Ya'an City
Ya’an, China, is one of the biggest prefecture cities in Sichuan Province. It is located close to the Tibetan Plateau and covers an area of more than 5,000 square miles (or 15,300 square kilometers). It is also around 80 miles in the southwest direction of Chengdu, which is the capital of the province. It is also close to Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture, Meishan, and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture.
History
Its history began during the 1122 BCE in the Zhou Dynasty. Back then it was called Yazhou-fu. Perhaps because of its largeness, it became a very powerful seat during two dynasties, Han and Qin. However, the nomadic tribes came in and took it from the emperors before it was recovered and reintegrated to China in the fifth century.
Ya’an was officially recognized in the early twentieth century and became part of the Sichuan Province around the 1950s. Because of its location and nearness to Tibet, Ya’an also became a very important trading route between China and Tibet via Kangting. It also wasn’t surprising that it became a well-known trading or market center, especially in the province.
In early 2013 a strong earthquake hit Ya’an, killing a lot of people and destroying plenty of buildings and houses. It is currently being rehabilitated.
Climate
Over the years, Ya’an has earned the moniker “The Raining Town.” This is because precipitation is present for most times of the year. In fact, more than half of the year can be very rainy or wet. Furthermore, because of its high altitude, the wind can get very chilly, so travelers are always encouraged to bring along jackets and umbrellas.
That doesn’t mean, however, that they don’t enjoy the other seasons. They also have summers, which can be very humid and hot, though heat waves are almost unheard of. They experience winters as well, but they don’t last for a very long time.
Festivals
Ya’an today isn’t as bustling as the other locations in China, even in Sichuan Province. It doesn’t have its own airport; a lot of travelers need to go through Chengdu’s airport, and the travel time can take around 40 minutes to more than an hour, depending on your chosen mode of transport.
However, it still gets its fair share of tourists because of its great attractions and entertainment such as its different festivals. It is famous for the Torch Festival, which is celebrated in the month of June. It is a familial affair to celebrate their freedom from a warlord. They set up various activities including horse racing and wrestling. They also wear their native costumes.
Culture and Specialty
Ya’an is also known for one of China’s very popular animals: panda. The first pandas in the area were discovered during the 1860s by a French missionary. Since then, large pandas can be seen, particularly in the Bifeng Gorge Panda Base. Aside from being a breeding facility, it also serves as a preservation and research center.
Ya’an serves different kinds of teas, the oddest of which is the Panda tea. Similar to the kopi luak of Indonesia, this tea is made using the Panda dung, which is considered healthy and clean since pandas don’t eat meat but only wild bamboos.
You might also look for related topics as below
