The capital of Southwest China’s Sichuan Province, Chengdu is renowned for being one of the oldest cities in China, as well as being the home of the rare and endangered Giant Panda. It is known as the Turtle City, because the walls were reputedly built along the tracks of a turtle that wandered around the city limits. Chengdu lies on the Chengdu Plains in the west of the great Sichuan Basin. It is a hugely cultural city, with a history of fine arts, literature, theater, culinary delights, and an abundant tea culture. Let’s see how to enjoy your Chengdu tour in three days?
Chengdu Panda Base and Huanglongxi Ancient Town
One of the most amazing features of Chengdu is the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding. Known locally as simply the Chengdu Panda Base, it was founded in 1987 with just six giant pandas that had been rescued from the wild. This unique center has become one of the leading panda research and breeding centers in the world. It has seen more panda births than any other center in the world. The base is located in the northeast suburbs of Chengdu City, on Panda Road. Featuring pandas in their natural habitats, complete with bamboo to eat, the center is one of the biggest draws for tourists to Sichuan Province, with millions of visitors, both international and domestic, every year.
To the south of the city, in Shuangliu District, lies the largest ancient town in Sichuan Province, the Huanglongxi Ancient Town. More than 1,700 years old, this ancient river port still retains its rustic charms, and the ancient buildings stand proud on the banks of the Fuhe River. Located in the fertile natural landscape of the river valley, it is famous for its history and culture. It is also being the hometown of much of the Chinese Folk Art, including the famed Fire Dragons. Once a major center at the start of the Ancient Tea Horse Road, the town still keeps its Qing Dynasty layout. It has six Banyan Trees that are dated as being more than 1,000 years old.
Renmin Park – Jinli Street – Wuhou Temple
Renmin Park, in the city center, is the city’s first public park. It has been created using artistic landscaping, a measured use of a traditional Bonsai Garden, several teahouses, and a pond with boats that is connected to two small streams that are teeming with delightful and beautiful koi. The park was built in just 1911, and was originally known as Shaocheng Park, as it was built in the Shaocheng District of Chengdu, which only had two districts at the time. The delicate scenery of the park is a stark contrast to the rest of the concrete city center. It is a popular place for drinking tea, dancing, playing chess, and even practicing the “internal” martial art known as T’ai chi ch’üan.
Jinli Street, also known as Jinli Ancient Street, has been a representative street of Chengdu culture since the Qin Dynasty, in around 220 BC. Originally a famous street for obtaining the rich ornate cloth known as baldachin, prized by rich merchants and dignitaries in ancient China. The area was previously one of the busiest commercial areas of the Shu Kingdom. The street was restored and reopened in 2004 to reclaim its traditional prosperity and commercial heritage. It has become the street to be seen in for visitors from all across China. Jinli Street is one of the few places where you can still find the traditionally made Shu Embroidery. It is peaceful and relaxing, no matter how busy the street gets with tourists.
Originally built as the Temple of the Marquis Wu, the Wuhou Temple is one of the highlights of Chengdu, and is located in the southern suburbs of the city. Dedicated to Zhuge Liang, who lived in around the beginning of the third century, the temple was actually built in 1672. It contains numerous statues of Emperor Liu Bei, Zhuge Liang, and many other notable dignitaries from the Shu Kingdom.
Kuan-zhai Lane – Qingyang Gong – Sichuan Cuisine
Known as Wide and Narrow Alley, Kuan-zhai Lane is one of the many conservation areas inside Chengdu City. Comprising of three parallel alleys, the area is rich in ancient Qing Dynasty architecture and is one of the most popular places in Chengdu for sampling the delights of the teahouse culture and the delicious Sichuan cuisine dishes. One of the most famous Taoist temples in southwest China, the Qingyang Gong was founded in the 9 th century. It is still one of the centers of Taoism and Taoist studies in China. The origins of the martial art, T’ai chi ch’üan, are taught in the temple by the community of monks that live there. It is believed to be located on the very spot where Lao Tzu, the founder of Taoism and the author of Tao Te Ching, descended from heaven.
Sichuan cuisine is probably the most famous Chinese cuisine in the world. It is even the most popular form of cuisine in China, being found in various forms throughout all the Chinese provinces. Renowned for being flavorful and spicy, due to the heavy use of the famous Sichuan Pepper, plenty of garlic, and lots of small red chilies. The style of cooking came about due to the humid weather of the region, which prompted the use of pepper and chili in their dishes.
Chengdu Night View and market
Chengdu at night is one of the most stunning sights in China. While some cities tend to get quieter as the night draws in, Chengdu just gets busier and more vibrant as the day turns to night. The street markets come alive as the darkness falls. The street vendors and restaurants open up to the tastes of the many locals and tourists that take to wandering the city at night. Take in the delights of Jinli Street and the Wide and Narrow Alleys at night to get the best of their delightful cultures. Then, stroll along the banks of the Jinjiang River at night, with the lights shining on the many bridges spinning this important waterway.
Chengdu is a city that deserves more than just a few days spent in it. However, if you have a limited time to tour around the city, then I have the perfect options for you. You can make the most of your three days in the city taking these delightful tours to explore the main centers of this ancient yet modern city. It’s the best way to understand the Chengdu and Sichuan culture a little better. And what better way to learn more about Sichuan than to eat the food.
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