Park of China
Overview
| Province | Sichuan |
| Location | Sichuan |
| Latitude, longitude | 30.7, 104.1 Google Maps |
| Nearby sites | Dujiangyan Irrigation System 58km, Mount Qingcheng 66km, Giant Panda National Park 80km, Leshan Giant Buddha 132km, Mount Emei 150km Search nearby |
| Nearby cities | Chongqing, Guiyang |
| Themes | Big City, Temple, Taoism, Culture, City, Food, Water conservancy works, Archaeological sites, Homes & tombs of notable people |
About
Chengdu, capital of Sichuan, is a historic city of over 4,000 years on the Chengdu plain, the “land of abundance”. In the Han it was the seat of the officials who managed the Shu brocade trade, hence the name “Brocade City”; because Meng Chang, last ruler of the Later Shu, planted hibiscus along the walls, it is also the “Hibiscus City”, Rong for short.
Travel tips
Getting there: Chengdu has two airports, Shuangliu International and Tianfu International (in Jianyang, southeast of the city); Shuangliu is linked to the city by metro. Chengdu East, South and West are high-speed stations; a high-speed line runs to Chongqing, and trains run west to Dujiangyan and Qingcheng. The metro network is extensive and convenient.
City sights: Wuhou Shrine commemorates Liu Bei and Zhuge Liang, Du Fu Thatched Cottage is in the west, Qingyang Temple is a Daoist monastery, Kuanzhai Alley and Jinli are old-style streets, and Wenshu Monastery is a Buddhist temple. The Jinsha Site Museum displays gold and jade from the Shang and Zhou periods.
Giant pandas: the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, on the northern edge of the city, is the main place to see pandas. They are most active in the morning, so arrive early.
Dujiangyan and Qingcheng: Dujiangyan is a Warring States irrigation system still in use; Mount Qingcheng is a Daoist mountain. Both can be done in one day, reached by high-speed or intercity train.
Leshan and Emei: the Leshan Giant Buddha and Mount Emei lie south of Chengdu and are reached by high-speed rail; Leshan is a day trip, Emei is better with an overnight stay. The Sanxingdui Museum is in Guanghan, reached by road from Chengdu.
Time: three days cover the city and the panda base; add a day for Dujiangyan and Qingcheng, and two for Leshan and Emei.
Season: spring and autumn, March to May and September to November, are the most comfortable. Summer is hot and humid, and winter is cold and often overcast.
Where to stay and eat: Chunxi Road, Tianfu Square and the Jin River are convenient; Wuhou and Kuanzhai also have many guesthouses. Sichuan cuisine, including hotpot, mapo tofu and dandan noodles, is served everywhere, along with teahouses and snack shops.
City sights
Du Fu’s Thatched Cottage
Wuhou Shrine
Wangjiang Tower: on the Jin River in the south-east of the city, national protected site, former home of the Tang poetess Xue Tao
Qingyang Palace: famous Taoist temple
Suburban sights
Dujiangyan
Mount Qingcheng
Jinsha site: a Shang–Zhou site of over 5 km² at Jinsha village in the western suburbs, national protected site
Liu family manor, Dayi: five mansions and the ancestral home built by the landlord Liu Wencai and his brothers; national protected site, AAAA scenic area
Tombs of the Shu princes of the Ming: Shiling, Longquanyi District
Baoguang Temple, Xindu
Further afield
Sanxingdui
Festivals
Dujiangyan water-release festival
Specialities
Sichuan opera
Shu embroidery
Shu brocade weaving
Chengdu lacquerware
Photo credits: Chengdu skyline with snow-capped mountains: FISU (CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons)
Nearby
| World Heritage | Dujiangyan Irrigation System 58km, Mount Qingcheng 65km, Xiling Snow Mountain 86km, Mount Tiantai, Qionglai 106km, Leshan Giant Buddha 127km, Mount Siguniang and the Sichuan Giant Panda Sanctuaries 128km, Mount Emei 144km, Dazu Rock Carvings 210km |
| National parks of China | Giant Panda National Park 78km |
| National parks | Mount Longmen 67km, Jianmen Pass and the Shu Road 231km, Mount Jinyun 241km, Mount Gongga (Minya Konka) 242km |
| AAAAA attractions | Anren Ancient Town Scenic Area 46km, Wenchuan Special Tourist Area 102km, Bifengxia Scenic Area 122km, Beichuan Qiang City Tourist Area 135km |
| AAAA attractions | Tianfu Flower Stream Valley <1km, Chengdu Wuhou Shrine Museum 2km, Du Fu Thatched Cottage 4km, Jinsha Site Museum 6km, Eastern Suburb Memory 6km, Chengdu Happy Valley 8km |
| UNESCO Global Geoparks | Zigong UNESCO Global Geopark 158km |
| Historic cities | Meishan 72km |
| Historical sites | Pingan Bridge Catholic Church <1km, Monument to the Martyrs of the 1911 Railway Protection Movement <1km, Jiangnanguan Street Neighborhood Site 1km, Wuhou Temple 2km, Shierqiao Site 2km, Shuijingjie Distillery Site 3km |
| National geoparks | Shehong Petrified Wood National Geopark 124km |
| Nature reserves | Wolong National Nature Reserve 100km, Fengtongzhai National Nature Reserve 111km |
| Historic towns | Luodai Town 24km, Huanglongxi Town 39km, Wufeng Town 40km, Yuantong Town 43km, Anren Town 46km |