Get to know Dazhou
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- Administrative area
- Prefecture-level city · 地级市
- Part of
- Sichuan
- Chinese name
- 达州市
- Local areas
- 7 local areas
Area & population
- Area in the source
- 16,591.00 km²
- Population · 2020 census
- 5,385,422
- Administrative seat
- Tongchuan District
Source: cited geographic source, as of the dates shown.
Tourism
Dazhou has both cultural and natural attractions. There are several national and provincial cultural sites and many national and provincial protected forests and nature reserves. Xuanhan's Baili Gorges have scenery and rapids, leading to the nickname "Little Three Gorges". Mountains are this area's greatest attraction.
Bashan Grand Canyon, formerly known as "Xuanhan Baili Gorge," is located in Xuanhan County, Dazhou City, Sichuan Province. It is designated as a national 4A-level tourist attraction, a national geopark, and a provincial nature reserve. The area features karst landforms with caves, gorges, and diverse flora and fauna, and preserves historical sites such as Fan Kuai's garrison and ancient plank roads.
Transportation
China National Highway 210 Xiangyu Railway (Xiangyang, Hubei−Chongqing) Dazhou–Chengdu railway A branch line from Dacheng to Wanzhou, Chongqing where it connects with the Yiwan Railway Dazhou Jinya Airport, a new airport opened in May 2022
Explore Dazhou
Core places to explore, with English and Chinese names.
Places to explore around Dazhou
Dazhou Museum · 达州博物馆Dazhou Museum达州博物馆
Dazhou Museum introduces the archaeology and culture of northeastern Sichuan, with a dedicated Ba-culture display alongside the city’s wider history. Its collection includes carved Han-period money-tree bases and a Southern Song…
Read the place guide →
Bashan Grand Canyon · 巴山大峡谷Bashan Grand Canyon巴山大峡谷
Bashan Grand Canyon in Xuanhan is a large tourism area with several distinct sectors. Taoxi Valley focuses on a lower canyon experience, while Luopan Summit is a separate higher mountain outing reached through its own transport…
Read the place guide →
Batai Mountain · 八台山Batai Mountain八台山
Batai Shan is a national natural heritage protection site and national geopark in the eastern part of Batai town, Wanyuan City, Dazhou, in north-eastern Sichuan, named for its terrain, which rises in eight tiers like a staircase, and forming one of four zones within a 120.7-square-kilometre provincial scenic area approved in 2018.
Read the place guide →
Longtan River Gorge · 龙潭河Longtan River Gorge龙潭河
Longtan He is a gorge scenic area in Jiuyuan town, Wanyuan City, Dazhou, in north-eastern Sichuan, designated a national geopark, a national AAA tourist area and a provincial-level scenic and historic area, built around a winding river gorge known locally as the 'ten-li gallery'.
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Wufeng Mountain Bamboo Sea · 五峰山竹海Wufeng Mountain Bamboo Sea五峰山竹海
Wufeng Shan is a national AAAA tourist area and national forest park in Dazhu County, Dazhou, in north-eastern Sichuan, a bamboo forest running for tens of kilometres along the Wufeng Shan range that is also known as the 'eastern Sichuan great bamboo sea'.
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Fenghuan Que, one of the Han-dynasty stone que monuments of Qu County · 渠县汉阙之冯焕阙 Source-recorded photograph date: 2015-08-08.Quxian Han Dynasty Pillar Gates渠县汉阙
Seven Han to Western Jin stone tomb pillars at six sites in Qu County, including Feng Huan Que of 121 and China's only surviving pair.
Read the place guide →Local life & food
Dazhou local specialties
达州市特色美食 · 13 specialties to discover
Dazhou steamed lamb cups 羊肉格格AI illustration · AI 示意图
Tender lamb sits inside a soft, grainy coating that holds savory seasoning. The small container concentrates aroma and creates a portion more substantial than it looks.
Source ↗Read the dish guide →
Kaijiang tofu-skin bamboo pork 开江豆笋回锅肉AI dish illustration / AI 菜品示意图
Rich pork contrasts with chewy tofu-skin layers. The sauce is savoury and can be spicy.
Source ↗Read the dish guide →
Shiti steamed fish 达川石梯蒸鱼AI dish illustration / AI 菜品示意图
The main attraction is moist fish flesh with a lighter cooking texture than a deep-fried fish dish.
Source ↗Read the dish guide →
Xuanhan mala chicken 宣汉麻辣鸡AI dish illustration / AI 菜品示意图
Chilli heat and peppercorn tingling work together against the chicken's texture. The strength can vary considerably.
Source ↗Read the dish guide →
Dengying thin beef slices 灯影牛肉AI illustration · AI 示意图
The slices can be translucent and delicately crisp, with concentrated beef flavor, chili and aromatic seasoning.
Source ↗Read the dish guide →
Dazhou Basket-Steamed Mutton 达州羊肉格格AI illustration · AI 示意图（仅供参考，非实拍）
Dazhou Basket-Steamed Mutton (达州羊肉格格) is documented in Kaijiang (开江) as seasoned meat cooked in small bamboo steamers and eaten with noodles at breakfast.
Read the dish guide →
Xuanhan Beef 宣汉牛肉AI illustration · AI 示意图（仅供参考，非实拍）
Xuanhan Beef (宣汉牛肉) is the beef of Xuanhan County (宣汉县) in Dazhou (达州), north-eastern Sichuan, and the dishes and snacks made from it.
Read the dish guide →
Qu County Daylily Chicken Stew 渠县黄花炖鸡AI illustration · AI 示意图（仅供参考，非实拍）
Qu County Daylily Chicken Stew (渠县黄花炖鸡) is listed among the local specialties of Dazhou, Sichuan. The name includes 鸡 (chicken). 炖 describes slow simmering.
Read the dish guide →All dish names · 全部菜名 (13)
- Dazhou steamed lamb cups · 羊肉格格
- Kaijiang tofu-skin bamboo pork · 开江豆笋回锅肉
- Shiti steamed fish · 达川石梯蒸鱼
- Xuanhan mala chicken · 宣汉麻辣鸡
- Dengying thin beef slices · 灯影牛肉
- Dazhou Basket-Steamed Mutton · 达州羊肉格格
- Xuanhan Beef · 宣汉牛肉
- Qu County Daylily Chicken Stew · 渠县黄花炖鸡
- Wanyuan Jiuyuan Black Chicken · 万源旧院黑鸡
- Dazhu Fermented Glutinous Rice · 大竹醪糟
- Kaijiang Rolled Tofu Skin · 开江豆笋
- Dazhou Youcha Savory Porridge · 达州油茶
- Qu County Gajiu Wine Pork · 渠县呷酒肉
More dishes from across Sichuan are in the Sichuan food guide.
Counties & districts in Dazhou
7 areas belong directly to Dazhou.
7 areas
Tongchuan District 通川区
Tongchuan is a district of the city of Dazhou, Sichuan Province, China.
Explore the area →DistrictDachuan District 达川区
Dachuan District (simplified Chinese: 达川区; traditional Chinese: 達川區; pinyin: Dáchuān Qū) is a district of Dazhou in northeastern Sichuan province.
Explore the area →CountyXuanhan County 宣汉县
Xuanhan County (simplified Chinese: 宣汉县; traditional Chinese: 宣漢縣; pinyin: Xuānhàn Xiàn) is a county in the northeast of Sichuan Province, China, bordering Chongqing to the east.
Explore the area →CountyKaijiang County 开江县
Kaijiang County (simplified Chinese: 开江县; traditional Chinese: 開江縣; pinyin: Kāijiāng Xiàn) is a county in the east of Sichuan Province, China. It is under the administration of Dazhou city.
Explore the area →Show fewer areas
Dazhu County 大竹县
Dazhu is a county of Sichuan Province, China. It is under the administration of Dazhou city. In 2020 it had a population of 841,960 of which 383,959 in the urban area.
Explore the area →CountyQuxian 渠县
Qu County or Quxian (simplified Chinese: 渠县; traditional Chinese: 渠縣; pinyin: Qú Xiàn) is a county in the northeast of Sichuan Province, China.
Explore the area →County-level cityWanyuan 万源市
Wanyuan (simplified Chinese: 万源; traditional Chinese: 萬源; pinyin: Wànyuán; lit. 'ten thousand springs') is a county-level city in the northeast of Sichuan province, China, located near the trisection of…
Explore the area →No areas match this name.
Plan your visit
Getting there
Search for 达州市 in a map app to find stations and your accommodation.
Where to stay →Build your route
Dazhou Museum and Bashan Grand Canyon are about 95 km apart in a straight line. The linked place guides have entrance and visit details.
Continue with Sichuan →More in Sichuan
Sources & geographic information
Administrative names and parent areas: Official geographic directory · Reference date 2026-09-06.
Background text adapted from Dazhou — Wikipedia contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0. Text has been shortened and reorganized; source revision 1364110098.
Photo: Dazhou Museum · Source photographer · License not provided. EXIF orientation normalized; resized without changing aspect ratio; converted to WebP. No subject edits.
Photo: Bashan Grand Canyon · Source photographer · License not provided. EXIF orientation normalized; resized without changing aspect ratio; converted to WebP. No subject edits.
Photo: Batai Mountain · Source photographer · License not provided. EXIF orientation normalized; resized without changing aspect ratio; converted to WebP. No subject edits.
Photo: Longtan River Gorge · Source photographer · License not provided. EXIF orientation normalized; resized without changing aspect ratio; converted to WebP. No subject edits.
Photo: Wufeng Mountain Bamboo Sea · Source photographer · License not provided. EXIF orientation normalized; resized without changing aspect ratio; converted to WebP. No subject edits.
Photo: Quxian Han Dynasty Pillar Gates · Xin · CC BY-SA 4.0. 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.