The laid-back capital of Sichuan: pandas, teahouses, and mouth-numbing hotpot. Budget 2–3 days.
The Giant Pandas
- Chengdu Research Base — arrive at the 7:30am opening; pandas are active in the morning and snooze by noon. Metro Line 3 to Panda Avenue, then shuttle
- Allow 3–4 hours; the nursery with baby pandas (autumn) is the highlight
City life
- People's Park — grab a bamboo chair at Heming Teahouse, order jasmine tea, get your ears cleaned (yes, really), and watch Chengdu slow life
- Kuanzhai Alleys — restored Qing lanes, touristy but pleasant
- Jinli Street — snack street next to Wuhou Shrine, best at night under lanterns
- Sichuan Opera — the face-changing (bianlian) show is genuinely amazing; book at Shufeng Yayun teahouse
Eat
Hotpot (order the yin-yang pot if you can't handle full spice), mapo tofu, dan dan noodles, rabbit heads (adventurous), and the endless skewer shops. Chengdu is a UNESCO City of Gastronomy for a reason.
Day trips
- Leshan Giant Buddha — 71m carved into a cliff; 1h by train, half-day
- Dujiangyan — 2,300-year-old irrigation system plus a panda volunteer base
- Jiuzhaigou — unreal turquoise lakes; now reachable by high-speed rail (1.5h to the station), worth 2 days
Practical
Stay near Chunxi Road or Kuanzhai Alley. Chengdu is the launchpad for Tibet and western Sichuan — permits needed for Tibet, none for Sichuan's own Tibetan regions.