Bamboozled!
By Li Jin ( Beijing Weekend)
Updated: 2004-01-16 15:11

There are many places in China famous for bamboo scenery, products and sculptures.

None, though, can match the Bamboo Sea in South Sichuan's Yibin city.

The attraction was this month listed as a world-class bamboo reserve. It was also the fourth tourism destination in China to be granted the "Green Globe 21? environmental certificate.

Located in Changling and Jiang'an counties, Yibin's Bamboo Sea is one of the National Stage Tour Spots instigated in 1988 by the Tourism Administration of China. It's an ideal site for those wanting to get away from it all to a natural paradise.

It's big: even a day's walking will not get you completely through. There are in excess of 500 rolling hills here, the petrified waves of the Bamboo Sea.

The "sea?itself covers 120 square kilometres with scenic footpaths for you to follow.

Bamboo is here, there and everywhere. In winter far and wide there is nothing to be seen but the silvery white. In summer all one can see is verdant bamboo.

There are more than 30 kinds of bamboo such as Nan bamboo, fishpole bamboo and concave bamboo.

In this seemingly boundless expanse of green waves, there are several tour spots. These include the Ancient Cave of Immortal Residence, Carefree Glen, Multi-coloured Cliffside Waterfall, Inky Stream and Flowing Waters.

At nightfall the music of lutes and the croaking of frogs rising one after another make a beautiful harmony.

The bamboo is not the only plant growing here. Rare animals too live among the stems. This lush green haven enjoys a special climate, warm in winter (never below freezing) and cool in summer, even when Yibin is sweltering.

The Bamboo Sea also features resting areas for those weary of walking.

Among the attractions is Xianyu cave and its hand- chiseled channel. There are some forty Buddha statuettes within the cave. The cave and the channel run some 200 metres through the mountain. If you climb atop the cave mountain, as many do, you will be rewarded by the magnificent view of the Bamboo Sea spread below your feet, and, weather permitting, you can look down on wispy clouds drifting above the Bamboo Sea.

A grand bamboo museum is situated in the area, where thousands of bamboo art works are on display all year long. Some describe different stories based on ancient Chinese legend.

How to get there

There are flights between Beijing and Yibin. The flight number is 3Q4145. It is available every Monday, Thursday and Saturday. It leaves Beijing at 11:30 am and gets to Yibin two hour later. It costs 1,350 yuan (US$162).

You can also take the train from Beijing to Chengdu, the capital city of Southwest China's Sichuan Province. It takes 24 hours to Chengdu (400 yuan/US$48) for a sleeping berth). After arriving at Chengdu, change bus routes to Yibin. It takes five hours (25 yuan/US$3).