Get to know Xuanhan County
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EXIF orientation normalized; resized without changing aspect ratio; converted to WebP. No subject edits.
- Administrative area
- County · 县
- Part of
- Dazhou
- Chinese name
- 宣汉县
- Local areas
- County guide
Area & population
- Area in the source
- 4,271.00 km²
- Population · 2020 census
- 954,090
Source: cited geographic source, as of the dates shown.
Setting and landscape
People's Daily describes most of the county's more than 4,200 square km as mountain, with a karst canyon landscape stretching over 100 km, and a large Tujia (土家族) community living in the area. Four townships are Tujia ethnic townships, among them Sandun (三墩), at the core of the canyon area, and Qishu (漆树).
History
The county dates from AD 96 under the Eastern Han; it was renamed from Dongxiang (东乡县) to Xuanhan in 1914. The Luojiaba site (罗家坝遗址), in Puguang town, spans the Neolithic to the Han and has been a national key heritage site since 2001. The Dazhou city government counts it among the largest and best preserved Ba-culture sites found in China.
What to see
The Bashan Grand Canyon (巴山大峡谷) scenic area is the subject of a draft Dazhou city protection regulation that lists its karst landforms, caves, waterfalls and springs, its temples, old houses, ancient plank roads and stone carvings, and Tujia traditions including the drum-and-gong weeding songs (薅草锣鼓), song and dance, and embroidery. Baili Gorge (百里峡) is a 4A scenic area and provincial nature reserve, and Jiangkou Lake (江口湖) is a provincial scenic area.
Food and local products
The county government's food page describes Xuanhan mala chicken (宣汉麻辣鸡): local free-range chicken is boiled, chilled, chopped and soaked in red chilli oil made by frying spices in hot local rapeseed oil. Mutton gege (羊肉格格) is lamb coated in seasoned rice meal with Sichuan pepper, chilli and ginger, steamed in stacks of palm-sized bamboo steamers. Beef from the Shuxuan cattle breed (蜀宣花牛) goes into hanging-pot beef (吊锅牛肉), beef jerky and paper-thin lamp-shadow beef (灯影牛肉). Xuanhan beef (宣汉牛肉) and Qibei tea (漆碑茶) are Chinese geographical-indication products, and Taohua rice (桃花米) has been listed as a tribute rice since the Tang.
Highlights
- Bashan Grand Canyon 巴山大峡谷: Karst canyon scenic area with caves, waterfalls, old plank roads and Tujia traditions.
- Luojiaba site 罗家坝遗址: Neolithic-to-Han site in Puguang, a national key heritage site since 2001 and a major Ba-culture site.
- Baili Gorge 百里峡: 4A scenic area and provincial nature reserve.
- Xuanhan mala chicken 宣汉麻辣鸡: Chilled free-range chicken soaked in spiced red chilli oil.
- Mutton gege 羊肉格格: Lamb in seasoned rice meal steamed in small bamboo steamers.
- Qibei tea 漆碑茶: Chinese geographical-indication product.
Sources for this guide
宣汉县 - 维基百科，自由的百科全书 · Wikipedia (Chinese) · CC BY-SA 4.0
宣汉，怎么这么好吃！ - 吃在宣汉 - 宣汉县人民政府 · Xuanhan County People's Government
达州市人民政府_达州概况_达州概况 · Dazhou Municipal People's Government
罗家坝遗址 - 维基百科，自由的百科全书 · Wikipedia (Chinese) · CC BY-SA 4.0
达州市文化体育和旅游局关于征集《达州市巴山大峡谷景区保护条例（草案）》听证参加人的公告 · Dazhou Municipal Bureau of Culture, Sports and Tourism (via Sichuan government service portal)
山里人吃上文旅饭（倾听·算算脱贫账）--时政--人民网 · People's Daily
Original English written from the listed sources and checked sentence by sentence against quoted extracts by a separate reviewer. Updated 2026-09-25.
Explore Xuanhan County
Core places to explore, with English and Chinese names.
Places to explore around Xuanhan County
Bashan Grand Canyon · Local life & food
Xuanhan County local specialties
宣汉县特色美食 · 1 specialties to discover
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 →All dish names · 全部菜名 (1)
More dishes from across Sichuan are in the Sichuan food guide.
Plan your visit
Getting there
Xuanhan County is about 50 km in a straight line from central Dazhou. Search for 宣汉县 in a map app to find stations and your accommodation.
Where to stay →Build your route
Start with Bashan Grand Canyon. The linked place guides have entrance and visit details.
Continue with Dazhou →More in Dazhou
Sources & geographic information
Administrative names and parent areas: Official geographic directory · Reference date 2026-09-06.
Some facts checked against 宣汉县 — Wikipedia contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Some facts checked against 罗家坝遗址 — Wikipedia contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Photo: Bashan Grand Canyon · Source photographer · License not provided. EXIF orientation normalized; resized without changing aspect ratio; converted to WebP. No subject edits.
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors. Pins mark approximate centres, not entrances or boundaries.