1. Home
2. China Provinces Guide > Sichuan > Sichuan Attractions >

Ertan National Forest Park is located  around 40km northeast from Panzhihua City of Sichuan Province, and about 750km from Chengdu City to the north and 350km from Kunming City, Yunnan to the south. Surrounded by vast virgin forest, verdant mountains, it is a popular attraction with many features, including sightseeing, entertainment, exploration, and recuperation. In the main, it comprises the Ertan National Forest Park, Ertan Hydropower Station, Hyperbolic Arch Dam, the Exhibition Hall and European Camp.

The Hyperbolic Arch Dam is the largest dam of its kind in Asia and measures 778m in height. The Exhibition Hall displays a lot of pictures and materials that reflect the process of the construction of Ertan Hydropower Station and the surrounding scenery. During the construction of Ertan Hydropower Station, over 600 foreign experts from 43 countries were invited to participate in the work. The European Camp forms rows of luxurious houses or villas that served as their accommodation. After finishing the construction, the houses remained for sightseeing and vacation use. 

Ertan National Forest Park is regarded as a travel pearl in the south of Sichuan Province due to its unique mountain and gorge landform as the habitat of many wild creatures. The reservoir of Ertan Hydropower Station measures 3,937 feet above sea level, 90 miles long and over 766 yards wide. It is a huge “Y”-shaped manmade lake with five islets and over ten small peninsulas within. By hiring a boat, you can fully enjoy the beautiful views of the lake and mountains. The boat can take you to as far as Yanyuan County and at the end of the trip, you will feel that its natural sights are as amazing as those around the Three Gorges Qutang Gorge, Wu Gorge and Xiling Gorge on the Yangtze River.

Travel Tips

Best time to visit: All the year round, as the annual average temperature there is around 20℃.

Entrance Fee: CNY10 for dam sightseeing platform; CNY10 for Exhibition Hall; CNY40 for visiting the dam and underground power plant (tourists are not allowed to go inside unless led by a tour guide); CNY10/person for tour guiding for Euro Camp; CNY20-100 to rent a boat to view the scenery of Ertan reservoir.

Opening hours: 09:00 – 18:00

How to get there: 

1. Take train to Panzhihua Railway Station, from where visitor can take a taxi to the scenic area directly. The reference taxi fare is about CNY50.  

2. Take a bus at Panzhihua Stadium or Panzhihua Garden to take a tourism bus to your destination.