Ya'an is a city in the western part of Sichuan and the starting point of the Sichuan-Tibet stretch of the Tea-horse Road. It has an area of 15300 square kilometers and a population of 1,530,000. Ya'an borders Tibetan ethnic areas to the west.
Previously known as Yazhou-fu, the city is first mentioned during the Zhou Dynasty (1122-255 BCE). It served as a county seat during the Qin and Han Dynasties, but was subsequently ruled by the Mongols. After being reintegrated into the Chinese Empire in the late 5th century, it was made the seat of the Ya Prefecture in 604. The modern Ya'an county was established in 1912.
"The busy little town (of Ya'an) was full of life, for its market is the only trading centre for the Chinese and Tibetans from Kangting. Accompanied by two coolies, I crossed the long suspension bridge which oscillates alarmingly over the Ya Ho. I got separated from my coolies in the dense crowd which swarmed along the main street, but in the end found them, and my luggage, at the Catholic mission, where two venerable fathers welcomed me with the flowery courtesy of mandarins.
Yaan is the main market for a special kind of tea which is grown in this part of the country and exported in very large quantities to Tibet via Kangting and over the caravan routes through Batang (Paan) and Teko. Although the Chinese regard it as an inferior product, it is greatly esteemed by the Tibetans for its powerful flavor, which harmonizes particularly well with that of yak butter and salt which Tibetans often mix with their tea. Brick tea comprises not only what we call tea leaves, but also the coarser leaves and some of the twigs of the shrub, as well as the leaves and fruit of other plants and trees (the alder, for instance). This amalgam is steamed, weighed, and compressed into hard bricks, which are packed up in coarse matting in subunits of four. These rectangular parcels weigh between twenty-two and twenty-six pounds??the quality of the tea makes a slight difference to the weight??and are carried to Kangting by coolies. A long string of them, moving slowly under their monstrous burdens of tea, was a familiar sight along the road I followed."
Ya'an Rain
Ya'an is (one of) the largest rainfall in China.
As a result of abundant rainfall throughout the year, since ancient times it had "missed days" that there are "Rain City" in the world.
Ya'an fish (Ya Yu)
one of the fish to live in the Duke of Zhou Ya River waters for the authentic, is a small cold-water fish. Male skull like a sword, as the ancient legend, the resulting Nvwo, exorcism of evil spirits at the function. Hey, this is only legend, I do not believe the Oh, but it's really like a sword of bone, is quite magical Oh. Ya-fish casserole is a whole fish, tofu with, diarrhea, crisp flesh garden, day lily, and other ingredients, in Ya'an Sheng Ying products by Weihuoaocheng in casserole. Fresh, fresh fish, white sauce Xianxiang. Would like to remind our friends that in previous years due to over-fishing and environmental pollution, now almost extinct fish Blair, and now national levels to protect fish. Although all the restaurants are sold, but more than half were false, there are a number of illegal trafficking, and the price is not low, usually in the 180.00 yuan/more than. Friends in to eat when'll take care.
Ya'an's Fish (Ya Yu), ya'an's beauty(Ya Nv) and Ya'an'rain (Ya Yu) attach more attract to the city.
There is a legend that Nvwa (The Godness who made the earth) left her attendents when she repair the sky. Some of attendents became the girls and some became fish. The Godness forgot one part of the sky. That is why there is rain almost every day in Ya'an.
Ya'an in the tourism, transportation is more convenient to various scenic spots are the basic car up. A total of three urban passenger transport stations and four bus lines, and there are a large number of taxi and a very cheap price.