Top Things to See and Do in Chengdu & around Chengdu

1. See the Giant Panda – China’s National Treasure

Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding Base (Xiongmao Jidi)

It is the world-famous Panda breeding research base located about 10km (6 miles) out of the city. It really is also conservation education center, and international educational tourism destination. There is a museum, research center, restaurant and large lake to enjoy strolling around.

Go there, you will see the other kind of panda – red panda and swan in the lake. The place is first choice to see Giant Panda.

Entrance fee: ￥58
Open time: 08:00-18:00
Bus: No.198, No.107, No.532, No.867, No. 902
Recommended Giant Panda Visiting Itinerary:
3 Days Chengdu Classic Tour with Giant Panda

Ya’an Bifengxia Giant Panda Breeding Centre

Located in Ya’an, 150km southwest to Chengdu, about 2 hour’s driving; Bifengxia Giant Panda Breeding Centre is your second choice to see Giant Panda. With good quality water and air, Bifengxia is a satisfactory place for the growth of pandas. It is a comprehensive conservation project combing tourism, research and breeding in one place.

Since opening in 2004, it has become home to several more Giant Panda.

Entrance fee: ￥118
Open time: 08:30-17:00
Bus: at Xinnanmen Bus Station in Chengdu, buses leave every 35 minutes from 07:00 to 19:30.
Recommended Ya'an Giant Panda Visiting Itinerary:
3 Days Chengdu Giant Panda Volunteer Tour from Beijing

Wolong National Nature Reserve (Closed Now)

Located in the east of Mt. Qionglai, and a 3-hour driving from, it is the earliest, largest and best-known panda reserve in China.

You can take a regular bus in Chengdu Chadianzi Coach Center to Wolong.

2. Visit Dujiangyan Irrigation Project

Over 2200 years ago, Chengdu was threatened by the frequent floods caused by flooding of Minjiang River (a tributary of the Yangtze River). Qin governor, Li Bing, investigated the problem and discovered that the river was swelled by fast flowing spring melt-water from the local mountains that burst the banks when it reached the slow moving and heavily silted stretch below.

So he built three projects: Yuzui, just like a big fish lying in the Minjiang River, is a watershed dividing the river into two parts: inner river and outside river; Feisha Yan, is a spillway that diverts the sand and stones of the inner river into the outer river; Baoping Kou, like a neck of a bottle, is used to bring water into the inner river from Minjiang.

Recommended Dujiangyan Visiting Itinerary:
6 Days Chengdu Side Tours with Dujiangyan, Jiuzhaigou and Huanglong

3. Enjoy Jiuzhaigou and Huanglong Natural Landscape

Jiuzhaigou National Park

Jiuzhaigou (Jiuzhai Valley) is a major feature of the Sichuan Scenic Area, located in Nanping County, 280 miles to the north of Chengdu downtown. Its name literally means “Valley of Nine Villages” derived from the 9 ancient Tibetan villages that call it home. Jiuzhaigou’s landscape is made up of high-altitude karsts shaped by glacial, hydrological and tectonic activity.

Its best-known feature is its dozen of blue, green and turquoise-colored lakes. Jiuzhaigou's water has a high concentration of calcium carbonate, making it so clear that the bottom is often visible even at high depths. The lakes vary in color and aspect according to their depths, residues, and surroundings.

Huanglong national scenic area

Huanglong is located in the southeastern margin of the Qingzang Plateau and the northeastern of Sichuan Province. It is 394km away from Chengdu. Huanglong, referred to as “Se ercuo” in the Tibetan language, means “the golden lakes.” It is best known for its “seven marvels,” namely, colored pools, beach flows, waterfalls, Snow Mountains, fascinating canyons, forests and ancient temples.

4. Mountain Tour around Chengdu

Mount Qingcheng

It is a mountain in Dujiangyan, famous for the most important centre of Taoism in China. It includes Front Mountain and Latter Mountain. They have different landscapes. The Fron Mountain has more Taoism temple. The Latter Mountain has more beautiful mountains and clear waters.

Entrance fee: ￥90 (the front mountain); ￥ 20 (the latter mountain)
Open time: 08:30-17:00 (weekdays); 08:00-18:00 (weekends)
Bus: at Ximen Bus Station
Train: D train at Chengdu Railway Station

Leshan

Leshan was known as Jiazhou, meaning “the most beautiful landscape in all Sichuan Basion”. Leshan city is a renowned scenic resort as it has the “the biggest stone Buddha in the world” – Leshan Giant Buddha. Visit there; you will have a chance to cruise on Minjiang River to see Giant Buddha and the Reclining Buddha.

Recommended Leshan Itinerary:
5 Days Giant Panda Base, Mt. Emei Tour from Beijing

Mt. Emei

We can use many words to describe Mt. Emei, such as beautiful, ancient, towering and mysterious. Its highest peak is Jinding (Golden Summit), about 3079 meter above the sea level. At Jinding, you will see clouds sea, dazzling sunrise, Buddha rays and saint lamps. Other sites: Wannian Temple, Qingyin Pavilion and Thin strip of sky.

Xiling Snow-capped Mountain

It is located in the western of Chengdu, about 95 kilometers from Chengdu downtown. It is famous for its scenic beauty and mild climate. The Xiling Snow-capped Mountain Scenic Area consists of green mountains, snow-capped plateaus, steep peaks, amazing stones, spectacular waterfalls and exotic wildlife and animals.

The Xiling Snow Mountain is divided into the front mountain and the latter mountain . The latter mountain is better than the front mountain in terms of sceneries and for playing with the snow. It is a great leisure, holiday, summer resort and skiing tourist zone.

Entrance fee: ￥100
Open time: 07:00-17:50
Bus: take buses from Xinnanmen Bus Station and Jinsha Bus Station to the Xiling Snow Mountain

5. Visit Wuhou Temple and Jinli Ancient Street

Wuhou Temple

Wuhou Temple is the major shrine to Sichuan’s ancient Shu past and the heroes that made the Shu Kingdom legendary during the Three Kingdoms Period. It was built for memorizing Liu Bei and Zhuge Liang.

As a perfect example of Three Kingdoms' architecture, Wuhou Temple consists of five main buildings. They are respectively the front gate, the interior gate, the Hall for Emperor Liu Bei (Emperor of Shu Kingdom), the Hall for Zhuge Liang (the predominant talented military advisor and strategist of Emperor Liu Bei), the Huiling Mausoleum (the mausoleum of Emperor Liu Bei).

Recommended Wuhou Temp Itinerary:
1 Day Chengdu City Tour from Beijing

Jinli ancient street

It is a combination of ancient and modern life in Chengdu. Its many shops are built in China's traditional architectural styles, and it shows what life was like in ancient China. It is a wonderful place for visitors to relax, and perhaps do a little shopping after visiting the Wuhou Temple.

6. Sanxingdui Museum

The Sanxingdui Museum is located in the northeast of the Sanxingdui remains, near the Duck River. It is a modern theme museum which is 40 kilometers to the north of Chengdu.

The whole design of the museum is simple, but with a solemn style. The museum has become a place of cultural and tourist attractions enjoying prestige both at home and abroad and one of the three exquisite spots Sichuan has offered to the world tourism.

Entrance fee: ￥ 80
Open time: 8:30-18:00 (the first exhibition hall); 8:30-18:30 (the second exhibition hall)
Bus: take the Bus No. 6 to the Sanxingdui Museum

7. Go shopping in Chengdu’s famous street

Chengdu is a leisure city that you never want to leave once you arrived. You can buy any unique things in big streets and small alleys of Chengdu.

Chunxi Road

Chunxi Road is the favorite shopping area of many foreign tourists and local white-collar workers. It is the most representative, historic, and busy commercial pedestrian street. On Chunxi Road, you can buy Chinese dumplings, pork lungs in chili sauce and Korean steamed buns, and you can find fast food restaurants: KFC, McDonald’s, Pizza Hut, Haagen-Dazs, etc.

Jinli

Jinli is a folk street in Chengdu, close to Wuhou Temple. It is renowned as “the oldest and busiest commercial center in western Sichuan”. You can buy many artifacts of particular Chuanxi culture: blown sugar figurines, unique calligraphic styles, paper cutting, dough sculpture, and folk painting.

Songxianqiao Art City

Inside the Huanhua Cultural Scenic Area of Chengdu, it is known as the “the art centre of Chengdu” and “the Southwest’s 4th largest artwork market”. You want to known more about Chuanxi art culture, it is the first choice. You will find small museums and art galleries arranged in the high building.

Wuhou Temple Side Street

Local in the opposite of Wuhou Temple, it is a street that specializes in selling the Tibetan style products: Tibetan supplies, Tibetan jewelry, Tibetan food, Tibetan song books, ceremonial statues, and so on.

8. Eat special Chuanxi cuisine

Chuanxi cuisine is one of the most popular cuisines in China, and it is famous for its spicy-hot flavors, fragrant and various dishes. Dry-braising and dry-stewing are two special cooking methods particular in Chuanxi cuisine. Visitors can relish local dishes and snacks in Chengdu’s big streets and small alleys. The special Chuanxi dishes: Sichuan hot pot, Fuqi Fei Pian, Shui Zhu Niuyu, Gongbao Ji Ding, Yuanyang hot pot, and so on.

Sichuan Hot Pot

Sichuan Hot Pot, like most of the cuisine in that humid and populous province, is very spicy. The broth is flavored with chili peppers and other pungent herbs and spices.

Mapo Tofu (Mapo Bean Curd)

Mapo Bean Curd is bean curd set in a chili-and-bean based sauce, which is usually a thin, oily, and bright red suspension, and often topped with minced meat, usually pork or beef. Seasonings include water chestnuts, onions, other vegetables, or wood ear fungus. The taste of Mapo Bean Curd is fittingly described as numbing, spicy hot, fresh, tender and soft, aromatic and flaky.

Kung Pao Chicken (Spicy Diced Chicken)

Spicy Diced Chicken is cooked by frying diced chicken, dry red pepper and golden peanuts.

Fuqi Fei Pian (Husband and Wife Lung Slices)

Fuqi Fei Pian is made of thinly sliced beef, bovine lung or tongue seasoned with chili oil.