explained as the source of the Nan River (南江). Nanchuan became a county-level city in 1994 and a district of Chongqing on 22 October 2006.
What to see
Jinfo Mountain is made up of three massifs, Jinfo, Qingba (箐坝) and Baizhi (柏枝). Its main peak, Fengchuiling (风吹岭), reaches 2,251 metres, which Chinese Wikipedia gives as the highest point of the Dalou range, and holds snow for about four months a year. The name, "Golden Buddha Mountain", comes from the way evening sun on clear summer and autumn days turns its cliffs gold. It is on the World Natural Heritage list for its biodiversity and karst landforms, and the district lists it as a national 5A scenic area and national scenic area.
Shanwangping (山王坪) is described by the district as China's first karst national ecological park, and Shenlong Gorge (神龙峡) as a rafting spot.
Food and local products
Nanchuan square-bamboo shoots (南川方竹笋) are a Chinese geographical-indication product.
Getting oriented
The Baotou–Maoming Expressway (包茂高速公路) and the Yinchuan–Baise Expressway (银百高速公路) cross the district, and local railways run to Wansheng (万盛) and Fuling, linking with the national network.
Highlights
- Jinfo Mountain 金佛山: World Natural Heritage karst mountain; main peak Fengchuiling at 2,251 metres.
- Shanwangping 山王坪: Described as China's first karst national ecological park.
- Nanchuan square-bamboo shoots 南川方竹笋: Chinese geographical-indication product.
Sources for this guide
南川区 - 维基百科，自由的百科全书 · Wikipedia (Chinese) · CC BY-SA 4.0
金佛山 - 维基百科，自由的百科全书 · Wikipedia (Chinese) · CC BY-SA 4.0
旅游南川_重庆市南川区人民政府 · Nanchuan District People's Government, Chongqing
Original English written from the listed sources and checked sentence by sentence against quoted extracts by a separate reviewer. Updated 2026-09-25.
Explore Nanchuan District
Core places to explore, with English and Chinese names.
Places to explore around Nanchuan District
Cliffside walkway on Jinfo Mountain · 金佛山绝壁栈道 Photograph date recorded by the source: 15 September 2014.Jinfo Mountain金佛山
Jinfo Mountain’s flat-topped karst rises in a wall of pale cliffs above the lower valleys. The Jinguichaoyang viewpoint and cliffside boardwalk make that abrupt change of height the focus of a visit, while the upper stone forest…
Read the place guide →
Shenlong Gorge · 神龙峡Shenlong Gorge神龙峡
Shenlong Gorge lies west of Jinfo Mountain in Nanchuan, within the Dalou mountain landscape.
Read the place guide →
Shanwangping Karst Forest · 山王坪喀斯特森林Shanwangping Karst Forest山王坪喀斯特森林
Shanwangping is a karst upland in Nanchuan District, Chongqing, lying at 1,300 metres and carrying more than ten thousand mu of forest. The municipal government's page calls it the country's first national-level karst ecological park.
Read the place guide →Local life & food
Nanchuan District local specialties
南川区特色美食 · 7 specialties to discover
Nanchuan square-bamboo shoots 南川方竹笋AI dish illustration / AI 菜品示意图
The shoots are valued for their firm, crisp-tender texture and mild bamboo aroma. A dried version usually has a more concentrated taste.
Source ↗Read the dish guide →
Nanchuan Pork Braised with Square Bamboo Shoots 南川方竹笋烧肉AI illustration · AI 示意图（仅供参考，非实拍）
Nanchuan Pork Braised with Square Bamboo Shoots (南川方竹笋烧肉) is pork cooked with the square bamboo shoots of Jinfo Mountain (金佛山) in Nanchuan District (南川区), Chongqing.
Read the dish guide →
Jinfo Mountain Herbal Mutton Stew 金佛山药羊肉AI illustration · AI 示意图（仅供参考，非实拍）
Jinfo Mountain Herbal Mutton Stew (金佛山药羊肉) is a pot of goat meat slow-simmered with medicinal herbs, from the Jinfo Mountain (金佛山) area of Nanchuan District (南川区), Chongqing, also written as Jinfo Mountain yao yang tang (药羊汤, 'herbal goat soup').
Read the dish guide →
Nanchuan Savoury Oil Tea 南川油茶
Nanchuan Savoury Oil Tea (南川油茶) is a thick tea broth from Nanchuan District (南川区), Chongqing, made by frying tea leaves in cured pork lard, simmering them in spring water and working them into a fine paste.
Read the dish guide →Photo adjustments
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Chicken Stewed with Square Bamboo Shoots 方竹笋炖鸡AI illustration · AI 示意图（仅供参考，非实拍）
Chicken Stewed with Square Bamboo Shoots (方竹笋炖鸡) is a chicken soup from Nanchuan District (南川区), Chongqing, made with the district's square bamboo shoots.
Read the dish guide →
Nanchuan Ash-Lye Rice Cakes 南川灰粑AI illustration · AI 示意图（仅供参考，非实拍）
Nanchuan Ash-Lye Rice Cakes (南川灰粑) are a steamed snack from Nanchuan District (南川区), Chongqing, made from brown rice soaked in water strained through burnt rice straw.
Read the dish guide →
Jinfo Mountain Cured Pork 金佛山腊肉
Jinfo Mountain Cured Pork (金佛山腊肉) is listed among the local specialties of Nanchuan District, Chongqing. 腊 describes curing.
Read the dish guide →
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All dish names · 全部菜名 (7)
More dishes from across Chongqing are in the Chongqing food guide.
Plan your visit
Getting there
Nanchuan District is about 70 km in a straight line from central Chongqing. Search for 南川区 in a map app to find stations and your accommodation.
Where to stay →Build your route
Jinfo Mountain and Shenlong Gorge 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.
Some facts checked against 南川区 — Wikipedia contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Some facts checked against 金佛山 — Wikipedia contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Photo: Jinfo Mountain · Shallowell · Shallowell — Jinfoshan_-_0216.jpg — CC BY-SA 3.0 · CC BY-SA 3.0. The exact downloaded source bytes are separately retained and hashed. Prepared JPEG is proportionally reduced to a maximum 720-pixel long edge; full frame retained, no 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.
Photo: Shenlong Gorge · Source photographer · License not provided. EXIF orientation normalized; resized without changing aspect ratio; converted to WebP. No subject edits.
Photo: Shanwangping Karst Forest · Source photographer · License not provided. EXIF orientation normalized; resized without changing aspect ratio; converted to WebP. No subject edits.
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