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Voykit pocket guide · China
Shangli
上里
Half a day to one night is enough: walk the stone bridges, see the Red Army carvings and eat a bowl of dàròumiàn before heading to Ya'an or Chengdu.
Shangli is a restored Silk Road village near Ya'an, Sichuan, with eight stone bridges, a bamboo water wheel and Red Army slogans carved into rock. Most visitors come for a few hours between Chengdu and Kangding, but an overnight stay in the Han courtyard hotel lets you enjoy the village after the day-trippers leave.
- Country
- China
- Local name
- 上里
- Best months
- Mar–Jun, Sep–Nov
- Avoid
- Jul–Aug (hot and humid), Chinese public holidays (crowded)
- Stay
- 1 night
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- CNY
- Money
- Alipay and WeChat Pay accept Visa, Mastercard, JCB and Amex cards; single payments over ¥200 carry a fee of about 3% on a foreign card (smaller ones are free), and per-payment and yearly caps apply — check the app. Keep a second way to pay.
- Daily spend
- Budget ¥100–200 excl. bed · Mid ¥200–400 excl. bed · High ¥400+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- A roaming eSIM from outside China routes traffic through its home network, so Google, WhatsApp and Instagram work without a VPN — the simplest setup.
- Emergency
- Police 110 · Fire 119 · Ambulance 120
- Plugs
- Types A, C, I · 220 V · 50 Hz · Many sockets take flat two-pin (A), round two-pin (C) and angled three-pin (I) plugs; UK plugs need an adapter.
- Tipping
- Restaurants: No tip; upmarket hotels add 10–15% service.; Taxis and DiDi: No tip.; Tour guides and drivers: Expected on organised tours: about ¥100–200 a day for a guide, ¥50–100 for a driver.; Hotel porters: Not expected; ¥10–20 in luxury hotels.
- Water
- Not for drinking from the tap; bottled water ¥2–5, and kettles and free bottles in hotel rooms. Restaurants serve hot water or tea.
- Toilets
- Public toilets are frequent and free; squat toilets outside hotels and malls. Carry tissues — many have no paper.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Noodle bowl (dàròumiàn or beef) | ¥10–20 |
| Tea at a riverside chair | ¥15–30 |
| Minibus Ya'an ↔ Shangli | ¥10 |
| Rickshaw from Ya'an main bus station to tourist bus station | ¥6 |
| Han courtyard single | ¥50 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- CTU · Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport
- About 2 h by car or bus to Ya'an, then minibus to Shangli
- TFU · Chengdu Tianfu International Airport
- About 2.5 h to Ya'an, then minibus
Typical fares
- Minibus Ya'an → Shangli
- about ¥10, 30 min (check)
- Rickshaw Ya'an main bus station → tourist bus station
- ¥6 (check)
- Bus Ya'an → Chengdu
- about ¥50, 2 h (check)
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
Walk – the village is small and pedestrian-friendly.
See and do
Known for
- Eight stone bridges (Erxian Bridge in particular)
- Red Army stone carvings
- Bamboo water wheel
- Han courtyard hotel
- Dàròumiàn (pork fat noodle soup)
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Ya'an | Minibus from Shangli, about 30 min | About 40 min |
| Chengdu | Minibus to Ya'an, then bus or train to Chengdu, about 2 h total | About 2.5 h |
| Emeishan | Minibus to Ya'an, then bus to Emeishan, about 2 h | About 2.5 h |
| Kangding | Minibus to Ya'an, then bus to Kangding, about 4 h | About 5 h |
Sleep
- Han courtyard (Yinxingyuan)
- Atmospheric, cheap singles with TV and ensuite; about ¥50/night. Phone: 08352316682 / 13980175152 / 13882439152.
- Other guesthouses in town
- Cheaper options exist; ask locally.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | 你好nǐ hǎo |
| Thank you | 谢谢xiè xiè |
| How much? | 多少钱？duō shǎo qián? |
| I don't understand | 我不明白wǒ bù míng bái |
| Where is the bus station? | 车站在哪里？chē zhàn zài nǎ lǐ? |
| One bowl of noodles, please | 一碗面yī wǎn miàn |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake and a nod; use surnames with a title; avoid: Hugs and cheek kisses
- Face: Disagree privately and indirectly; avoid: Correcting or embarrassing someone in front of others
- Gifts: Give with two hands; expect the gift to be refused once or twice and opened later; avoid: Clocks, umbrellas, white flowers, sets of four
- Business cards: Present and receive with both hands, read it, keep it on the table; avoid: Writing on it or pocketing it at once
- Queues and crowds: Hold your ground politely in scrums at buses and lifts; avoid: Taking pushing personally
- Temples: Walk clockwise around Tibetan stupas and prayer wheels; remove hats; avoid: Touching statues or photographing where signs forbid
- Politics: Listen; follow your host's lead; avoid: Raising Tibet, Taiwan, Xinjiang, 1989 or the party leadership
- Numbers and colour: Red and 8 are lucky; red envelopes carry money gifts; avoid: Writing names in red; the number 4
Scams and watch-outs
- English is rarely spoken; have a translation app ready.
- Prices in tourist shops can be inflated; bargain gently.
- Minibuses back to Ya'an stop running by late afternoon – confirm the last departure.
- The village can get crowded on weekends and holidays.
Shangli is safe for tourists. Watch your step on uneven stone bridges and keep an eye on your belongings in crowded areas.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Shangli yet. Suggested stay: 1 night. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Eight stone bridges (Erxian Bridge in particular)
- Red Army stone carvings
- Bamboo water wheel
- Han courtyard hotel
- Dàròumiàn (pork fat noodle soup)
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Wikivoyage: Shangli, revision 4260971 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=4260971
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Shangli上里
请到这个地址
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
The US, UK, Canada, Australia and most other countries have embassies in Beijing and consulates in Chengdu. Check your country's website for the nearest office.
Carry small bills (¥10, ¥20) for minibuses and street food.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/shangli). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.