Our Concise Guide to Chengdu

Don’t go to Chengdu – that’s what the Chinese advise young people who might be corrupted by this modern, energetic city. But despite all of the hustle and bustle, Chengdu manages to be one of the most leisurely places in all of China. Most visitors end up joining the locals as they while away the day playing mahjong, sipping fragrant green tea, and cracking sunflower seeds. Chengdu Living is all about exploring and paying tribute to why living in Chengdu is such a great experience. Read on to find out tips on where to stay, what to see, and what to eat in Chengdu.

Among other things, Chengdu is:

The capital of Sichuan province – the most populated province in China and Chengdu itself is home to more than ten million people
An economic, transportation, and communications hub of Western China which is growing at a furious pace. Out of 280 cities in China, Chengdu is consistently ranked among the top ten cities to invest in
Home to the Giant Panda and the capital of spicy Sichuan cuisine. This is where Kung Pao Chicken and all Pandas come from
Preceded by an incredible amount of history and culture which has spanned more than 3,000 years and countless dynasties
Located a mere eighty kilometers from 2008’s devastating Sichuan Earthquake, although thankfully Chengdu sustained no discernable damage

Fast Changing, Modern Life

The city is changing at a dizzying pace. Much of the old city has been razed to make room for modern high-rises. But there is still much to see here in terms of history and culture. Its temples and memorials display the importance Chengdu holds as the cosmopolitan capital of western China. The city is also a great center for Sichuan cooking, which many believe to be the best in China. The Sichuanese cuisine is famous for its spicy peppers and strong flavors and Chengdu does not disappoint. There are too many good restaurants to list and oftentimes the hole in the wall around the corner may serve the most authentic and tasty Sichuan dishes you’ll encounter.

Don’t let all that talk about teahouses and mahjong fool you. Certainly, most travel writers tend to romanticize this aspect of Sichuan life, but the teahouse myth is overblown. Coffee shops are now changing the city’s leisure-time atmosphere to nouveau. There is alot of new money in Chengdu and it much prefers the modern lifestyles of SUV’s, exciting nightlife and weekend escapes that discretionary spending power brings. Chengdu is an attractive and very modern city with an urban landscape that blends natural elements much better than the larger eastern centers. Its citizens are increasingly affluent and sophisticated and no longer under the shadow of Beijing or Shanghai, when it comes to variety or availability of lifestyle choices. In fact, as you’ll read below; Chengdu has an unmatched natural environment within a half hour drive of its 2nd Ring Road

Access to a Bustling Metropolis and Beautiful Scenery

Long known as the Gateway to Tibet, Chengdu sits essentially at the base of the foothills of the Himalayas, and where hiking ruggedly beautiful terrain is but a half an hour ride in any direction. While admittedly, not the most technical trails in the world, arguably, some of the most spectacularly scenic; like the Superstition Mountains in Arizona; the Canadian Rockies near Banff or the Canadian Shield in Northern Ontario. Measuring up to all of them, stands Emeishan in Sichuan Province, little more than an hour’s drive from Chengdu. From the vantage point on Emei, visitors can look across the horizon above the sea of clouds and view the snowy peaks of the Himalayas. And with the added bonus of a stay at a monastery perched on a sheer cliff edge at 3,077m, your hike of Emei Mountain, with its humbling terrain and breath-taking reach to the stars at the summit in the dead of night, may just be the highlight of your entire China experience.

All roads into Southwest China lead through Chengdu. As the gateway city to Tibet, the permits and supplies needed for your trip there are best handled. Journeys south to Yunnan or north to Xian pass through here as well. Lying in the middle of Sichuan Province, Chengdu is also a good base for excursions to the scenic spots dotting Sichuan.

To learn more about Chengdu check out some posts about Chengdu.

Places to Visit in Chengdu

Below you’ll find links for some of our favorite places to check out if you’re visiting Chengdu. Click on the links to see more detailed information on each location:

Wu Hou Temple

Tianfu Square

Sichuan Opera

Qingyang Temple

Wenshu Temple

Jinsha Excavation Site

Panda Research Base

Chunxi Shopping District

Chengdu Accomodations

Whether you’re looking for luxury or low end, there are a lot of places to sleep in Chengdu and you shouldn’t have a hard time finding what you want with this concise listing. Rather than dispensing an exhaustive list of the more than five hundred hostels and hotels in Chengdu, we’ve selected three of the best budget and premium options and presented them to you. If you’d like to review a place you’ve stayed or think another hostel or hotel should be added, submit a review and we’ll incorporate your info into this page.

Chengdu accomodations You don’t have to spend a lot of money to stay in a decent place in Chengdu. For less than $10 a night you have a choice between a handful of locations which cater specifically to backpackers and budget travelers. Click here to check out Budget Accommodations.

If you’re traveling on business or looking for luxury you’re in luck because the number of 5-star hotels in Chengdu has doubled in recent years. If you’re looking for state-of-the-art modernism or a top-rated traditional Chinese hotel, read about Premium Accommodations in Chengdu.

Chengdu Food & Restaurants

With its bold and heavily seasoned signature taste Sichuan has, in our opinion, the best food in China.

Dinnertime in Chengdu: meat, vegetable, fish, and tofu dishes

There are hundreds of dishes to choose from featuring dozens of hot soups, tasty appetizers, complex and delicious main courses, and the legendary hot pot: a simmering pot of fondue with a spicy kick. If you’re adventurous you’ll find dozens of items on the menu that’ll have you scratching your head, but Kung Pao Chicken and a dozen varieties of fried rice are on nearly every street corner as well. To find out more about Sichuan cuisine and food in Chengdu, read about Sichuan Food in Chengdu.

Fresh potato skins with bacon at Peter's Tex-Mex

Even with the local cuisines virtually endless variety, there’s no doubt about it: most foreigners in China still develop a powerful craving for Western food that’s fulfilled by a handful of high-quality restaurants. As with most places in China, a lot of the Western food that you find in Chengdu is sub-par compared to what most of us are used to getting in our home countries. Pizza is a notoriously risky choice in China as they often replace tomato sauce with ketchup and add bizarre toppings that you didn’t request. Fortunately there are a few good Western restaurants in Chengdu which serve authentic Western specialties like juicy burgers, melty nachos, fat steaks, and crispy salads. Check out our three favorites and read more about Western Food in Chengdu.