Chengdu Travel & Vacation Guide

Du Fu is one of the great poets who lived during the Tang dynasty, China's golden era. His haunting poetry is still being taught in schools today. This park is built around his cottage, and the temple is dedicated to him. Check out the intricate Bonsai trees, plants and Chinese paintings that adorn the place.

This great engineering project was constructed in 256 BC and still functions today. Logs, stones and bamboo cages were used to make a water conservancy, and this simple construction has been protecting the vast Chengdu Plain for over 2000 years. There are lots of traditional architecture in this historical area, among which, the An'lan suspension bridge is the most famous one.

This amusement park will surpass your expectations! Enjoy dizzy heights, sweet candy and fun houses, and spend a day to remember with your friends. Who‘s brave enough to go on the roller coaster? Who wants to take a selfie with the panda? Find out at Happy Valley!

Huanglongxi is an ancient village with a history of more than 1,700 years. Seven ancient streets, which were built during the Ming and Qing Dynasties, are well preserved. Walking through the street, you will find many historical civilian residences date back to the Ming and Qing Dynasties.

During the Shu Kingdom, Jinli Street was one of the busiest commercial areas and was known as 'First Street of the Shu Kingdom'. In order to reclaim its prosperity of former days, it was restored with contributions from the Wuhou Temple and has been open to the public since 2004. You can come here to enjoy a cup of tea and relax, visit the traditional buildings, as well as taste some local snacks.

The museum's treasures date back 3000 years including historical relics from the Sun and Immortal Bird gold decoration to gold mask and jade accessories. Exhibition in Jinsha awarded the Chinese Top Ten Excellent Exhibition, and you can experience the brilliance of Chengdu's history and splendour of the ancient kingdom here.

When in Chengdu, you can't miss the Leshan Giant Buddha, the largest and tallest stone Buddha statue in the world. Since 1996, the Mount Emei Scenic Area including Leshan Giant Buddha Scenic Area has been listed as the UNESCO World Heritage Site. Don't hesitate to explore the surrounding area by foot and enjoy the stunning presence of the tall sculpture. It's simply a must see.

If you're up for hiking in the fresh air, climbing Mount Qingcheng is the ideal activity for your trip to Chengdu. The mountain is the cradle Taoism and is considered sacred according to the Taoist culture. There are dozens of Taoist temple hides under the greenery, some abandoned, some are still prosperous.

Jellyfish is undoubtedly the best night club in Chengdu. It is popular, especially among Chengdu's expat community. With its energetic music and vibrant atmosphere, you are guaranteed to have a fantastic night out.

Jincheng Art Palace is one of the most famous theatres in Southwest China and an important venue for the city of Chengdu. They offer concerts, ballets, operas and dramas showing all year round and it seats up to 1450 people in its hexagonal amphitheater.

Little Bar is a famous rock-and-roll bar, and one of the top ten bars in China. The bar has hosted countless young singers who later became popular. One of 2018's greatest hits called "Chengdu" is dedicated to this little bar, and people from all around China come and visit, often forming lines out front.

Located in the classy Shangri-La Hotel, this cosy pub offers visitors a wide range of drinks and bites and incredible live music. Meet some new friends inside, mingle with the international crowd and dive into Chengdu's nightlife. With good food like Sichuan Lamb Shanks, this will be a night to remember.

You are going to be astonished by this magical folk show. Face changing, rolling light and hand shadowgraph, every performance would win your applause. Enjoy the Sichuan 1000-year cultural banquet in just one night. It performs change regularly, so check show times beforehand.

The Hongqi Chain Store on Gaoshengqiao Road has a substantial range of Chinese and western favourites like sausages, preserved hams, smoked ducks, jersey, Sichuan liquor and dried tofu. You will find everything here, and its the best place to find some local product to take home.

The 350m long old-style alley has mansions, shops, inns, tea houses, restaurants and an old stage. Be sure to buy some souvenirs and try some snacks at the end of Jinli, those great numbingly spicy Sichuanese foods.

Kowloon Plaza consists of almost every item of clothing, food and electronics that you would wish for. You will find a great offer of different stores with low prices, and it will be fun if you get a bargain.

Song Xian Qiao Art City is a great place for gifts, souvenirs and local craft. Browse through antiques, find beautiful calligraphy art or purchase some traditional Chinese style artwork. You won't leave Song Xian Qiao Art City empty-handed.

One of the best places to buy quality tea is Ten Fu's. From bitter to sweet you will find all kinds of tea such as oolong tea, green tea, black tea, puér tea and jasmine tea. Bring home some tea bags, some tea snacks or purchase one of the lovely teapots as souvenir could always be a good idea.

Tianfu Square features huge water fountains that are especially beautiful to visit during night times. The light installations and water spectacles are nice to look at while taking a stroll in the area. The square hosts some famous department stores like Pacific, Wangfujing, Seibu or Ito Yokado and below the place you can also find a big shopping center.

The best periods to visit Chengdu are from March to May, and September to November. Spring weather in Chengdu often begins early, starting in March, and lasts until early May. As the temperature rises, colourful flowers bloom one after another. It is the best time to see the peach blossom at Longquan Mountain and the cuckoo at Wawu Mountain. Autumn usually starts from September and lasts till the end of October or early November. The temperature drops quickly, and there may be a lot of rain. It's best to pack long-sleeved shirts and thin overcoats, plus a thin sweater.

Chengdu is one of the Chinese cities that supports the 72-hour transit visa on arrival program, which means that selected nationalities (all citizens of the European Union, as well as several other countries including Albania, Argentina, Australia, Belarus, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Iceland, Japan, Macedonia, Mexico, Monaco, Montenegro, New Zealand, Qatar, Russia, South Korea, Switzerland, Ukraine, and United States) are eligible for a transit visa. For longer stays, a visa must be pre-arranged in advance, so consult your local embassy for details. You must bring your passport at all times, and all hotels will insist on seeing it for check-in. It is now mandatory to present your passport when buying train tickets or using internet cafes that accept foreigners.

Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport locates 17 km from Chengdu city. The 303 Airport Express leaves every 20 minutes between 6:30 am and 8:00 pm. Its 30-minute ride takes you to the Minshan Hotel downtown, opposite the Jinjiang Hotel.

Metro Most metros run between 6:00 AM and 11:00 PM. Tickets can be bought from the ticket machines on site. Chengdu metro has six lines, and eight more will be completed in the future. Bus Most buses run between 6:30 AM and 9:00 PM. But the public bus system may be a little difficult for those who can’t speak Chinese.

It's convenient and simple to travel by taxi in Chengdu. Just flag down the coming taxi or ask the reception desk at the hotel to hire. Taxis take an extra fee between 10:00 PM and 6:00 AM. It is advisable to show the destination in Chinese to the driver. You can also use taxi hailing services with WeChat or Alipay (like the Chinese version of Uber).

220 V, 50 Hz Adaptor needed

Due to the Internet policy of China, certain websites and applications are not accessible from the mainland, which includes those very commonly used in the west (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Google, Skype and more). Some travellers have been able to gain access to those via a VPN service (installed prior to arrival in China). Make sure you comply with local laws and regulations when deciding on whether or not to employ a VPN, and which one to choose (if you do, only use those explicitly allowed by the Chinese government, and only use them for authorised purposes to avoid any trouble). There have been reports of foreigners in China getting their cell service cut off in response to unauthorised use of VPN being detected; restoring cell service required a trip to the local police station where contents of the device were investigated and certain apps removed. Giving that Google is banned in China, Google Maps might not be the most accurate and reliable source of information. Some local apps such as Baidu Maps and AutoNavi tend to work better than Google Maps.

West China Hospital SCU is China's largest and most well-regarded hospital among all. Foreigners should visit the Sichuan International Hospital where doctors and some staffs speak English.