7 Days in Meishan

The shrine on the former Su family home honors Su Xun (1009-1066), Su Shi (1037-1101) and Su Zhe (1039-1112) across a 106-mu garden; Song-era Meishan produced 886 jinshi. Evening in the Dongpo water streets.

1. meishan sansu shrine
2. meishan dongpo waterfront

South to Qingshen County — the Zhongyan cliffs where young Su Shi studied and the Huanyu pool of his betrothal story, then the bamboo-weaving halls that made the county a national heritage name.

1. meishan zhongyan
2. meishan qingshen bamboo art

The 2,830-m tabletop of Hongya County on the Ya'an border takes a full day — cableway up, the Lanxi waterfall drop of about 1,040 m, boardwalks over the summit pools.

1. meishan wawu mountain

Liujiang dates to about 1140, its stilt houses strung along two meeting rivers with the Zeng family compound at the center; nearby, Caoyutan lines its gorge with pagodas.

1. meishan liujiang old town
2. meishan caoyutan

East to Renshou County for the 1972 reservoir — about 23.6 sq km and 72 islands. Boat loop, fish lunch, back to Meishan for the night.

1. meishan heilongtan

Excavations started in 2017 at the 1646 Jiangkou battle site have raised over 70,000 objects, gold seal included; a county museum displays them. Pengzu Hill above town carries the longevity legends.

1. meishan jiangkou archaeology site
2. meishan pengzu mountain

The Daya Hall, first built in the Northern Song Yuanfu years (1098-1100) for Huang Tingjian's rubbings of Du Fu's poems and rebuilt in 2014, heads the day; the rammed-earth lanes of Xingfu village close it before the ride back.

1. meishan daya hall
2. meishan xingfu ancient village