Stone Elephant Lake - an integration of natural beauty and local culture in Chengdu
Last Update: 7th October 2020
What is Stone Elephant Lake?
Stone Elephant Lake was named after the Stone Elephant Temple in the area. It is located around 40 minutes drive from Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport and downtown Chengdu at the exit of the location of 86 kilometers of the Chengdu-Ya’an Highway(成雅高速公路).. The area offers numerous types of rare plant to explore. Visitors can enjoy boating on the lake.
Interested in visiting Stone Elephant Lake on a Chengdu Tour?
Wendy Wei Tours offers a variety of different packaged tours as well as custom tours including Stone Elephant Lake, among other attractions and destinations. To find out more, please visit our Tours page or Contact Us directly to find out more.
What to expect at Stone Elephant Lake
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The natural lakes in the Stone Elephant Lake Area cover a total area of more than 1.3 square kilometers. Hidden in the forests, the Stone Elephant Lake winds like a water maze. Enjoy boating on the lake and rejuvenate yourself in the nature, listening to birds’ singing.
Stone Elephant Temple was originally built at the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty (25 - 220 AD). It has a history of approximate 1,800 years. The temple was damaged and was repaired several times. The existing temple was repaired after 1980. Visitors can explore the Hall for the Heavenly Kings, the Hall for Avalokitesvara, the Hall for the Jade Buddhist and the Hall for Ksitigarbha if interested in Buddhism. If you would like to know some about Neo-Confucianism thought, it is recommended that you visit Wenjing House (文靖楼). In order to promote Neo-Confucianism, Wei Liaoweng in the Southern Song Dynasty (1127 - 1276) copied a large number of royal scriptures. He worked as a teacher in Pujiang County where the Stone Elephant Lake is located for long. His teaching methods attracted the attention of many scholars and the then emperor. After his death, Wenjing Building was built in honor of him. You can get acquaint with some on the local customs and legends in West Sichuan through visiting the Xiangshan Old Town. With an elevation of 632 meters and an area of 700 square meters, Old Xiangshan College stands at the highest point of the town. It offers a great chance to know about Confucianism. The Colorful Flowers Field is ideal for photographing, offering a variety of flowers, such as Celosia cristata, cornflower and verbena bonariensis. It features different views with seasonal flowers. |
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Best time to visit Stone Elephant Lake
The best time to visit Stone Elephant Lake is in the morning as there are a few tourists. The best months to visit is from March to June. You could appreciate tulips between March and May, roses and other flowers between June and August and many other types of flowers between September and October.
How to get to Stone Elephant Lake
Stone Elephant Lake is located far from downtown Chengdu. Therefore, there are only a few options.
- Rent a vehicle from Chengdu or Ya’an. This is the quickest and most direct option.
- Take the shuttle bus from the Bus Station of New South Gate (新南门客运站) in Chengdu to the area. The shuttle bus runs at 08:30am and 09:50am.
Additional Stone Elephant Lake Travel Advice
- Opening hours: 08:30 – 17:30 (Monday - Friday) ; 08:00 – 18:00 (Saturday and Sunday)
- As at 7th October 2020, entrance pricing is 100 CNY per person; children under 1.3m (1.3m not included) and the elders above 70 years old (70 years old included) are free of charge; the elder between 60 years old (60 years old included) and 70 years old (70 years old not included) are charged 50 CNY per person. For the latest pricing information, please contact us via email (info@wendyweitours.com)
- The area offers 18 vacation hotels with 90 rooms in total to the visitors.
- You could refresh yourself at the Xiangshan Bar in Xiangshan Old Town.
Interested in visiting Stone Elephant Lake on a Tour?
Wendy Wei Tours offers a variety of different packaged tours as well as custom tours including Stone Elephant Lake, among other attractions and destinations. To find out more, please visit our Tours page or Contact Us directly to find out more.