The essentials
- Pandas — go to Dujiangyan Panda Base, not the Chengdu one. Same pandas, one-tenth the crowds. Arrive at opening (8:30) — they sleep by 10.
- Sichuan hot pot — Shu Jiu Xiang for the queue-worth experience; Hai Di Lao for the safe bet. Order the half-spicy ("yuanyang") pot.
- People's Park — Heming Tea House. ¥20 for bottomless tea, mahjong, ear-cleaners with tuning forks.
- Wenshu Monastery — working Buddhist temple with the city's best vegetarian lunch.
Food beyond hot pot
- Mapo tofu at Chen Mapo Tofu (the original, 1862).
- Dan dan noodles — every street stall. ¥10.
- Kung pao chicken — at Yu's Family Kitchen if you want the haute version.
- Skewers (chuan'r) — anywhere in Yulin or Jiuyanqiao after 10pm.
Day trips
- Leshan Giant Buddha — 1 hr HSR. World's largest stone Buddha, carved into a cliff. Half day.
- Mount Emei — 1.5 hr HSR. Sacred Buddhist mountain; stay overnight at a monastery if you can.
- Jiuzhaigou — turquoise lakes, but it's a flight away. Worth it in October.
Where to stay
- Chunxi Road — downtown, shopping, easy metro.
- Kuanzhai Alley area — restored Qing-era lanes, atmospheric, walking distance to People's Park.
- Taikoo Li — luxury hotels (Temple House, Niccolo) next to a glass-and-tile shopping district.
Getting in
Chengdu Tianfu Airport (TFU) has direct flights from most of Europe and Asia. HSR connects you in 3 hrs to Xi'an and onward to Beijing, or south to Guilin in 6–7 hrs. Alipay works at the metro gate. Most taxi rides under $4.
Next
Chengdu is day 6–7 of the 14-day classic loop. Pair with Shanghai on the way out and you've seen China's two best food cities.