Chengdu

Chengdu is the capital of Sichuan, home of the giant pandas, spicy food and a very relaxed way of life. Locals call it the Land of Abundance. We took the high-speed train from Xi'an on the morning of 6 August 2025, arrived at the end of the morning and had one day before leaving early for Guilin.

Where to Sleep?

We stayed at Sonderia Hostel & Bar (Lazybones Hostel) and paid €28.

1. Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding

The main reason to come to Chengdu. The base looks after dozens of giant pandas and red pandas in a huge park full of bamboo. Pandas are most active in the morning, especially at feeding time.

Tickets were ¥55 per person and can be booked seven days in advance (we bought ours on Trip.com). There is a morning entry from 7.30am to noon and an afternoon entry from noon to 5pm, and the park closes at 6pm. Allow two to three hours.

2. Qingyang Palace

The largest Taoist temple in Chengdu, in the west of the city, close to Wuhou Temple and Du Fu Thatched Cottage. Open from 9am to 6pm. Tickets were ¥10.

3. People's Park

Also called Renmin Park, this is where Chengdu comes to relax, with areas for singing, dancing and calligraphy. The must-do is to order a cup of tea and do nothing at all, just like the locals. Heming Teahouse is the oldest and most famous, almost a hundred years old. You can also play mahjong, try a traditional ear cleaning, and snack on Zhong dumplings.

Entrance is free. Open from 6am to 10.30pm in summer.

4. Wuhou Temple

A shrine dedicated to the heroes of the Three Kingdoms period, with halls arranged along a north-south axis. Open from 8am to 6pm. Tickets were ¥50.

5. Jinli Ancient Street

Right next to Wuhou Temple, a pedestrian street that recreates old Chengdu, with restaurants, souvenir shops, mask shows and lots of Sichuan street food to eat as you walk. Come back after dark, when the red lanterns are lit.

6. Wenshu Monastery

One of the largest Zen temples in China, with a lovely street around it. Free to enter, open from 6am to 7pm.

Chengdu at night

Wide and Narrow Alleys

Kuanzhai Xiangzi is what remains of the old town: three parallel streets, the Wide Alley, the Narrow Alley and the Well Alley, full of traditional architecture. At night it turns into a stylish bar district.

Anshun Bridge

A covered bridge over the river that looks amazing lit up at night. It is a replica of the original from 1746, which was destroyed by floods.

Jinli at night

If you saw Jinli during the day, it is worth coming back for the lanterns.

If you have more time

• Sichuan Opera: more cabaret than opera, with fire-breathing and the famous face-changing masks.
• Tianfu Square: a huge square with a statue of Chairman Mao, surrounded by skyscrapers.
• West Pearl Tower: 339 metres tall, with an observation deck and a revolving restaurant.
• New Century Global Center: one of the biggest buildings in the world.