Highlights
Wildlife
One of the city’s greatest attractions is the glorious Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, artfully built to resemble a natural panda habitat. Home to nearly 120 Giant and over 70 Red pandas, the base focuses on getting these shy creatures to breed, aiding their conservation whilst allowing you to encounter the charming creatures and their adorable cubs. We recommend visiting in the morning – before the placid pandas fall back to sleep – whilst August and September are the best months for spotting loveable, new-born cubs.
Temples
Charming Chengdu houses a number of intricately-designed temples with a rich and colourful history. The Wenshu Temple - a Tang dynasty monastery dedicated to the Bodhisattva of Wisdom – is the largest Buddhist temple in Chengdu, exuding a sense of serenity and togetherness through low murmur chanting and the sweet smell of incense. Surrounded by Cypress trees, Wuhou Temple honours several key figures from the Three Kingdoms period, whilst Qingyant Temple is one of the oldest and largest Taoist temples, housing a unique pagoda and traditional teahouse.
Culture
A vital part of Chinese culture, past and present, drinking tea is central to life in Chengdu; experience it yourself with a visit to one of Chengdu’s countless, traditional teahouses. The lively yet laid-back He Ming Teahouse is over a century old, perfect for a relaxed afternoon with a bottomless cup of tea. Outdoor teahouses offer plenty of greenery and people watching opportunities, whilst you can travel back to ancient China at the quiet, 200-year-old Laozhaiyuan teahouse. More of these quaint spaces can be found in the aptly-named Culture Park, alongside pretty ginkgo-lined paths and lotus-filled ponds.
History
With a fascinating history and a blossoming contemporary art scene, there is much to be discovered in Chengdu’s museums and galleries. Explore the Jinsha Site Museum, exhibiting the ruins of the 3000-year-old Shu Kingdom – including beautiful objects created between 1200 and 600 BC – or visit the intricately carved tomb of Wang Jian, emperor of this Shu Kingdom. The Chengdu Museum spans the ancient city to the modern day, whilst the Chengdu Museum of Contemporary Art is a sleek space for the exhibition of modern and abstract art in Chinese society.