Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan Province, is famous worldwide for giant pandas and mouth-numbing Sichuan cuisine. But beyond these icons, Chengdu offers a uniquely relaxed pace of life with traditional teahouses, ancient temples, and a thriving arts scene. It's also the gateway to stunning natural scenery including Jiuzhaigou and Mount Emei.
March to June and September to November are ideal. Chengdu has mild weather year-round but can be overcast. Summers are warm but not as hot as other Chinese cities.
Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport (CTU) and the newer Chengdu Tianfu Airport (TFU) serve the city. High-speed trains connect to Xi'an (3 hours) and Chongqing (1.5 hours).
Visit the Giant Panda Base at opening time (8am) when pandas are most active
Spend an afternoon in a traditional teahouse in People's Park
Book a Sichuan cooking class to learn to make mapo tofu and kung pao chicken
Day trip to Leshan Giant Buddha (2 hours by train)
Discover restaurants, attractions, and events in Chengdu with QilinGO.