If you already have your route through China organized and you need to know what to see in Chengdu, we are here to help you! This city, in addition to being the capital of the sichuan province and one of the most populated cities in China, it is visited for two main reasons. First, because here is the Giant Panda Research and Breeding Center. And second, because very close is the Great Giant Buddha of Leshan, the largest stone carving in the world. Below, we share a guide on the Chengdu essentials, as well as everything you need to organize your visit to the Chengdu Panda Center and Leshan Buddha. Here we go!
What to see and do in Chengdu, China
As we said at the beginning, travelers who visit Chengdu do so mainly for two reasons: the pandas and the Great Buddha. However, stick with this one. list of all the plans to do in Chengdu, as well as the tips on how to get there, where to stay, etc. that we share with you at the end so that this part of your trip to China is a success. We also have video! Now, take note that we start the route.
1) Go to the Panda Bear Conservation Center, essential things to see in Chengdu
It is well known that one of the main attractions to see in Chengdu is Chengdu Giant Panda Recovery Center. This place is perfect to learn about these adorable animals and the conservation efforts that are taking place. Here, you can see pandas in their "natural habitat", baby pandas and also red pandas. We highly recommend you go at the center's opening time, then it gets too hot and the pandas return to their "caves", and the center becomes overcrowded.
- ⏰ Chengdu Panda Bear Center Hours: 7:30 a.m. to 17:00 p.m. (last access time, closes at 18:00 p.m.). That is, from March 1 to October 31. Outside of high season the hours are from 8:00 a.m. to 16:30 p.m. You can see the updated schedules on the Official Site.
- 💵 Ticket price: 55 yuan per person = approx. €7 (May 2024). Don't forget to bring your passport, they will ask you to print the tickets, you can buy them in advance at this page.
How to get to the Chengdu Panda Center?
The most comfortable is take a Didi from the Alipay app for about 40 yuan (5€ approx). He The car ride takes about 40 minutes., it depends on where your hotel is and the traffic. This is what we did, I imagine you can get there by public transport, but getting up early is the fastest. Note that You can also go by taxi, but it may take you too long and with the Didi the price is fixed.
2) Cross Tianfu Square
La Tianfu Square It is the heart of Chengdu. In the center of the square there is a great statue of Mao Zedong (founder and former president of the People's Republic of China). In fact, you will see that the square has a lot of security. It is surrounded by museums, modern buildings and shopping centers. Furthermore, on its bottom there is a Underground shopping center full of leisure and dining activities. We show it to you in the following photo.
3) Visit People's Park or Square, a curious place to see in Chengdu
La Chengdu People's Park It is an emblematic place and a popular meeting point. Here, you can observe the daily life of the locals. There's a central bar that offers numerous types of tea where they sit and play cards. Another thing that surprised us in Chengdu People's Square was seeing some gentlemen who were dedicated to cleaning ears in this same square. You will see them with a deployment of specific utensils to clean ears and people coming here to have them cleaned. What you read… Also, this park is full of monuments, statues and charming corners. As you can see below At night it has beautiful lighting.
4) Stroll through the ancient streets of Kuan Zhai Alley
Kuan Zhai Alley (Kuan Zhai Xiangzi), also known as the “Broad and Narrow Alley”, is one of the most famous historical neighborhoods in Chengdu. This A set of alleys preserves the architecture of the Qing dynasty and offers a mix of ancient culture and modernity. The alleys They are divided into three parts: the Wide Alley (Kuan Alley), the Narrow Alley (Zhai Alley) and the Welcome Alley (Jing Alley or Jingxianzi). Here you will find tea shops, traditional restaurants, modern boutiques and cultural shows. We missed it because We found the next restaurant and we were already too tired to continue. Everything happens for a reason!
5) Try the cuisine of Chengdu
Another things to do in Chengdu is to test your tasty spicy food, since this is where the famous Sichuan pepper. One of the best known dishes what to eat in Chengdu is the Hot Pot. We went to a fairly well-known restaurant called Shoo Loong Kan which already has a restaurant even in New York. Here you can order the hot pot half spicy (look at the pepper on one side) and half without spice (if you can't stand it much like me). We recommend you try the prawns (see video below) and any of the meats they offer on their menu. There are many near Tianfu Square on foot, but I can't find the location on Google. Show this photo and hopefully someone will guide you or look it up on Baidú.
6) Anshun Bridge, the most beautiful bridge to see in Chengdu
El Anshun Bridge It is one of the most important monuments iconic landmarks of chengdu, is just the one we showed you at the beginning of this post. Combine the ancient Chinese architecture with modernity and stands out for its location on the Jin River, as well as for hosting a famous restaurant. We didn't have time to go, but we told you about it in case you have more days to visit Chengdu.
7) Hike to Leshan Big Buddha
A little less than Two hours from Chengdu you have another place to visit: el Leshan Great Buddha. This colossal Buddha statue, carved into a cliff, is the largest of its kind in the world. It measures 71 meters high and has been recognized as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. It was built during the Tang dynasty in 713 to bless and protect sailors and the surrounding region. Practically, it was believed that the construction of the statue could calm the turbulent waters of the Dadu, Min and Qingyi rivers, which converge at that point and were known to be dangerous for ships.
- ⏰ Leshan Great Buddha Hours: 7:30 -18:30 (from April to October 7) and from 8:00 to 17:30 (from October 8 to March 31).
- 💵 Ticket price: 80 yuan per person = approx. €10 (May 2024). You can reserve at this page.
- 💵 Boat ticket price: 70 yuan per person = approx. €9 (May 2024)
How to get to the Leshan Great Buddha?
We took a 1 hour train from Chengdu East Railway Station, it cost us about €7 per person per way. Then once at Leshan station we took a taxi/Didi for a few euros to the entrance gate to the Leshan Big Buddha. Don't forget your passport, they will ask for it both to travel by train and to buy tickets. As you see in the next photo, we also did the boat tour to see the buddha from the river. This is something that we explain well in the video on our YouTube channel at the end of this article.
💡 If you don't already have a travel insurance for your next route through China, we always travel with IATI. And also, we have a 5% off for our readers in all their policies and destinations. The policy IATI Backpacker is the one we choose to travel normally, since it has the better coverage if you have an accident while doing adventure sports.
8) Visit Wenshu Monastery
Another of the places to see in Chengdu is the Wenshu Monastery, one of the most important Buddhist temples in the city. Here they highlight More than 500 Buddha statues and historical artifacts. You can also tour its gardens, admire the traditional architecture and enjoy a spiritual atmosphere. We couldn't go, but if you have more days to explore Chengdu, it is about 15 minutes by taxi or 25 minutes by public transport from the center.
9) Hike Mount Emei
Another of the places to see in Chengdu and surroundings is Emei mountain o Emei Shan in Chinese. It is one of the four sacred mountains of Buddhism in China. There are numerous hiking trails here with spectacular views, ancient temples and rich biodiversity. We leave you with a spectacular stock photo so you can see how beautiful it is, although we couldn't visit it either.
And here our guide ends with the places to see in Chengdu and that you can complete with the map that we share below, as well as the video from our YouTube channel with many tips. If you don't have a hotel yet, we would also like to recommend ours. It was great. You can continue expanding information to organize your visit to Chengdu below.
Map with places to see in Chengdu and surroundings
Next, we share the map of Chengdu and the places to see in the surroundings so that you take the distances into account.
Video of the essential things to see in Chengdu
Next, we share with you andThe video of our visit to Chendú, the giant pandas and the Great Buddha of Leshan. Remember that you can subscribe to our YouTube Channel here so you don't miss any of the videos from China.
Where to stay in Chengdu
If you are still searching for hotel in Chengdú, We recommend staying near Tianfu Square. walking You have numerous restaurants, People's Square, shops and, most importantly, it is well connected by subway. For example, With metro line 2 / orange you arrive at Chengdu East Railway Station in 15 minutes. This is the station where you will surely arrive from the previous city in China that you visited and from which you will leave for your next destination. As well as from which you will leave by train to go to Leshan. We stayed in the Sheraton Chengdu Lido HotelIt has a metro stop nearby and you can walk to Tianfu Square perfectly. Besides, It is completely renovated and they speak English.
How to get to Chengdu
Chengdu has a Well-connected international airport with flights from major cities in China. You can also get to Chengdu by train from other cities in the country. We arrived in Chengdu after visiting Fenghuang (with transfer in Huaihua). It is also connected to Xi'an, which was the next stop on our trip through China. Once in the city, the metro system is efficient and easy to use for getting around.
How many days to visit Chengdu
We recommend you book at least two nights of your China trip if you want to see the pandas and go to the Leshan Great Buddha. We arrived at night and we only had time to walk around the center. The next day We got up early to visit the panda recovery center and at midday we went to Leshan to visit the Buddha. The ideal is that you can do one thing each day, but it is also true that If you go to Leshan in the morning it will be crowded with Asian tourist groups. Our receptionist looked at us with a “these two are crazy” face when we told her that we would do everything the same day, but it can be done perfectly, especially in the summer when it gets dark late. Yes indeed, You have to be at the panda recovery center at 7:30. On the other hand, if you want to visit the temples that we mention in this article you should dedicate at least 3 or 4 days to Chengdu.
Conclusions
And here ends our guide to visiting Chengdu, the panda bears and the Leshan Buddha. We only have to remind you that if you have not yet contracted your eSIM with Built-in VPN and unlimited data to access the internet from your mobile, Holafly has it all. To travel to China it is essential to have mobile data at all times because you need it to pay with Alipay and Wechat. Also to use the simultaneous translator, search for restaurants, use maps, etc. Furthermore, as we say, It has a built-in VPN, which will allow you to access social networks and applications prohibited in China such as Instagram or simply your Gmail email. The entire trip went great for us and we have a 5% off for all our readers. We also share with you all our tips for traveling to China.
We hope this post has been helpful to you and, if we can answer any questions, leave us a comment! Remember that you can Expand information on more destinations in China that we visited in these articles:
- What to see in Beijing and the Chinese Wall (Mutianyu area)
- What to see in Zhangjiajie
- What to see in Shanghai
- What to see in Fenghuang
- What to see in Xian + Terracotta Soldiers
Hello! I am Ruth, Canarian with a traveling soul. With training and experience in the tourism and digital marketing sector. In this blog I tell you all the tips you need to get to know the most authentic side of Gran Canaria on your own. I also share my travel guides to all the places in the world that I am visiting so that you can discover the destinations like a local and save time planning. In addition to traveling, I love gastronomy and sports. I run and hike in the mountains with my “dog-children” (Silver and Plata). In all these adventures my partner accompanies me, Jorge, which you will also see a lot on this blog.
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