Overview
Set on the fertile Chengdu Plain, Chengdu has a reputation across China for taking life slowly, over cards, tea and long meals. The old fabric survives in restored lane districts and temple courtyards, and the surrounding province supplies both the famous pandas and the numbing-hot Sichuan kitchen. The climate is mild and often overcast, and the city works well as a base for day trips into the sights beyond it.
Highlights
The Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding shows the animals at their best in the cool of early morning. In town, the Jinli and Kuanzhai alleys serve street food and crafts, and the teahouses of People’s Park are an institution. Sichuan hotpot is the essential meal, and day trips reach the Leshan Giant Buddha and the temple-covered slopes of Mount Qingcheng and Dujiangyan.