In the print dialog pick “Save as PDF” to keep it on your phone. A5 makes a pocket booklet; A4 suits a desk printer.
Voykit pocket guide · China
Wenchuan
汶川
Spend 1–2 days in Wenchuan, using Chengdu as base; day trips to Luobozhai and Yanmen villages are doable.
Wenchuan is a small county in Sichuan’s Aba Prefecture, reachable from Chengdu in about 2½ h by bus. Its main draw are Qiang villages such as Luobozhai, Yanmen and Longxi Valley, plus a riverfront square with nightly cultural shows. One full day covers the town and a nearby village; a second day allows a longer trek or a visit to Longxi Valley.
- Country
- China
- Local name
- 汶川
- Best months
- Mar–May, Sep–Oct
- Avoid
- Jul–Aug (heat, occasional rain)
- Stay
- 1–2 nights
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 ¥200–¥300 excl. bed (check) · Mid ¥350–¥500 excl. bed (check) · High ¥600+ excl. bed (check) (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 |
|---|---|
| Bus ticket Chengdu → Wenchuan | ¥45 |
| Taxi to village (Luobozhai, Yanmen) | ¥50–¥60 |
| Guesthouse room (basic) | ¥80–¥120 |
| Hotel twin room (mid range) | ¥180–¥240 |
| Qiang ham (cured) | ¥30–¥60 per 100 g |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- CTU · Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport
- Bus to Wenchuan about 2½ h, ¥45
Typical fares
- Chengdu → Wenchuan bus
- ¥45, about 2½ h (check)
- Taxi Wenchuan → Luobozhai
- ≈¥55, 30 min
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
Local buses from the main station cost ¥1; taxis to villages ¥50–¥60; minivans ¥10–¥15 per person if you share a ride. Walks from town centre are also possible.
See and do
Known for
- Qiang villages (Luobozhai, Yanmen)
- Min River valley
- 2008 earthquake memorial
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Luobozhai village | Hire minivan or taxi north via Songpan road, ~30 min | ≈45 min |
| Yanmen village | Taxi or minivan north, ~15 min | ≈30 min |
| Longxi Valley | Minivan or taxi east, ~20 min to turn, then drive 25 min | ≈1 h |
Sleep
- Wenchuan Hotel
- Modern, rooms ¥180–¥300, central street
- International Travel Hotel
- Twin rooms ¥240 with breakfast
- Kaiyi Hotel
- Twin rooms ¥240, no breakfast
- Anbang Hotel
- Twin rooms ¥180, no breakfast
- Sang Ping Hotel
- Twin rooms ¥100, no breakfast
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Excuse me / Sorry | 对不起duìbuqǐ |
| Thank you | 谢谢xièxiè |
| How much is it? | 多少钱？duōshǎo qián? |
| Do you accept credit cards? | 可以刷卡吗？kěyǐ shuākǎ ma? |
| Where is the bus stop? | 公交站在哪里？gōngjiāo zhàn zài nǎlǐ? |
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
- Taxi/minivan fares vary; confirm price before boarding.
- Some village roads are steep – allow extra travel time.
Wenchuan is generally safe for tourists; keep an eye on road conditions in mountain villages and confirm transport fares before boarding.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Wenchuan yet. Suggested stay: 1–2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Qiang villages (Luobozhai, Yanmen)
- Min River valley
- 2008 earthquake memorial
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: Wenchuan, revision 5327614 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5327614
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Printed from Voykit (/wenchuan). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.