Prefecture-level city · Sichuan

Ya'an 雅安市

Ya'an is a prefecture-level city in the western part of Sichuan province, China, located just below the Tibetan Plateau. The city is home to Sichuan Agricultural University, the only 211 Project university and the largest regional comprehensive university in Ya'an.

Location of Sichuan, the surrounding province-level areaView province guide

Get to know Ya'an

Yazhou Covered Bridge in Ya'an, Sichuan.
Yazhou Covered Bridge in Ya'an, Sichuan. Photograph date recorded by the source: 2019-08-14 12:05:15. · MNXANL · CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo adjustments

Full frame retained; proportionally resized and converted to WebP. No retouching or changes to the photographed subject. Card displays may crop the view.

Administrative area
Prefecture-level city · 地级市
Part of
Sichuan
Chinese name
雅安市
Local areas
8 local areas

Area & population

Area in the source
15,213.28 km²
Population · 2020
1,434,603
Administrative seat
Yucheng District

Source: cited geographic source, as of the dates shown.

Tourism and culture

Tourism forms an important parts of the economy of Ya'an. The city is home to the Bifengxia Panda Base. The first panda specimen known to the western world was from Ya'an discovered by the Lazarist missionary Armand David.

The city is also famous for Ya fish, which is used in local cuisine. Ya'an is also the production base of Tibetan brick tea.

Transport

China National Highway 318 G5 Beijing–Kunming Expressway G4218 Yaye Expressway G93 Chengyu Ring Expressway Sichuan–Tibet railway Chengdu-Ya'an section Ya'an railway station on the Sichuan–Tibet railway

Explore Ya'an

Core places to explore, with English and Chinese names.

Places to explore around Ya'an

Sightseeing elevator in Bifengxia canyon · 碧峰峡观光电梯与峡谷林地Sightseeing elevator in Bifengxia canyon · 碧峰峡观光电梯与峡谷林地 Photograph date recorded by the source: 10 June 2014, 20:34:22.

Bifengxia碧峰峡

Bifengxia combines a forested gorge landscape with a separate panda-research visitor area. The gorge paths pass beneath steep rock walls and through a setting of streams and waterfalls; the rebuilt Qingyun Elevator makes the…

Read the place guide →A street in Shangli Ancient Town.A street in Shangli Ancient Town. Photograph date recorded by the source: 2014-06-11 02:49:06.

Shangli Ancient Town上里古镇

Shangli is built around waterways crossed by stone bridges of different forms. Erxian Bridge, with its high stone arch, is the clearest landmark, while the Han courtyard introduces the town’s domestic architecture. Riverbank…

Read the place guide →Mengding Mountain (蒙顶山)Mengding Mountain · 蒙顶山

Mengding Mountain蒙顶山

Mengding Mountain brings tea cultivation into a setting of temples, springs and old trees above Ya’an’s Mingshan district. The Imperial Tea Garden gives the tea story a specific place, while Tiangai Temple and its neighbouring…

Read the place guide →Erlangshan Labahe Scenic Area (二郎山喇叭河)Erlangshan Labahe Scenic Area · 二郎山喇叭河

Erlangshan Labahe Scenic Area二郎山喇叭河

Labahe is a provincial-level nature reserve in Tianquan County, Ya'an, in western Sichuan, established in 1963 as one of the first four nature reserves China designated for giant panda protection, and one of the protected areas the county has since brought into a single graded classification system.

Read the place guide →Shenmulei Scenic Area (神木垒)Shenmulei Scenic Area · 神木垒

Shenmulei Scenic Area神木垒

Shenmulei is a forest and high-meadow scenic area in Baoxing County, Ya'an, in western Sichuan, listed by the county under the joint name Qiaoqi Tibetan Village / Shenmulei after the Gyarong Tibetan township it shares its billing with.

Read the place guide →Fengtongzhai Dengchigou Village (蜂桶寨邓池沟)Fengtongzhai Dengchigou Village · 蜂桶寨邓池沟

Fengtongzhai Dengchigou Village蜂桶寨邓池沟

Fengtong Zhai Dengchi Gou is a village in Fengtong Zhai township, Baoxing County, Ya'an, in western Sichuan, and the core zone of the national-level Fengtong Zhai nature reserve, which the Ministry of Ecology and Environment registers for Baoxing County at 39,039 hectares. It is where the French missionary and biologist Armand David discovered the world's first live giant panda in 1869, and where the French Foreign Missions had built a Catholic church in 1839 combining western-Sichuan courtyard style with European Gothic elements.

Read the place guide →Dawagengzha Scenic Area (达瓦更扎)Dawagengzha Scenic Area · 达瓦更扎

Dawagengzha Scenic Area达瓦更扎

Dawagengzha is a high viewpoint in Baoxing County, Ya'an, in western Sichuan, whose Tibetan name means 'beautiful sacred mountain' and whose summit looks out over three separate ranges.

Read the place guide →AI illustration of a general highland meadow scene; not a photograph or an exact view of this place.AI illustration · AI 示意图（仅供参考，非该地点实拍）

Jiaoding Mountain轿顶山

Jiaoding Shan is a mountain in Malie township, Hanyuan County, Ya'an, in western Sichuan, on the boundary between the western Sichuan plateau and the Sichuan Basin, named for its flat, cliff-ringed summit, which resembles the top of a sedan chair.

Read the place guide →AI illustration of a general forested mountain valley scene; not a photograph or an exact view of this place.AI illustration · AI 示意图（仅供参考，非该地点实拍）

Wanggangping Scenic Area王岗坪

Wanggangping is a scenic area in Shimian County, Ya'an, in western Sichuan, east of the Dadu River on the south slope of Gongga Shan, about 30 kilometres in a straight line from Gongga's main peak and described by China News Service as the nearest full-dimensional natural viewing platform to the mountain.

Read the place guide →AI illustration of a general memorial park scene; not a photograph or an exact view of this place.AI illustration · AI 示意图（仅供参考，非该地点实拍）

Anshunchang Ferry Crossing安顺场

Anshunchang is a Dadu River ferry crossing in Shimian County, Ya'an, in western Sichuan, where the Red Army forced a crossing of the river on 25 May 1935 at the same spot where a Taiping army under Shi Dakai had been wiped out in 1863, and where a museum to the crossing has stood since 2004.

Read the place guide →Silhouetted hikers watching sunrise over a cloud sea from a mountain ridgeSunrise above a sea of clouds seen from Niubei Shan (Bull's Back Mountain), Yingjing County · 雅安市荥经县牛背山云海日出 Source-recorded photograph date: Taken on 15 April 2012.

Niubei Mountain牛背山

Niubei Shan is a mountain on the boundary between Yingjing County, Ya'an, and Luding County, in western Sichuan, formerly called Dakuang Shan and Yeniu Shan, the watershed between the Qingyi and Dadu rivers, which became known for its panoramic views after a National Geographic photographer came upon it in late 2009.

Read the place guide →Longcanggou Forest Park (龙苍沟)Longcanggou Forest Park · 龙苍沟

Longcanggou Forest Park龙苍沟

Longcanggou is a national forest park in Yingjing County, in the Yaan area of Sichuan, covering 75.73 square kilometres of old-growth mountain forest between 1,460 and 2,950 metres above sea level.

Read the place guide →

Local life & food

Ya'an local specialties

雅安市特色美食 · 12 specialties to discover

Yaan fish casserole · 雅安砂锅雅鱼 · AI dish illustrationYaan fish casserole 雅安砂锅雅鱼AI illustration · AI 示意图

The flesh is tender and delicate, with a clear-to-rich savory broth and contrasting vegetables. Fine bones can remain even in carefully prepared portions.

Source ↗Read the dish guide →
Yingjing bangbang chicken · 荥经棒棒鸡 · AI dish illustrationYingjing bangbang chicken 荥经棒棒鸡AI dish illustration / AI 菜品示意图

The chicken is tender against a fragrant, often spicy dressing. Sesame-rich and chilli-led versions offer different balances.

Source ↗Read the dish guide →
Shimian barbecue · 石棉烧烤 · AI dish illustrationShimian barbecue 石棉烧烤AI dish illustration / AI 菜品示意图

The appeal is freshly cooked edges and aromatic seasoning; lean meat, fatty cuts and vegetables offer quite different bites.

Source ↗Read the dish guide →
Tianquan peppercorn chicken · 天全椒麻鸡 · AI dish illustrationTianquan peppercorn chicken 天全椒麻鸡AI dish illustration / AI 菜品示意图

Jiaoma points to a fragrant, tingling peppercorn sensation. It can be quite different from the direct burning heat of a large amount of chilli.

Source ↗Read the dish guide →
Hanyuan jar-preserved pork · 汉源坛子肉 · AI dish illustrationHanyuan jar-preserved pork 汉源坛子肉AI dish illustration / AI 菜品示意图

The meat is rich and concentrated, with firmer lean portions and softer fat. Its preservation gives a different character from freshly stir-fried pork.

Source ↗Read the dish guide →
Hanyuan peppercorn fish · 汉源贡椒鱼 · AI dish illustrationHanyuan peppercorn fish 汉源贡椒鱼AI dish illustration / AI 菜品示意图

Expect a fragrant tingling sensation against tender fish. Fresh or dried peppercorns and added chilli can change the flavour substantially.

Source ↗Read the dish guide →
AI illustration: An oval plate with one cooked whole freshwater fish in light brown sauce.Ya'an Snow Trout 雅鱼AI illustration · AI 示意图（仅供参考，非实拍）

Ya'an Snow Trout (雅鱼) is the local name for fish associated with Ya'an (雅安), especially two snow-trout species from the Zhougong River (周公河) and its tributaries.

Read the dish guide →
AI illustration: A deep bowl of fine wheat noodles in clear savory broth.Ya'an Dada Noodles 雅安哒哒面AI illustration · AI 示意图（仅供参考，非实拍）

Ya'an Dada Noodles (雅安哒哒面) are hand-made noodles from Yingjing County (荥经县) in Ya'an (雅安), Sichuan, where they are called tata mian (挞挞面), "slapped noodles".

Read the dish guide →
All dish names · 全部菜名 (12)

More dishes from across Sichuan are in the Sichuan food guide.

EXPLORE THE NEXT LEVEL

Counties & districts in Ya'an

8 areas belong directly to Ya'an.

8 areas

District

Yucheng District 雨城区

Yucheng is a county-level district of Ya'an, a prefecture-level city in Sichuan Province, China. The district contains the city centre of Ya'an as well as the surrounding countryside.

Explore the area →District

Mingshan District 名山区

Mingshan District, formerly Mingshan County, is a district of the city of Ya'an, Sichuan Province, China, located northeast of the city center.

Explore the area →County

Yingjing County 荥经县

Yingjing County (simplified Chinese: 荥经县; traditional Chinese: 滎經縣; pinyin: Yíngjīng Xiàn) is a county in the west-central part of Sichuan Province, China. It is under the administration of Ya'an city.

Explore the area →County

Hanyuan County 汉源县

Hanyuan County (simplified Chinese: 汉源县; traditional Chinese: 漢源縣; pinyin: Hànyuán Xiàn) is a county of Sichuan Province, China. It is under the administration of Ya'an city.

Explore the area →
View all 8 areasShow fewer areas

Plan your visit

Build your route

Bifengxia and Shangli Ancient Town are about 15 km apart in a straight line. The linked place guides have entrance and visit details.

Continue with Sichuan →

More in Sichuan

Chengdu成都市 →Zigong自贡市 →Panzhihua攀枝花市 →Luzhou泸州市 →Deyang德阳市 →Mianyang绵阳市 →Guangyuan广元市 →Suining遂宁市 →
Sources & geographic information

Administrative names and parent areas: Official geographic directory · Reference date 2026-09-06.

Background text adapted from Ya'an — Wikipedia contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0. Text has been shortened and reorganized; source revision 1367655385.

Photo: Bifengxia · NoGhost · NoGhost — Bifeng_Canyon.jpg — CC BY-SA 4.0 · CC BY-SA 4.0. 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: Shangli Ancient Town · NoGhost · 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.

Photo: Mengding Mountain · Source photographer · License not provided. EXIF orientation normalized; resized without changing aspect ratio; converted to WebP. No subject edits.

Photo: Erlangshan Labahe Scenic Area · Source photographer · License not provided. EXIF orientation normalized; resized without changing aspect ratio; converted to WebP. No subject edits.

Photo: Shenmulei Scenic Area · Source photographer · License not provided. EXIF orientation normalized; resized without changing aspect ratio; converted to WebP. No subject edits.

Photo: Fengtongzhai Dengchigou Village · Source photographer · License not provided. EXIF orientation normalized; resized without changing aspect ratio; converted to WebP. No subject edits.

Photo: Dawagengzha Scenic Area · Source photographer · License not provided. EXIF orientation normalized; resized without changing aspect ratio; converted to WebP. No subject edits.

Photo: Niubei Mountain · jaysonh · CC BY 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: Longcanggou Forest Park · Source photographer · License not provided. EXIF orientation normalized; resized without changing aspect ratio; converted to WebP. No subject edits.

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