What to see in Chengdu: A Complete Guide to Must See Attractions in Chengdu

Chengdu is one of the thriving metropolitan cities of China. Balancing perfectly between leisure and business, people of Chengdu live life in a relaxed manner compared to other cities. It is the capital of Sichuan and is one of the populous cities in western China. The city has a huge population of students and expats which contribute to the laidback culture of the city. Among tourists, it is famous for its panda base and serves as a transit city for interior parts of China.

Chengdu has so much more to offer, there are plenty of tourist attractions, an amazing nightlife, rich historical buildings, culinary goodness, and natural beauty. Here is a comprehensive guide to places that you must visit in Chengdu.

Close contact with Giant Pandas

Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding

Giant Pandas are the national treasure of China. The panda research bases in China have worked hard on bringing back these beautiful and fun creatures back from the brink of extinction. Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding is located just 10kms from the downtown and is easily accessible by metro. The entry ticket costs about CNY60 and the best time to visit is between 6:00am and 8:00am as it is active feeding time for the pandas. There is also sightseeing bus inside the scenic area for which the ticket costs about CNY10.

>1-day Chengdu Highlights Tour with Panda Base

>3-Day Chengdu Highlights & Giant Panda Tour

Dujiangyan Panda Base

was established in 2014 and a panda volunteer program. In the program you will be allowed to feed the pandas, clean their habitat, wash them, and visit the research centre to learn more about them. The volunteering program costs about CNY700 per day and you can take pictures with panda here. It is located 56kms from Chengdu at Mt. Qingcheng town. You have to book for volunteer program in advance as there are only limited slots per day.

>1-Day Dujiangyan Panda Volunteer Tour from Chengdu

>2 Days Dujiangyan Panda Tour

Chengdu Historical Museums

Jinsha Site Museum

Jinsha is an archaeological site in the Qingyang District of Chengdu. A massive archaeological discovery was made here in the year 2001. Many relics belonging to Shu Kingdom was unearthed here. The entry ticket is CNY80 per person. The museum has four parts: Relics Hall, Exhibition Hall, Cultural Heritage Protection Centre, and a beautiful Ecological Garden. It is accessible by public bus and metro line 7. There are more than 6000 relics here and it takes about 2-3 hours to see everything here.

Sanxingdui Museum

Located 40kms from Chengdu city, this museum was opened in the year 1997. This museum has exhibits of relics of Shu Kingdom. The most famous relics are the bronze sculpted masks. Most of the relics here were unearthed from the Three Star Piles archaeological site throughout the 20th century. The entry ticket is CNY80 person and it takes about 2-3 hours to see everything here.There are direct public buses to this museum, you can also hire a car if you don’t want to use public transport.

>1-Day Chengdu Panda & Guanghan Sanxingdui Tour

Du Fu Thatched Cottage

Du Fu Thatched was once the residence of the great poet Du Fu. Today, it is a museum and a park located just 5kms from the Tianfu Square. It was renovated twice and became famous for the ancient architecture and its peaceful garden in the middle of the buzzing city. The entry ticket is CNY60. Hall of Historic Poetry, Gongbu Temple, Shoaling Thatched Cottage Tablet Pavilion, Thatched Cottage, Ruins of Tang Dynasty, Wanfo Pagoda, and Flowery Path are the highlights of this place.

Wuhou Memorial Temple

Wuhou Temple is located in the downtown Chengdu and is one of the most popular attractions in Chengdu. It was built to memorialize the significant figures of the Three Kingdoms Period. Triple success stele, Temple of Liu Bei, Temple of Zhuge Liang, Sanye Temple, Tomb of Liu Bei are the highlights of this place. The entry ticket of this temple is CNY50 for adults and CNY25 for teenagers.

UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Chengdu

Jiuzhaigou Valley

Located in between Sichuan and Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, is the god’s given beauty Jiuzhaigou valley. It is famous for its breath-taking views. Multi-level falls, colourful trees, pristine lakes, blue-green waters, snow-covered mountains are some of the views you can see here. There are three valleys in this national park: Rize Valley, Zechawa Valley, Shuzeng Valley. Each valley can be explored by feet or by shuttle bus. There are beautiful sites in each valley. The best time to visit is April, May, September, and October.

>3 Days Jiuzhaigou Valley & Huanglong National Park Local Tour

>4 Days Overland Tour from Chengdu to Jiuzhaigou & Huanglong National Park

Dujiangyan Irrigation System

Located 60kms from Chengdu, this functional irrigation system is at least 2,000yrs old. It is an engineering marvel that still waters 5,300kms of the region and provides water for more than 50 towns in the region. This irrigation system is the oldest functioning and surviving no-dam irrigation system in the world. It was originally built for flood control and irrigation in the Min River area. The entrance ticket is CNY80 and you can get here by bullet trains from Chengdu Railway Station.

>1-Day Dujiangyan & Qingchengshan Tour

>5 Day Chengdu Dujiangyan Highlights Tour with One Day Panda Base Volunteer

Mt Emei

Mt Emei, located 170kms from Chengdu is one of the four sacred Buddhist Mountains of China. You can do one-day or two-day treks arranged in Mt Emei. The mountain is graced with beautiful temples, lakes and amazing views. The distance from the foot of the mountain to summit is 60km. Wannian Temple, Golden Buddha, Elephant Watching Pool, White Dragon Cave, Golden Summit, and Baoguo Temple are the highlights. May, April, and October are the best to trek this mountain.

>2 Days Classic Leshan & Emeishan Tour

>5-Day Chengdu Leshan Emeishan Tour

Mt Qingcheng

Located 68kms from downtown Chengdu, Mt Qingcheng is known to be the cradle of Taoism. The mountain is peppered with many Taoist temples and beautiful scenery. You can reach here by a direct train from Chengdu and explore by foot or go to the peak in cable car. Both the sides of the mountain—front and back can be explored and has many attractions. Frontside attractions: Jianfu Palace, Laojun Pavilion, Shangqing Palace, Tianshi Cave. Backside attractions: Shengmu Cave, Five Dragon Ditch, Cliffside Spring Grove, TaianAnceint Town, Baizhang Bridge.

> 1 Day Chengdu Panda and Qingchengshan Tour

>3 Days Leshan Emeishan Qingchengshan Dujiangyan Tour

Huanglong National Park

Located in the Songpan County, this valley is a visual feast with stunningly coloured ponds and waterfalls. You can explore the valley by foot and cable car. It is famous for its travertine formations all around valley. Feipuliuhiu (glowing waterfall), Yingbin Pool, Washing Cave, Miniascape Pool, Muni Valley Scenic Area, Danyun Gorge, Mount Xueboading are the attractions here. The best time to visit are June, July, August and October as that’s when the valley has a lot of water. You can take a direct bus from Chengdu to reach here.

Leshan Giant Buddha

Located in Leshan City, this Giant Buddha statue is 233ft high. It is sculpted in the cliff of Xijao Hill facing the merging point of Dadu and Minjiang Rivers. It was constructed according to the idea of Monk Hai Tong, who hoped that this statue would calm the turbulent rivers. The entry fee is CNY 80 and you can get here from Chengdu by bus or train. This project took 90 years to complete. The architectural and meticulous details of this statue would be a shame to miss.

> Panda, Giant Buddha Day Tour

>Giant Panda, Giant Buddha & Mt. Emei, High Speed Bullet Train 2 days Tour

Satisfy Your Taste Buds

Hotpot

Chinese Hotpot, famously known as fondue, is one of the popular meals in China. It is not just a meal for them, it is a way of socializing. With a history spanning 1,000 years, the hotpots differ according to regions. Sichuan Hotpot is known for its mind-numbing spiciness. You can find one hotpot place in almost every street in Chengdu. Shujiuxiang Hot Pot Restaurant, Xiaolongkan Old Hot Pot, HuangchengLaoma Hot Pot are some of the famous hotpot restaurants in Chengdu.

Sichuan Cuisine

Sichuan cuisine is known for its strong Sichuan pepper and garlic flavours. It is famous all around the globe and what best way to enjoy the authentic cuisine than having them in its motherland. Since Sichuan is a high humid and rainy region, people started making spicy food to benefit the body. Some of the famous Sichuan cuisine dishes are Mapo Tofu, Kung Pao Chicken,FuqiFeiPian,DandanMian, Dry Stir-Fried Green Beans, and Sichuan Hotpot. The best Sichuan food is found in Chengdu and Chongqing.

>1-Day Chegndu Food Tour to Sichuan Cuisine Museum

Street Food

In any country, any city, street food is the heart and soul of the city. Chengdu is the ultimate destination in China for all the foodies out there. Street food is a thriving artform in this city. Deep fried meat pie, sweet water noodles, Liang Fen, spring rolls, green bean noodles etc. are some of the famous street foods in Chengdu. Kuanzhai Alleys and Jinli Pedestrian Street are some of the streets where you can eat amazing street food. There might not be enough space or the conditions of the shop might not be the best, it is more often crowded, but worry not, it is all worth the yummy food you will get to eat.

Experience Chengdu Culture

Chengdu Tea Culture

The good old teahouse tea culture is something tourists must experience in China. There are high class tea houses, outdoor tea houses, small teahouses, cosy teahouses, there is simply no dearth of teahouses or types of teahouses in Chengdu. It is almost a ritual for many people, teahouses are a place to discuss anything and everything in Chengdu. Some of the classic and time-honoured teahouses in Chengdu are Heming Teahouse, Yuelai Teahouse, Shunxing Teahouse etc.

>2-Day Chengdu Highlights and Leshan Buddha Tour

Sichuan Opera

Native to the Sichuan region, Sichuan Opera originated during Qing Dynasty and ever since China has preserved and evolved this engaging artform. Face changing masks, fire breathing, puppet shows, and extravagant costumes are some of the features of Sichuan Opera. They enhance the Chinese culture and at the same time keep you entertained. There are many opera houses in Chengdu, some of the famous ones are ShufengYayun Garden, Sichuan Opera theatre and Fu Rong Guo Cui. The ticket prices range from CNY100- CNY350. The show usually starts late evening and runs for approximately 90 minutes.

Mahjong

Mahjong is one of the local favourite outdoor pursuits in Chengdu. In public parks, in teahouses, in homes—you can hear the sounds of Mahjong Tiles clicking away. It is mostly the older generation that enjoy this ritual. Playing Mahjong is intertwined in the very fabric of Chengdu’s laidback local culture. Wangjiang Park, Baihuatan Park etc are some of the places you can find locals playing Mahjong. Try to learn the basics of Mahjong and try to score a game with the locals for fun.

These are some of the things you can enjoy and do and experience in Chengdu. It is much more than a transit city. It is a city where you can slowdown and immerse yourself in a rich culture. Get in touch with us for more information about things to do and what to see in Chengdu. Trust us, there is plenty.