chengdu
Giant pandas, legendary hotpot, and a laid-back café culture that makes every visitor want to move here
Top Highlights
- 1 Giant Panda Base
- 2 Jinli Ancient Street
- 3 Kuanzhai Alley
- 4 Leshan Giant Buddha
- 5 Sichuan Opera
Visa & Entry
Visa required (most nationalities)
Check your nationality's eligibility for visa-free entry or the 144-hour transit exemption. Most visitors from Western countries need a standard tourist (L) visa.
Full visa guideBest Time to Visit
Mar–Jun & Sep–Nov
Suggested stay: 3–5 days. Avoid the Golden Week holiday (1–7 October) and Spring Festival (Jan/Feb) — crowds are enormous and prices peak.
Seasonal travel guideNearby destinations
30 articles — page 4 of 5
All destinations
chengdu3 Days in Chengdu: Pandas, Hotpot & Beyond the Tourist Trail
A 3-day Chengdu itinerary — morning at the Giant Panda Base, afternoon at the Jinli Ancient Street, a day trip to Leshan Giant Buddha, and how to eat Sichuan food without burning your mouth off. Practical metro and transport info included.
Updated May 2026
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chengduWhere to Stay in Chengdu 2026: Best Areas & Hotels from Budget to Luxury
Chengdu accommodation guide — Jinjiang District for traditional atmosphere near Jinli and Wuhou Shrine, Tianfu Square for central convenience, the Chunxi Road/Taikoo Li area for design hotels. Specific hotel and hostel recommendations for budget (¥150-350/night), mid-range (¥400-900/night), and luxury (¥1200+/night). Chengdu offers great value vs Beijing.
Updated May 2026
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chengduChengdu Food Beyond Hotpot 2026: Mapo Tofu, Dan Dan Mian & Sichuan Street Snacks
Chengdu's food scene beyond the famous hotpot — mapo tofu (麻婆豆腐), dan dan mian noodles, Zhong's dumplings (钟水饺), twice-cooked pork (回锅肉), fuqi feipian cold offal salad, and the street snack culture around Kuanzhai Alley. Which dishes are genuinely spicy and which just look intimidating.
Updated May 2026
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chengduChengdu Nightlife Guide 2026: Craft Beer, Midnight Hotpot & the Jiuyanqiao Bar Strip
Chengdu's laid-back nightlife — the Jiuyanqiao bar strip, White Rabbit and Panda Brew for craft beer, the Taikoo Li rooftop options, the extraordinary midnight hotpot culture (eating spicy food at 2am is completely normal and recommended), and why Chengdu's going-out scene is more relaxed and less status-conscious than Beijing or Shanghai.
Updated May 2026
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chengduSanxingdui Museum Chengdu Guide 2026: The Bronze Age Mystery That Shocked Archaeologists
Sanxingdui Museum houses one of the most extraordinary archaeological discoveries in history — a sophisticated Bronze Age civilisation in Sichuan entirely outside known Chinese historical records. This 2026 guide covers the new museum building, the mind-bending bronze collection, how to get there from Chengdu, ticket prices, and why this site is unmissable for visitors to China.
Updated May 2026
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Chengdu Tianfu & Shuangliu Airport Guide 2026: Two Airports, Getting to the City
Chengdu now has two international airports — Shuangliu (CTU, traditional international hub) and the new Tianfu International Airport (TFU, opened 2021, one of the world's largest). How to know which airport your flight uses, metro access from both, and getting to Chengdu city center.
Updated May 2026
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