The Rain City · Ya’an
Through the rain city of Ya’an and on to Tianquan, where the road tilts up for the first time and the air turns green and wet.
Plan the day
Ya'an to Tianquan — the road, food, lodging and gear for this stage.
Road & riding
The plain ends here. The road tilts up along the Qingyi River toward Tianquan, the last town before the Erlang climb — short, but a useful first wake-up for your legs.
Food & resupply
Tianquan and roadside stalls do hearty noodle and rice bowls; fill up before tomorrow’s big forested climb.
Sleeping
Small guesthouses in quiet, riverside Tianquan — a good place to rest before the first real mountain.
Gear & body
Still green and damp: keep the rain shell handy, and start thinking about a warm layer for the heights ahead.
Landmarks
Ya'an
The 'City of Rain' at the edge of the Sichuan basin, where today's ride begins.
Qingyi River
The clear river the road follows out of the basin toward the mountains.
China Tibetan Tea Village
A roadside village celebrating Ya'an's centuries-old brick tea, once carried west along the Tea-Horse Road.
Duoying
A small town near the gorge, said to be named for an army camp of Zhuge Liang.
Feixianguan
A historic gorge gateway on the Qingyi River — the old fortress door from Sichuan into Kham.
Feixianguan Bridge
Once the first major bridge of the Sichuan–Tibet Highway, spanning the Qingyi at the gorge mouth.
Shiyang
A historic old town in the river valley, the last big market before the final narrows to Tianquan.
Tianquan River
A tributary of the Qingyi the road now follows upstream into the foothills.
Longweixia Tunnel
A short tunnel through the Dragon-Tail gorge as the valley narrows before Tianquan.
Tianquan
The last town before the climb into the Erlang gorges.
Questions about this day
How long is day 2, Ya’an to Tianquan?
A short, green warm-up day topping out around 1,382 m. It’s the first time the road tilts up, so it’s a good day to feel how the gears and your stamina trade off before the real climbing begins.
Why is Ya’an called the rain city?
Ya’an sits where wet basin air piles against the first mountains, so it rains a lot — locally it’s the "rain city." In the game expect a green, wet feel here, and a good chance of the rain weather rolling in.
How do I manage stamina on the first climbs?
Drop a gear and spin rather than mashing. Cycling 318 never fails you — if your stamina runs out you just step off and walk the bike a while — but easing into a steady rhythm now sets you up for the big passes ahead.
Ride your own 318
Cycling 318 turns the road to Lhasa into a daily, cozy ride. Check in at the landmarks, collect a postcard from each, and fill your 318 passport.
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