Perhaps you’ve heard that Dayi County is Chengdu City’s westernmost division. Dayi borders Ya’an to the south. It also borders the Ngawa Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture to the north.
Dayi County covers 1,548 square kilometers. The population in 2020 was 515,962. That’s a density of 378 people per square kilometer. Dayi uses China Standard Time. Its postal code starts with 6113.
Dayi administers subdistricts like Jinyuan, Shaqu, and Qingxia. It also has towns such as Wangsi, Xinchang and Yuelai. Anren, Chujiang, Huashuiwan, Xiling, and Heming are Dayi towns too.
In Dayi County, you’ll find Anren Historic Town. Anren is about an hour’s drive from Chengdu. It is home to the Jianchuan Museum Cluster. This cluster includes 15 museums. They hold China’s largest private collection of artifacts. These artifacts were amassed over the last 60–70 years.
The Jianchuan Museum Cluster is a sprawling complex. It cost an estimated US$200 million. Besides Red Era buildings, the cluster has museums about other sensitive events. Seven museums focus on the Sino-Japanese War. Three cover the 2008 Sichuan earthquake.
Each museum building is several thousand square feet. They are dedicated to niches like Mao badges or propaganda mirrors. One could spend three days here and not see everything. The Jianchuan Museum Cluster features more than two million historical and cultural artifacts.
The museums are organized by four major themes. The Second Sino-Japanese War is one theme. The Red Era is another. The Wenchuan earthquake is also represented. Folklore and culture round out the themes.
Anren Historic Town is the hometown of Liu Wencai. He was a Qing dynasty warlord and millionaire. His 27 historic mansions have been preserved. They have been turned into museums.
Three old streets from the Republic of China period are still used today. The museums in Anren hold more than 8 million relics and artifacts. A museum dedicated to the 2008 Sichuan earthquake was built in 2010.
Liu’s Manor Museum is the former residence of the Liu family. It covers 70,000 square meters. The buildings are luxurious. They include rectangles, squares, and terraces. It became a museum in 1958. It houses over 27,000 cultural relics.
Consider visiting Dayi. Explore its museums and historic towns. Discover a unique blend of history and culture. You’ll find much to learn and appreciate in Dayi County.