Swaths of swaying bamboo, well-marked walking trails and a handful of charming lakes and waterfalls make south Sìchuān’s Bamboo Sea a worthwhile detour. There are more than 30 types of bamboo across this 120-sq-km national park and the scenery is gorgeous enough to have attracted many a TV and film director.
Bamboo is an especially fast-growing grass that can shoot up nearly a meter in 24-hours. In May, in between the downpours, you can actually hear the pops and wiggles as new shoots spring up.
The villages of Wànlǐng (万岭), at the west gate, and Wànlǐ (万里), near the east gate (don't mix them up!), are the main settlements inside the park and are your best bets for setting up camp. It’s about an 11km hike from one to the other if you follow the road the whole way. Reserve a solid six to eight hours to explore on foot.
Two cable car (索道; suǒdào) rides can shorten the walking distances considerably, and are a great way to see the forest from another angle. From Wànlǐng it takes about 20 minutes to reach Guānguāng cable car , which takes you on a 25-minute ride over some stunning bamboo forests. There’s a pleasant, one-hour streamside walk (wade in!), which loops around the forest just past the entrance to the cable car.
The second cable car is to the right as you exit the first. During a 10-minute ride, Dàxiágǔ cable car crosses a dramatic gorge and leads into another scenic area with a number of trails and two lakes. Leaving this area, head for Sānhé Jiè (三合界), a junction where you can find accommodation. Turn right here for the final 30-minute walk to Wànlǐ village.
Two waterfalls near Wànlǐ are worth a look. To get to Rainbow Falls (七彩飞瀑; Qīcǎi Fēipù), either follow the lake by the village or turn right before it and walk along the road for about 1km to the signposted main gate. Continue past it to reach Clear Dragon Falls (清龙瀑布; Qīnglóng Pùbù), which is pretty quiet as it's off the maps, although you sometimes have to pay ¥10 to an enterprising old man for right of passage. You can climb back up to the main road through a wonderfully peaceful bamboo forest.
