Chengdu Travel Guide

Chengdu (help·info) (Chinese: 成都; Hanyu Pinyin: Chéngdū; Wade-Giles: Ch'eng-tu), located in southwest China, is the capital of the Sichuan province and a sub-provincial city. It is the 5th most populous city in China. Chengdu is also one of the most important economic centers as well as transportation and communication hubs in China.

More than four thousand years ago, the prehistorical Bronze Age culture of Jinsha (Chinese: 金沙; Hanyu Pinyin: Jīnshā) established itself in this region. The fertile Chengdu Plain, on which Chengdu is located, is called Tianfuzhi guo (Simplified Chinese: 天府之国; Hanyu Pinyin: Tiānfǔzhi Guó) in Chinese, which literally means "the country of heaven", or more often seen translated as "the Land of Abundance". Chengdu is also habitat of giant pandas and city of cotton-rose hibiscus.

Located in the west of Sichuan Basin and in the center of Chengdu Plain, Chengdu covers a total area of 12.3 thousand square kilometres (4,749 square miles) with a population of over 11 million.

Benefiting from Dujiangyan Irrigation Project which was constructed in 256 B.C., Sichuan Province is reputed as "Tian Fu Zhi Guo", literally a place richly endowed with natural resources. Chengdu, as the capital, is extremely productive. The Min and Tuo Rivers, two branches of the Yangtze River, connected to forty other rivers, supply an irrigation area of more than 700 square kilometres (270.27 square miles) with 150-180 million kilowatts of water. Consisting of abundant mineral resources, the land is extremely fertile.

The history of Chengdu can be traced back 2,400 when the first emperor built his capital here and named the city. Through thousands of years its original name has been kept and its position as the capital and as the significant center of politics, commerce and military of the Sichuan area (once called Shu) has remained unchanged. Since the Han (206B.C.-220) and Tang (618-907) Dynasties when its handicraft industry flourished, Chengdu has been famous for its brocades and embroideries. Shu embroideries still enjoy a high reputation for their bright colors and delicate designs, ranking among the four main embroideries in China. Chengdu was the place where the bronze culture, an indispensable part of ancient Chinese culture, originated, the place where the Southern Silk Road started, and the place where the earliest paper currency, Jiaozi (not the dumpling!), was first printed. It is listed among the first 24 state-approved historical and cultural cities and owns 23 state and provincial cultural relic units.

As a key traffic hinge in southwest China , the provincial capital city Chengdu is an easy place to enter Sichuan and neighbouring Tibet . The Sichuan-Tibet highway acts as a shortcut in and out.  Chengdu has long been an important inland transfer station. Shuangliu International Airport caters not only for domestic movement. The ever-increasing international flight destinations include Cambodia , Japan , Singapore , The Netherlands, and Thailand .  

Famous scenic spots such as Wuhou Temple and Du Fu Thatched Cottage enrich the cultural background of Chengdu . Not far away, Qingcheng Mountain and Snowy Mount Xiling act as summer resorts for the urbanites. World mixed cultural and natural sites, such as Jiuzhaigou Gullies, Leshan and Mount Emei, have been acknowledged by UNESCO as being of great heritage value and significance in relating miracles of the native people’s past and present.


For those wishing to see up-close the most loved and recognizable indigenous animal in the People’s Republic of China , the Chengdu Research Base for Giant Panda Breeding and Wolong Panda Reserve are easy enough to get to.

Chengdu ’s food cultures are very famous at home and abroad. There is a statement that “All good foods are found in Chengdu ". In addition to the Mapo Toufu, Long Dumpling, Han Steamed Bun, Dragon Dumpling with Meat Stuffing and other famous snacks, more popular dishes are being derived from the hot pot such as boiled kebabs, hot boiled dishes, and lengdanbei. Sichuan cuisine is one of the four famous local cuisines in China ; the other 3 being Guangdong cuisine, Shandong cuisine, and Jiangshu cuisine. In preparing ingredients, Sichuan cooks will try to balance strong spicy flavour with light flavour to suit accordingly.   

Chinese distilled liquor (rice wine), French brandy, Russian vodka and Scottish whiskey are called the four main distillate spirits in the world. Distilled liquor (also called Rack) was invented by the Chinese, and is regarded as the fifth primary invention of the “Four Great Inventions” in China by experts and scholars. Chinese winemaking history spans four or five thousand years. Sichuan wines are of long standing significance as part of national wine production and wine culture development. Wine production in Sichuan developed in ancient times, and is still unfading nowadays. Spirits such as Luzhou Laojiao, Yibing Wuliangye, Mianzhu Jiannanchun, Chengdu Quanxing, and Swellfun enjoy high reputations around the globe.

 If westerners prefer to indulge in more   familiar activities, they should check out the areas close by Sichuan University and the American consulate. Well-patronized expat haunts on RenMin NanLu are - the Shamrock Bar, Carol’s Too, the Bookworm, and the Paulaner Bar at the Kempinski Hotel. Over along KeHua BeiLu, there is - Sabrina’s Country Store, Peter’s Tex-Mex Grill, and Grandma’s Kitchen; to name a few. At least ten hostels around town accommodate travellers just passing through. These places tend to change name and owners over time, so it is probably wise for anyone interested to browse the web for current details.

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