Chengdu, pandas
and plenty of chilli
Chengdu is China's most relaxed big city: you go to see pandas, you eat better than almost anywhere else, and you finish the day in a teahouse with no rush at all.
Chengdu has two unmissable draws: the giant panda research base, the best place in the world to see them up close, and a cuisine that has conquered the planet. Everything else — teahouses, temples, restored lanes — is the icing.
It's also the natural starting point for the Yangtze cruise and the gateway to the south-west: Leshan, Emei, Jiuzhaigou.
What to see
Giant Panda Research Base
Twenty minutes from the city. The key is to arrive at 07:30, when they're fed and active; by midday they sleep. There are red pandas too.
People's Park teahouse
Bamboo tables, porcelain teapots and locals playing mahjong. The best introduction to everyday Chinese life.
Wenshu Monastery and the street around it
Working temples with incense and an antiques market; nearby is the city's best street-food zone.
Kuanzhai Xiangzi and Taikoo Li
Restored Qing lanes beside the most modern shopping district. Shopping, bars and mixed architecture.
Leshan Giant Buddha
2.5 hours from Chengdu: a 71 m figure carved into the cliff above two rivers. Spectacular, and busy.
Mount Emei
A sacred Buddhist mountain with a cable car to the summit and temples in the mist. A long day trip, or stay overnight on the mountain.
How to split your days
Chengdu works in two days if pandas and food are the goal. With three, add Leshan or Emei.
- Day 1 — Pandas first thing, People's Park teahouse, Kuanzhai Xiangzi.
- Day 2 — Wenshu Monastery, the surrounding lanes and a Sichuan opera face-changing show.
- Day 3 (optional) — Leshan Buddha or Mount Emei.
Eating in Sichuan
Hotpot is the essential experience, and you can order it mild. Then: mapo doufu, dan dan mian, stuffed guokui, hong you chao shou and the original kung pao chicken, far less sweet than the version served abroad.
- Hotpot — order the mild 'yuanyang' split pot to start.
- Street stalls — dan dan mian and hong you chao shou for a few yuan.
- Teahouse — snacks and endless refills, the local way to pause.
- Vegetarian — easy here; just say 'bu yao la' (no chilli) clearly.
Chengdu and the Yangtze cruise
From Chengdu you reach Chongqing by train in 1.5 hours, and that's where the three-night Three Gorges cruises begin. It's the most common combination for a first long trip.
- Pandas: be at the gate at 07:30. By 11:00 there's nothing to see.
- Hotpot leaves oil vapour on your clothes — don't wear anything you care about.
- Leshan gets long queues; book ahead and start very early.
- Chengdu is a good place to buy tea, cheaper than in the big coastal cities.
Frequently asked questions
How long do I need for the pandas?
Is it hard to eat without chilli?
Chengdu or Chongqing?
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