Dujiangyan Irrigation System (都江堰景区)

Attraction · Chengdu. A Qin-era river-splitting waterworks with a swaying bridge, temples and riverside paths.

Source: https://chinafootnotes.com/places/dujiangyan · Data checked 2026-10-08 · Rendered for 2026-10-09 (Asia/Shanghai). Facts carry their status; "not found yet" means we searched and found no reliable source.

Notices in effect

• 2026-04-23 to 2026-11-08: Dujiangyan Panda Base (都江堰基地, China Conservation and Research Centre for the Giant Panda) closed from 23 April 2026 for upgrading; the reopening date was to be announced later, and the police notice for the Mid-Autumn and National Day period also says it was closed to the public. Recheck before visiting.

Why go

Dujiangyan Irrigation System (都江堰水利工程) is a Qin-era river-diversion project on the Min River that still feeds the Chengdu Plain. You see how a fish-mouth embankment (鱼嘴) splits the river, how a spillway (飞沙堰) throws silt out, and how a channel cut through the hill (宝瓶口) controls the intake. It is a walk with bridges, temples and tree-lined paths rather than one big monument, with a small town of old streets and food stalls at its south edge.

What to do

• See the river split at Yuzui and Feishayan. Walk out to the fish-mouth embankment (鱼嘴), where the Min River divides into an inner and an outer river, then on to the Feishayan spillway (飞沙堰). Both are named stops on the railway company's suggested low-effort route.
• Cross the Anlan Suspension Bridge. The Anlan Suspension Bridge (安澜索桥), also called the Couple Bridge, crosses the river beside Yuzui and sways underfoot. A recent trip report found the old bridge closed to walkers and crossed a newer one.
• Climb to Fulong Temple above Baopingkou. Fulong Temple (伏龙观) stands on the Lidui mound. The front hall holds the stone statue of Li Bing, unearthed in 1974, and the upper floor looks across the narrow intake of Baopingkou (宝瓶口).
• Take the overview from Qinyan Tower. Qinyan Tower (秦堰楼, Gate 6) is built against the hill; from its upper floors you see how Yuzui, Feishayan, Baopingkou and Erwang Temple relate. Visitor-centre buses drop passengers here.
• Finish at Nanqiao as the lights come on. Nanqiao (南桥) exits toward Guanxian old-town streets with noodles, rabbit heads and rice-wine desserts. The railway company's account says the light strips on the old buildings switch on at 19:30.

• Don't miss: Yangong Road (堰功道) is lined with old nanmu (Phoebe) trees, and a ginkgo said to be over 1,700 years old stands beside it.

• Best time: Arrive before 10:00 on holidays
• Skip if: If you do not want three to four hours of walking with steps, ride the in-park shuttle and escalator, or choose a weekday over a public holiday when online tickets sell out.

Practical details

• Hours: 08:00–18:00 daily; 17:30 close from 1 Nov
• Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri, Sat, Sun: 08:00–18:00, last entry 17:30
• Mar 2–Oct 31 (03-02 to 10-31), Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri, Sat, Sun: 08:00–18:00, last entry 17:30
• Nov 1–Mar 1 (11-01 to 03-01), Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri, Sat, Sun: 08:00–17:30, last entry 17:00
• Operator notices: check-in 08:00–18:00 with day-ticket sales stopping 17:30 in the Mar 2–Oct 31 season; 08:00–17:30 with sales stopping 17:00 from Nov 1 to Mar 1. Latest exit is 20:00 (peak) or 19:30 (off-season).
• The undated operator ticket page gives different season breaks (Jan 1–Feb 28 08:00–17:00; Mar 1–Dec 31 08:00–18:00). The two 2026 notices (Feb and Sep) agree with each other and are the current rule.
• Admission: Ticketed · ¥80 adult
• Adult: ¥80 (All year)
• In-park shuttle Beiting–Yuzui, one way: ¥10 — ¥15 return; children 1.3 m and under free.
• Bu Yun Corridor escalator, one way: ¥20 — ¥40 return; children 1.3 m and under free.
• Concession: Minors aged 6–18 and full-time students up to bachelor level (¥40) ¥40 (Valid ID or student card. For foreign visitors the operator names only full-time students up to bachelor level as half price; others pay the full ¥80.)
• Free: Children aged 6 or younger, or 1.3 m and under, including foreign children (Height/age check; an adult must accompany them.)
• Free: Chinese-national visitors aged 65+ (ID. Operator page: among foreign visitors only full-time students up to bachelor level get a discount; all others pay the full ¥80.)
• The ticket excludes the shuttle, escalator and guide services.
• Children aged 6 or younger, or 1.3 m and under, enter free, including foreign children (Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan and foreign children are named in the September 2026 notice).
• Chinese-national seniors aged 60–64 pay half price only on public holidays; free with an ID card on other days. This rule is stated for Chinese nationals.
• The operator ticket page lists seniors aged 65+ as free, but the same page says foreign visitors other than students pay the full price; the Ctrip listing limits the 65+ rule to Chinese-national seniors. Foreign seniors should expect to pay ¥80.
• Several third-party guides quote ¥60 off-season. The operator's February and September 2026 notices both show ¥80, which is the current price.
• For Chinese nationals the operator gives free entry from 65, and for 60–64 free entry on ordinary days and half price on public holidays; foreign seniors pay the full ¥80 unless they are full-time students. A Sep 2025 post (林知夏) says everyone 60+ is free, which matches the Chinese-national rule on ordinary days only and does not apply to foreign visitors.
• Booking: Book online ahead on holidays; windows sell leftovers
• Qingcheng Shan Dujiangyan / Yueyou Dujiangyan WeChat accounts (青城山都江堰 / 悦游都江堰 公众号) — WeChat → search 青城山都江堰 or 悦游都江堰 → ticket booking · passport: yes
• Ctrip / Trip.com and Meituan (authorised platforms) (携程、美团（官方授权）) — Trip.com or Ctrip → Dujiangyan Scenic Area → adult ticket (non-mainland-China) · passport: yes
• Ticket Booking inbound-visitor platform (linked to the official WeChat account) (入境游专属购票平台 Ticket Booking) — Via the scenic area WeChat account → inbound tickets · passport: yes
• Ticket window and self-service machines at the visitor centre and gates (景区售票窗口、扫码购、自助机) · passport: yes
• Passport accepted: yes — Choose passport or foreigner residence permit as the ID when booking, then enter through the staffed manual lane; or buy at the ticket window by showing the document. Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan visitors use their travel-permit numbers.
• On public holidays the operator requires online real-name booking up to 15 days ahead in four timed windows (08:00–10:00, 10:00–12:00, 12:00–14:00, 14:00–17:30). Capacity is 48,000 a day and entry pauses at 43,000.
• Unused tickets can be cancelled in the official WeChat account until 23:59 the day after the visit date; offline refunds go through 028-96526 within 30 days.
• Third-party pages claim the site has no ticket window. The operator page and the October 2026 notices both say windows, scan-to-buy points and self-service machines sell day tickets.
• Last admission: 17:30 (17:00 from 1 Nov)
• Time to allow: 3–4 hr
• Getting there: Metro to Xipu, then 23-min train to Lidui Park
• Show a taxi driver: 都江堰景区（离堆公园·南门），都江堰市公园路
• There is no metro line to Dujiangyan; the metro ends at Xipu and the intercity rail line continues.
• The same-platform metro–train transfer at Xipu closed for years and reopened on a trial basis on 2024-10-17 with limits (departures within 30 minutes, 07:00–20:00, no oversized luggage; otherwise exit at A1). The railway company's 2026 article says no exit is needed.
• A Jan 2026 Xiaohongshu post says the Xipu metro-to-train transfer needs no exit or second security check and that trains within 15 minutes of departure board first; the 2024 notice says 30 minutes. Allow extra time either way.
• Foreign visitors: Passport tickets, manual lane, foreign cards, English signs

Not found yet

• transport.fromCenter.minutes: No operator door-to-door time was found. The rail leg is 23 minutes (operator) plus a 10-minute walk, but the metro leg from Tianfu Square to Xipu is given as 36 minutes on one aggregator and 48 minutes on another, so the total is not stated. Xiaohongshu posts give about 1.5 hours from Chunxi Road including the transfer (艾子沫, Jan 2026) and 4–5 hours round trip with about 2 hours in the park (撒野博士, Apr 2026); neither is an operator time. (searched: operator rail article, transport aggregators, English blogs, Xiaohongshu)
• foreignVisitors.foreignPhone: No source says whether an overseas mobile number can register the official WeChat accounts or the Ticket Booking platform; the operator page covers passports only. (searched: operator ticket page, news, blogs and Trip.com Moments, reddit, Xiaohongshu)

Traveler tips

• Book with a passport, use the manual lane. When you book Dujiangyan (都江堰景区) tickets, pick passport or foreigner residence permit as the ID type. After booking, enter through the staffed manual lane instead of the face-recognition gates, or buy at a ticket window by showing your documents. Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan visitors use their travel-permit numbers. Caveat: The operator page does not say which booking channel (the WeChat official accounts or an OTA) works smoothly with a passport. The Ctrip listing offers a separate adult ticket for non-mainland-China visitors at the same ¥80. source
• On holidays, book up to 15 days ahead. On public holidays Dujiangyan sells timed real-name tickets in four entry windows (08:00–10:00, 10:00–12:00, 12:00–14:00, 14:00–17:30) up to 15 days ahead. Capacity is 48,000 a day and entry pauses at 43,000. On peak holiday days online sales can close by mid-morning; windows, scan-to-buy points and self-service machines still sell same-day tickets. Caveat: When bookings approach the cap the operator closes OTA and travel-agency sales first, then all online sales; windows and machines are then meant for visitors already near the scenic area. The scenic area's own Xiaohongshu account announced on 2026-02-05 that online-only real-name booking with timed entry had opened on 4 February 2026; anonymous commenters asked how seniors and other free-entry visitors can book and received no answer. No named visitor says whether an ordinary weekend also needs a booking. source
• Hire guides only at the visitor centre. Buy tickets only through the official WeChat accounts or authorised platforms such as Meituan and Ctrip, and hire a guide only at the Qingcheng–Dujiangyan visitor centre. The scenic administration warns that tickets from unofficial channels may be refused at the gate or non-refundable, and that touts outside the area are unlicensed. The guide-service enquiry line is 028-87296689. Caveat: Inside the area, a June 2026 trip report was offered a ¥40-per-person guided walk by the bus guide and saw paid photographers near Yuzui; neither is covered by the ¥80 ticket. Daniel的桃花源 (Feb 2026) booked a guide at the visitor centre for ¥40 a head and waited about 20 minutes for a group to form; 林知夏 (Sep 2025) warns against the 'free guides' at the gate and says official guides are more reliable. (3 travelers) source
• Train to Lidui Park station. From central Chengdu take Metro Line 2 or 6 to Xipu (犀浦), change to the intercity train and get off at Lidui Park (离堆公园): 23 minutes, ¥10. Leave by Exit D and walk about 10 minutes via Yangtianwo Panda Square to the scenic area's south gate. Dujiangyan station is 18 minutes from Xipu but farther from the gate. Caveat: A July 2026 traveller said a ticket to Dujiangyan station left a 20-minute taxi ride to the gate. At Xipu, a 2024 notice limited the same-platform transfer to trains leaving within 30 minutes, 07:00–20:00, without oversized luggage; the railway company's 2026 article says no exit is needed, so allow extra time if staff send you out via Exit A1. Buy the intercity train ticket separately, in advance on 12306 or at the station with your passport; a June 2026 trip report that bought tickets only on arrival found the first train sold out and took a later one. 艾子沫 (Jan 2026) wrote that the Xipu transfer is on the same platform with no exit or second security check, that trains within 15 minutes of departure board first, and that a ticket for Lidui Park (not Dujiangyan station) is the one to buy; the 2024 notice says 30 minutes, so allow extra time. 林知夏 (Sep 2025) and 撒野博士 (Apr 2026) give 20–30 minutes for the train and about ¥10 each way. (5 travelers) source
• Use the newer Anlan Suspension Bridge. The original wooden Anlan Suspension Bridge (安澜索桥) beside Yuzui has been closed to walkers; cross the newer suspension bridge beside it, which sways underfoot. Caveat: Single trip report (June 2026 blog): the writer found the old wooden bridge closed, crossed the newer one and felt dizzy from the sway. The railway company's September 2026 article calls the Anlan bridge a key photo spot but does not mention the closure. 小夏同学 (Jan 2026) describes the long, swaying Anlan crossing but does not mention the closed bridge. Anonymous commenters report long queues on the bridge on holidays. (2 travelers) source
• Leave before the latest-exit time. Day-ticket sales stop at 17:30 (17:00 from 1 November), and you must be out by 20:00 in the peak season (19:30 in the off-season). Allow three to four hours for the walk; the operator's notices give 3–4 hours. Caveat: The undated operator ticket page gives different season dates and about three hours; the 2026 notices are the current rule. Walks on Xiaohongshu range from 1.5 hours for the quick downhill route (Me and sky, May 2026) to 3–4 hours for the longer loop from Gate 4 (林知夏, Sep 2025). source
• The shuttle and escalator cost extra. Inside the scenic area an electric shuttle runs from Beiting (碑亭) to Yuzui (鱼嘴) for ¥10 one way or ¥15 return, and the Bu Yun Corridor escalator costs ¥20 one way or ¥40 return. Children 1.3 m and under ride free. The ¥80 ticket covers neither. Caveat: Shuttle hours are 08:30–18:00 in summer and 09:00–17:30 in winter; the escalator runs 08:00–18:00 in summer and 08:00–17:30 in winter. Visitors on Xiaohongshu quote the same prices: ¥10 one way and ¥15 return for the shuttle (小夏同学, Jan 2026; Daniel的桃花源, Feb 2026) and ¥20 one way for the escalator (艾子沫, Jan 2026). (3 travelers) source
• Nanqiao lights come on at 19:30. The railway company's account says the light strips on the old buildings at Nanqiao (南桥) switch on at 19:30 every day and reflect in the river, an effect called 'blue tears'. The operator's ticket page says the viral 'blue tears' photo spot is not inside the ticketed scenic area. The Dujiang Yeyan (都江·夜堰) night tour is a separate product bought through its own mini-program, Douyin, Ctrip, Meituan or the official WeChat accounts. Caveat: The railway company's 19:30 may be the summer time: 小夏同学 (Jan 2026) saw the lights on at about 17:40 in winter but found them best after 18:30, while 东张西望到处跑 (Dec 2025) gives 19:30–23:00 and the best moment after dark (about 20:30). 小夏同学 and 东张西望到处跑 both walk about 10 minutes from Nanqiao to Tianfu Yuan Corridor Bridge (天府源廊桥), which 东张西望到处跑 finds the most striking spot; 一棵竹子王 (Apr 2025) advises standing at the rail on the left after crossing rather than on the crowded bridge. The operator says the viral spot is outside the ticketed area; no source says whether the bridge itself needs a ticket after 18:00. (5 travelers) source
• Foreign-visitor help at the visitor centre. The visitor centre has an AI translation screen for 14 languages, and an English-speaking guide can be arranged there. Foreign bank cards are accepted at ticket windows and shops, and the on-site ATMs dispense ¥10 notes. Overseas Alipay accounts have worked on the NFC payment machine. Caveat: The Alipay detail is from a January 2025 report. Both items are news features about the scenic area's own initiatives; the guide fee and current guide availability are not stated, and WeChat Pay with a foreign card is not covered. source
• This ticket covers Dujiangyan only. The ¥80 Dujiangyan ticket covers only the irrigation-system scenic area. Qingcheng Front Mountain has its own ¥80 ticket, and the Dujiangyan Panda Valley is a separate venue with its own ticket. The Dujiangyan Panda Base (都江堰基地) is closed for upgrading with no reopening date announced, so check before planning a panda stop. Plan Dujiangyan and Qingcheng as two tickets; see the Qingcheng page for that mountain. Caveat: The operator ticket page and notices state the ticket scope; they do not state ticket prices for Panda Valley. source
• Foreign students half price, others full price. For foreign visitors the operator says only full-time students up to bachelor level get the ¥40 half-price ticket with a valid ID; everyone else pays the full ¥80. Children aged 6 or younger, or 1.3 m and under, enter free, including foreign children. Caveat: For Chinese nationals the operator gives free entry from 65, and for 60–64 free entry on ordinary days and half price on public holidays; foreign seniors pay the full ¥80 unless they are full-time students. A Sep 2025 post (林知夏) says everyone 60+ is free, which matches the Chinese-national rule on ordinary days only and does not apply to foreign visitors. Anonymous commenters (2026) also ask how seniors aged 60–64 book. source
• Park at P2 or P3. Drivers can use the scenic area's P2 or P3 car parks or the Nanqiaofang car parks 1 and 2, about 5–10 minutes' walk to the gate. A July 2026 traveller used the Lidui Park car park at a flat ¥10 with no time limit. Caveat: The operator names P2, P3 and Nanqiaofang lots; the traveller names a Lidui Park lot and may mean a different car park. Parking fees at the operator lots are not stated. source
• Buses from the climbing-panda mall. Buses run directly to Dujiangyan from the front of the mall with the giant climbing panda sculpture in Chengdu. If you are comfortable with public transport, the train also works, followed by a Didi inside Dujiangyan town. Caveat: These are two separate Reddit comments from June 2026; neither names the bus terminal or gives a timetable. (2 travelers) source
• Enter north, exit into the old town. Allow at least three to four hours. Entering from the north booth lets you finish at the south end, downhill through a small town of shops, restaurants and riverside streets, and no guide is needed. Caveat: Single Reddit comment (June 2026); it does not say which gate it calls the north booth. Daniel的桃花源 (Feb 2026) came out of the north gate and took a ¥10 public bus of about 20 minutes back to Gate 1. (2 travelers) source
• Panda Valley on the same day. Panda Valley (熊猫谷) and the irrigation system fit into one day if you reach the pandas first thing in the morning and walk the irrigation system in the afternoon, by taxi or Didi between them. Some visitors add Mount Qingcheng to the same packed day. A Didi from central Chengdu to Panda Valley cost about ¥110 and took an hour. Panda Valley is a separate venue with its own ticket, and the Dujiangyan Panda Base (都江堰基地) is closed for upgrading, so make sure you are booking the right one. Caveat: One Reddit reader found Panda Valley underwhelming, with more people and fewer pandas on their day; another Reddit reader (No-Wolf7835) did "the Dujiangyan Pandas" in the morning but does not say which panda centre. 梦&雨 (Oct 2025) preferred Panda Valley to the Chengdu base, saw only five or six pandas but all active, and paired it with Dujiangyan for a day; 艾子沫 (Jan 2026) puts Panda Valley about 15 minutes by taxi from Lidui Park station. The 23 April 2026 closure in the Xinhua report is of the Dujiangyan Panda Base; confirm Panda Valley's own opening status on its booking page before going. (5 travelers) source
• Last trains and coaches back to Chengdu. The last intercity train from Lidui Park back to Xipu leaves at 21:55, so you can stay for the Nanqiao lights; earlier departures such as 19:38 suit those who skip them. Buy the return ticket on 12306 in advance, because evening trains sell out. Coaches to central Chengdu also run from near Nanqiao, but check the current times and booking method. Caveat: Coach details are old and partly commercial: coaches from near Nanqiao to Chunxi Road in central Chengdu were quoted at about ¥29–35 and about 90 minutes. Times and fares are from posts between Apr 2025 and Jan 2026: 林知夏, 艾子沫 and 小夏同学 give 21:55 and 19:38; momo (Apr 2025) recommends the ¥35 coach, which must be booked one or two days ahead in the Didi app, and after buying no return ticket shared a ¥144 taxi among four to Xipu. A guide account (都江堰导游小吴, Aug 2025, commercial) lists a ¥29 coach to Chunxi Road until 21:30 from the P4 car park and a ¥35 coach until 21:40 from the gate bus stop; an anonymous commenter (Sep 2025) was unsure the 21:55 train still ran. Check 12306 for the current timetable. (4 travelers) source
• Pick your gate by how much you climb. Gate 6 (Qinyan Tower) is downhill all the way with many steps, about 1.5–2.5 hours. Gate 4 (Li Bing Memorial Hall) starts with a ¥20 escalator ride up to Yulei Pavilion (玉垒阁) and then goes downhill, about 3–4 hours. Gate 1 (the south gate beside Lidui Park) is the flattest start and has luggage storage: begin with Fulong Temple and Baopingkou, then ride the ¥10 shuttle to Yuzui. Choose Gate 1 with older relatives or small children. Caveat: Gate 6: the bus fare of ¥12 and the gate list come from GnixAij (June 2026), who questioned whether that bus was officially operated. Me and sky (May 2026) and 撒野博士 (Apr 2026) took a taxi of about 10 minutes from Lidui Park station to Gate 6 and walked down in 1.5–2 hours; 林知夏 (Sep 2025) says Qinyan Tower gets jammed on holidays; a guide account (都江堰景区导游彭于晏, Jan 2026, commercial) timed the same route at about 1 hour 25 minutes; Daniel的桃花源 (Feb 2026) avoided Gate 6 for older relatives because of the many downhill steps. Gate 4: 小薇记 (Feb 2026, about 10,000 steps with the escalator and shuttle once each), 林知夏 (Sep 2025, 3–4 hours) and 艾子沫 (Jan 2026). Gate 1: Daniel的桃花源 (Feb 2026) paid ¥18 for large luggage storage for about three hours, activated tickets at the ticket office, hired a visitor-centre guide at ¥40 a head, rode the ¥10 shuttle to Yuzui, walked Anlan Bridge to the north gate and took a public bus of about 20 minutes back to Gate 1; 梦&雨 (Oct 2025) also suggests walking in and out of the south gate. Time allowed differs on Reddit: one commenter starts at the top and works down and calls it a whole day, while two others call the site worth half a day. Anonymous commenters say the escalator had stopped by 18:00, that Anlan Bridge was queued on a holiday and that the Gate 6 entrance is narrow, crowded and commercial on holidays. (12 travelers) source

Sources

• Dujiangyan Tourism Commerce Co. (都江堰市都江堰旅游商务有限责任公司)
• Qingcheng–Dujiangyan Scenic Area Administration (official NetEase account 青城山都江堰) (published 2026-09-24)
• Qingcheng–Dujiangyan Scenic Area Administration (official NetEase account 青城山都江堰) (published 2026-02-15)
• China Railway Chengdu (official NetEase account 西南铁路, source 成都车站) (published 2026-09-05)
• Dujiangyan Municipal Public Security Bureau (via Chengdu Fabu) (published 2026-09-20)
• Dujiangyan Public Security (official NetEase account) (published 2026-09-23)
• Red Star News / Chengdu Quansou (QQ News) (published 2026-10-02)
• Chuanguan News (川观新闻), from Chengdu Fabu (published 2026-10-03)
• Ifeng Dafenghao (published 2026-10-04)
• Chuanguan News (川观新闻), from Chengdu Fabu (published 2026-10-05)
• China Culture Daily (中国文化报, via Guangming Online) (published 2026-01-12)
• Sichuan Online (四川在线) (published 2025-01-23)
• Sichuan Online (四川在线) (published 2024-10-18)
• Qunar / Ctrip ticket listing
• GnixAij (published 2026-06-04)
• JacksonYoung (published 2026-07-23)
• KaraoChris (published 2026-06-28)
• Diligent-Stretch-769 (published 2026-06-28)
• Visual_Jello_6355 (published 2026-07-14)
• Brilliant_Tea_7858 (published 2026-06-28)
• Noomalicious (published 2026-06-28)
• Xinhua News Agency (新华网) (published 2026-04-15)
• Upbeat_Job4191 (published 2026-06-28)
• 小夏同学😎 (published 2026-01-16)
• Daniel的桃花源 (published 2026-02-25)
• 巴甫洛维奇 (published 2026-03-22)
• 小薇记 (published 2026-02-26)
• Me and sky (published 2026-05-29)
• 梦&雨 (published 2025-10-30)
• 都江堰景区导游彭于晏 (published 2026-01-26)
• 青城山都江堰 (published 2026-02-05)
• 林知夏- (published 2025-09-28)
• momo（努力减肥版） (published 2025-04-09)
• 艾子沫 (published 2026-01-22)
• 东张西望到处跑 (published 2025-12-11)
• 一棵竹子王 (published 2025-04-30)
• 撒野博士 (published 2026-04-13)
• 都江堰导游小吴 (published 2025-08-04)
• Critical-Biscotti794 (published 2026-07-20)
• No-Wolf7835 (published 2026-10-03)
• Classic-Cap-9652 (published 2026-07-20)
• 新一二三一 (published 2025-04-02)

More places

• Pair with: Mount Qingcheng
• More in Dujiangyan: Mount Qingcheng