About Xichang
What to see and do in Xichang
Weather in Xichang
Airport in Xichang
Visa
Xichang is known as China's "space city" and is capital city of the Liangshan Yi Nationality Autonomous Prefecture in southwestern Sichuan Province, People's Republic of China. Population (2004): 126,700, a rewarding being the chance to visit villages of the Yi minority, as well as a research base from where China's Long March space rocket is launched, application for visitor's permit is to apply a week in advance.
Xichang's spaceport is located about 64 km northwest of the city and went into operation in 1984. Communications satellites are the most common payload to be inserted into orbit from here. A number of Long March 3 rockets have been launched successfully from the spaceport.
The Long March 3, also known as the Chang Zheng 3, CZ-3 and LM-3, was a Chinese orbital carrier rocket. It was launched from Launch Complex 1 at the Xichang Satellite Launch Centre. It was a 3-stage rocket, and was mostly used to place DFH-2-class communications satellites into geosynchronous transfer orbits. It first flew on 29 January 1984. It was replaced by the more powerful Long March 3A, which has an improved third stage.
The Long March 3 suffered third stage reliability issues. The upper stage failed to ignite on two launches, and cut off early on a third.
The long train journey south from Emei Shan town to the Yunnanese border and ultimately Kunming is famous not for the scenery itself, splendid though it is, but for the fact that you rarely catch a glimpse of it. Estimates vary, but there are more then two hundred tunnels along the way, some lasting seconds, others several minutes, and you'llsoon get fed up trying to get a long look at the peaks and gorgee passing the window.
Given its otherwise remote setting in a very undernourished countryside seven hours from Emei Shan by train,Xichang's friendly bustle and almost prosperous air are suprising. Focus for southwestern China's Yi Community,and a satellite launching site for China's Long March space programme, Xichang is also a staging post for a backroadstrip to Lugu Hu on the Sichuan / Yunnan border, offering a more interesting alternative to continuing by train to Kunming. In town itself, Xichang's partially walled old quarter is just northeast of the centre, a fifteen-minute walk from the busstation via Yuechang Plaza. The old quarter's streets form a cross, of which the southern extension, Nan Jie, is the most interesting, running 150M through a busy market and past rickety wooden teahouse to the heavy stone south gate and attached battlements.
Old quarter
Qianma Douhua Fanzhuang
South Gate
Huang Shui
Liang Shan
Lugu Hu
Louji Shan
Panzhihua
Puge
Qionghai Hu
Space Fight Centre
January 16 C to 4 C
February 19 C to 6 C
March 23 C to 10 C
April 26 C to 13 C
May 28 C to 16 C
June 27 C to 18 C
July 28 C to 19 C
August 28 C to 18 C
September 25 C to 16 C
October 22 C to 13 C
November 19 C to 9 C
December 16 C to 5 C
Xichang Qingshan Airport (pinyin: Xichang Qingshan Jichang) (IATA: XIC, ICAO: ZUXC) is located in the city of Qingshan, near Xichang, Sichuan Province, People's Republic of China.
Airlines and other destinations of Xichang
Air China (Chengdu)
Sichuan Airlines (Chengdu)
To be able to travel to Xichang you need to have a valid China Visa, issue from your local government at the China Embassy, Chinese visa fall into four types: diplomatic visa, courtesy visa, service visa and ordinary visa. Ordinary visa is further divided into the following 8 categories each marked with a letter: (1) Tourist and family visit visa (L-visa) is issued to a foreign citizen who comes to China for tourist purpose, family visit or other personal affairs.
(2) Business Visa (F-visa ) is issued to a foreign citizen who is invited to China for visit, research, lecture, business, exchanges in the fields of science, technology, education, culture and sports, or attending various kinds of trade fairs or exhibitions, or short-term study, intern practice for a period of no more than 6 months.
(3) Student Visa (X-visa) is issued to a foreign citizen who comes to China for the purpose of study or advanced study for a period of six or more months.
(4) Work Visa (Z-visa) is issued to a foreign citizen who comes to China to work and his or her accompanying family members, or to give commercial performances in China.
(5) Transit Visa (G-visa) is issued to a foreign citizen who is to transit through China on his or her way to a third country (or region).
(6) Crew Visa(C-visa)is issued to crew member performing his/her duties on board an international train, or on an international airliner, to a sailor on board an international ocean-liner or freighter, and also to their accompanying family members..
(7) Journalist Visa (J-visa)is issued to foreign journalists. J-visa has two categories: J-1 visa and J-2 visa. J-1 visa is issued to resident foreign journalists in China and their accompanying spouses and under-age children, J-2 visa to foreign journalists who visit China for temporary news coverage.
(8) Permanent Residence Visa(D-visa)is issued to a foreign citizen who has been approved by China's public security authority to reside in China permanently.
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