Chengdu · Sichuan · Place

Anren Ancient Town

China's only 5A Republic-era ancient town, with 27 preserved mansions, the Liu Family Manor, and a vintage tram.

Written and signed by Alex Chu

4.7/5RatingTown free; Liu Manor CNY 40; Jianchuan Cluster CNY 60TicketTown all day; Liu Manor 08:30-17:30Opening hours

What it actually is

Anren Ancient Town, 60 km west of Chengdu, is China's only 5A-rated ancient town. It is famous for its 27 preserved Republic-era mansions, the Liu Family Manor Museum with its hidden opium cellar, a working vintage tram, and the Jianchuan Museum Cluster on the western edge.

Editor's take

Alex ChuWritten and signed by

The verdict

Worth visiting for the unique Republic-era streetscape — pair with at least half a day at Jianchuan. I'd skip if you only have a half day from Chengdu or expect a decrepit, half-flooded water town.

What's great

Genuinely rare Republic-era streetscape — Sichuan's most complete row of 1920s-30s mansions

Liu Manor gives one of the few un-russeted looks inside a wealthy Sichuan family home

Slow pace, low hawking pressure — easy to spend a full afternoon without feeling fleeced

Worth knowing

Many mansions are private homes; you admire from the lane, not inside

Jianchuan Museum Cluster is a serious half-day itself; combining it with the old town is ambitious

Restaurant selection narrows fast after 19:00; the few places near Liu Manor get crowded at lunch

Old town feels freshly restored — visitors expecting a weathered water town will find it tidier than LiJiang or Zhenyuan

Grounded in 128+ traveller reviews. Distilled by our editors from traveller reviews on Xiaohongshu and Douyin.

Essentials

Opening hoursTown all day; Liu Manor 08:30-17:30

TicketTown free; Liu Manor CNY 40; Jianchuan Cluster CNY 60

Contact+86 28-88319116

Rating4.7/5

Good to know

Real-name ticket requiredEntry to Liu Family Manor and Jianchuan Museum Cluster requires a real-name ticket; bring your passport for registration.

No pets inside museumsPets are not allowed inside Liu Family Manor or Jianchuan Museum Cluster, though leashed pets are fine in the old town lanes.

Wear comfy flats

Bring a light layer

Stay overnight for lanterns

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Liu Family Manor Museum

The Liu Wencai compound is the only fully preserved Sichuan landlord estate open to visitors, with 27 linked courtyards fusing Qing Dynasty (1644-1912) brickwork and Western-columned verandas from the 1920s. Look for the brick-lined opium cellar and the lacquered Lady's Boudoir — the latter is the most photogenic interior.

Republic-Era Mansion Streets

Shuren, Hongxing, and Yumin streets still hold 27 mansions built for Sichuan's landowning elite between 1900-1949, most still in private hands. The Republican blended style — Western arcades and Chinese grey-brick halls — is unique to the Sichuan basin and rare anywhere else in China.

Vintage Tram Down Hongxing Street

A working 1920s-style dingdingche (vintage tram) shuttles visitors the length of Hongxing Street for a few yuan; it is the most charming way to grasp the scale of the mansion quarter. Rides run roughly every 15 minutes from 09:00-17:00 and pair well with a slow stroll back.

Vintage Tram Down Hongxing Street

A working 1920s-style dingdingche (叮叮车, vintage tram) shuttles visitors the length of Hongxing Street for a few yuan; it is the most charming way to grasp the scale of the mansion quarter. Rides run roughly every 15 minutes from 09:00-17:00 and pair well with a slow stroll back.

Getting there

carSelf-drive from Chengdu ~1 hour via Chengya Expressway

busDirect shuttle bus from Line 7 Wenhua Gong or Line 9 Jitouqiao

trainHigh-speed rail to Dayi Station, then 30-min local bus

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