Here’s a movie about Chengdu. This movie will give you a quick impression of the destination. The movie is produced for IFLYtheworld.com by bluepig.nl.
IFLY tips
Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding (3 hrs)
The Giant Panda Museum, along with satellite museums in the Research Center and Panda Hospital provides 7,000 m2 of educational space to foreign and domestic visitors. You can walk around in the nature. You’ll get a map of the park with explanation in English. The entrance fee is 58 Yuan per person. You can take a picture with a real panda if you like. It’s expensive, 1000Yuan, but every penny goes to the breeding centre.
The centre is located at No.26, Panda Road, Northern Suburb, Chengdu. The easiest way to go there is by taxi. Here you can get more information about the park.
Chengdu by bike (½ day - 1 week)
Bike China organises several bike tours, through whole China, even to Tibet. But if you like to start ‘light’ and like to discover just Chengdu, go for the Chengdu 1-day cycling tour. During the tour you will visit both the new and the old city and the countryside. A stop at the Museum of Industry is also included.
A tour costs between $20 and $30 depending on the amount of bikers. You can rent a bike only as well and bike around yourself. But we suggest you take a guided tour as the guides know the most beautiful places in the city.
Click here for more information about this tour and the other options of Bike China.
Computer City (2 hrs)
If you like to buy anything electronic, you have to go to Computer City, which extends the entire way between Kehua Beilu and Renmin Nanlu on the south 1st ring road.
At either end of the street there are large electronics department stores selling absolutely anything having to do with computers, cameras, and cell phones. All along the street in between the large department stores are smaller shops, which specialize in different aspects of electronics.
Shu Ma department store is six floors jampacked with electronics. Intense competition makes it a good place to shop around for good deals on all kinds of electronics. For sure you have to bargain a lot.
The first two floors have computers, laptops, hard drives, and cell phones. The 3rd floor features cameras, while the 4th floor is the best place in town to shop for cheap DVDs.
Shu Ma Guang Chang is located at the junction of the south 1st ring road and Renmin Nanlu. It is on the southeast corner and it is impossible to miss the throngs of people constantly streaming in and out. The opening hours are daily from 9 am to 6 pm.
Giant Buddha Leshan (1 day)
A great thing to see is the Giant Buddha at Leshan, 2,5 hours drive outside Chengdu. You can go there by express bus from Xin Nan Men bus station in the centre of Chengdu. A bus ticket will cost you 50 Yuan.
The Leshan Giant Buddha was built during the Tang Dynasty (618–907). It is carved out of a cliff face that lies at the confluence of the Minjiang, Dadu and Qingyi rivers in the southern part of Sichuan province in China, near the city of Leshan. It’s the largest sitting Buddha with 71 meters.
The opening hours are from 9 am to 5 pm. The admission fee is 90 Yuan. You can also take a boat tour on the river along the statue, this will cost another 70 Yuan. In summer when it’s very sunny we suggest you do this in the afternoon, for better light conditions to take pictures.
Huanglongxi Ancient town (1 day)
The Qing Dynasty style buildings here are well preserved and attract many filmmakers to shoot exterior views. It has become well known for old temples in like Zhenjiang Temple, Chaoyin Temple and Gulong Temple. The typical streets and and courtyards from ancient Sichuan are very attractive.
For 20 Yuan you can take a boat as well at the Huang Long Xi River. The boat will bring you to a monastery with a giant Buddha. The boat tour, including visit to the temple will take about an hour.
There are many organized tours but they will charge you about 300 to 500 Yuan. A good way to go there yourself from Chengdu is by bus. You can take a bus from Xin Nan Men bus station in the centre of Chengdu. The bus ride is approximately one hour and costs only 10 Yuan and the entrance to the village is free. The bus goes directly to Huang Long Xi. From there you can easily take a bus back to Xin Nan Men. The tour is best done as a day trip. Leave early morning and come back in the afternoon.
Tibetan Market (2 hrs)
If you’re not going to Tibet (which borders the Sichuan province) but still like the Tibetan arts and souvenirs, head for the Tibetan Market in Chengdu. All kinds of Tibetan trinkets are sold at this market in front of the Wuhou Temple in the southwestern part of the city.
It is the neighborhood really opposite Wuhou Temple. In this area are many shops and restaurants where you can try a little bit of Tibet. You will see people in traditional clothes and see loads of Tibetan stuff. But it’s only a preview of course. If you like the real thing, go to Tibet!
Emei Mountain (1 day)
If you go to Leshan Buddha, you could make your trip a combination with Emei Mountain. This is only half an hour drive by bus from Leshan Buddha.
The mountain is, with its 3000 metres, the highest of the Four Sacred Buddhist Mountains of China. Emei is a mountain with over 60 temples and monasteries.
The mountain's history has been recorded for over 2000 years, during which time a rich Buddhist cultural heritage has accumulated. Atop the Golden Summit, which is 3,099 meters high, one can enjoy the sunrise, seas of clouds, the Buddha's halo and the sunset glow. On a clear day, for sure you will get some breathtaking views.
Wenshu Monastery (1-2 hrs)
Wenshu Monastery, located at 15 Wenshu Yuan Street north of the city centre, is the best-preserved Buddhist temple in Chengdu.
Cultural relics are the highlights of Wenshu Monastery. Since the Tang and Song dynasties, over 500 pieces of painting and calligraphy by celebrities have been stored here. In the Sutra-Preservation Pavilion, many famous handwriting exhibits, paintings, and artwork are restored.
In addition to its cultural relics, Wenshu Monastery is famous for its exquisite garden and solemn halls. Tourists and locals can enjoy tea in the Tea House while listening to music by folk artists. There’s also a vegetarian restaurant.
The entrance fee is 5 Yuan. The opening hours are from 8 am to 6 pm. It is allowed to take pictures, but have respect for the monks living inside the monastery.
Famous old Chinese street Kuan Zhai Xiang Zi (2 hrs)
Kuan Zhai Xiang Zi Alley also called ‘China Lane’ is a characteristic old Chinese commercial street that was restored and now is a trendy pedestrian alley.
There are many nice boutiques, bars and restaurants, where you can spend your time during the day or at nighttime. It is a very relaxing area because it's one of the few places in Chengdu where cars and motorbikes are not allowed.
Best way to go there is by taxi. Have someone written it on a note and show it to the driver. They will all know where to go. It is also in walking distance of People’s Park (the area is between Jin He Lu and Changshun Middle Street).
Jin Li Street (2 hrs)
It is located in the south of the centre, next to the famous Wuhou temple at Wuhouci Street and opposite the Tibetan Market.
It’s also possible to visit Wuhou temple, but that one is less impressive as Wenshu Temple and the entrance fee is 60 Yuan.
People’s Park (2-3 hrs)
Often this park is home to many festivities and activities. You can walk around in the park or rent a rowing boat, but the most important thing to do is drink your tea at one of the teahouses in this park.
It’s great to have your tea like the locals do. Pick your choice of tea, take a bamboo seat and with your thermos you can poor yourself a tea over and over again while you enjoy the view on a pond, beautiful garden and hundreds of Chinese enjoying their tea. And if you really want to act like a local, you should play cards or Mahjong at the table.
The entrance to the park is free. The opening hours are from 6.30 am to 10 pm, but best time to go there is in the afternoon. You can enter the park from Jin He Lu street. It is also in walking distance of Kuan Zhai Xiang Zi Alley.
Golden Lotus market (1-3 hrs)
You will find about anything here, paintings, decorations, clothes, shoes, jewellery, household stuff and a lot more. The area of Chengdu is known for its production of shoes, but beware. The best quality shoes are exported. So you can find cheap shoes, but not the best quality.
It is located in the north part of the city between the first and the second Ring Road, nearby North train station.
Chinese Theatre (1½ hr)
The show is a mix of Chinese music, Chinese dance, Sichuan opera, puppet show, comedy opera, hand shadow show, spitting fire and the world famous Changing faces.
Jinjiang Stage is located at 54 Huaxing Zheng Street, nearby Chunxi walking street in the heart of the centre. There is a daily show at 8 pm to 9.30. There are three different types of tickets: 260 Yuan for a VIP-ticket, 180 Yuan for an A-ticket and 120 Yuan for a B-ticket. But we suggest a VIP-ticket so you can see it all very well, especially the changing faces.
Reservations can be made by phone: 028-86620019 or 028-86610320
Common travel tip:
It's easy to walk around in Chengdu. Public transportation is a bit hard to use if you can’t read Chinese. Only busses for long distance are useful.
In Chengdu it's cheap to take a taxi, but make sure you have a map or note with your destination written in Chinese to show to the driver. Otherwise you might not arrive at your destination.
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Language of the world
Of course you like to speak a few words of the local language onboard the plane or at your destination. Here you find some simple basics of the main language spoken in Chengdu.