Built right atop its very ancestry, you can nearly hear the whispers of Chengdu’s past even as you witness its beautiful and modern infrastructure. What’s more: Chengdu has perhaps the most unique flavor (literally) of any city I’ve been to! In this post, I’ll share all about Chengdu China points of interest.
Looking for a glimpse into China’s ancient past? Or maybe a walk through its recent developments? How about both plus the culinary adventure of a lifetime? Then you’ve arrived. Welcome to Chengdu!
This post will cover everything from famous alleyways within the city to the UNESCO World Heritage Sites that lie just beyond, and more! So buckle up, and let’s check out the major points of interest within Chengdu, China!
The Chengdu Panda Reserve: THe #1 Chengdu China Point of Interest
First of all: do not buy tickets for Panda Reserve on any travel apps!! They are WAY more expensive than tickets are at the gate. We paid just $8 USD for 2 tickets!
Buying tickets at the gate was incredibly easy, so you can just show up to the Panda Reserve without booking anything in advance.
The Panda Reserve is SO much more than a place to just panda-watch; it’s highly educational and very interesting!
Throughout the park, they have information about the pandas who live there, as well as all of the work they’ve done to help pandas out of their endangered status.
Pandas are Chengdu’s pride and joy, and the reason why many Chinese residents also prioritize Chengdu as a travel spot. So make a trip to the Panda Reserve your priority while in Chengdu!
Jinsha Museum
Ever seen Disney’s Tangled? There’s a scene near the end where she realizes that for her entire life, she’s been painting the sun symbol of her long lost kingdom into her artwork without having known where it came from.
Well, I had a similar “aha!” moment at the Jinsha Museum! All throughout Chengdu city, decorations and motifs refer back to their ancestors, whose worship sites were right under the city center until this century.
These ancient sacrificial sites lay undiscovered until 2001! Since then, archeologists have unearthed and preserved the sites and many of the artifacts in the beautiful Jinsha Museum.
I’m not a huge history person, but I LOVED this museum, and honestly think that a trip to Chengdu would be incomplete without going there.
I kept seeing the ancient symbols from Chengdu’s museum all throughout the city in the days following our museum visit. It brought a very unique feeling of connection between my present adventures and the generations of the past.
Tickets can be bought at the ticket office on-site, and we paid $7 USD per person. Definitely go to Jinsha Museum while in Chengdu!
Kuanzhaixiangzi Alley
The ultimate point of interest in Chengdu China for all of your tourists needs and desires! Kuanzhaixiangzi Alley is a bustling street with shops and markets and plenty of entertainment.
Stalls of traditional foods line the streets, as well as restaurants where you can buy modern foods (a Starbucks inside of a traditional Chinese building?? Heck yeah!!)
Pop into a tea house for authentic Chengdu entertainment: storytelling, musicians, and Chengdu’s ICONIC face-changing show! (We watched three of them because they were so cool!)
This is your stop for all of the souvenirs you need to buy. Vendors will always pump the prices up when they see foreigners, because we often don’t know how things actually should be priced. Always start negotiating at about 1/3 to 1/4 of the starting price they offer.
Definitely carve out some time for Chengdu’s Kuanzhaixiangzi Alley while planning your stay!
Jinli Street
Jinli Street’s more ancient appeal makes it a great photo op, and many people prefer to visit it in the evening because the lanterns strung along the street are quite beautiful.
While it doesn’t hold as many souvenir shopping opportunities as Kuanzhaixiangzi, you can still find plenty to eat here, as well as some artists selling their goods, and a few knick knacks to buy.
It’s another wonderful hangout spot, and definitely a point of interest in Chengdu China for those who want a good place to “just chill”.
People’s Park
Speaking of “just chill”, People’s Park in the center of Chengdu is a locally favored spot for gathering and “chilling”. We went to this park near dusk, and loved it so much that we came back again the next day!
Elderly locals gather to play Chinese chess, children throw crumbs to massive koi fish who swim lazily in the ponds, and everything is peaceful.
The park was the gathering site of Chinese locals who went to fight Japan, and memorials for them stand throughout.
It was very moving to see those nods to the past generations, even while the present generations enjoyed the peace which came from their efforts.
Furthermore, there are restaurants and theatre shows available within the park! We went to see another face-changing show, because we enjoyed the first one so much!
Free of admission and within walking distance of several museums, People’s Park should definitely be added to your own list of points of interest in Chengdu, China.
Chengdu City Center & Surrounding Museums
Chengdu, like several other major Chinese cities, is built in a “ringed” way. This means that it has major highways circling its center-city.
At the center of the city, Tianfu Square, stands a large statue of Chairman Mao, a plaza, and many shopping areas. Surrounding Tianfu Square are several museums.
These museums include: The Art Museum of Sichuan, Chengdu Museum, Sichuan Library, and the Sichuan Science and Technology Museum.
While they’re closed on Mondays, on other days, you can visit and buy tickets at the door for relatively cheap. There are plenty of shopping areas and restaurants (and even a mosque!) nearby to meet your needs.
Leshan Giant Buddha
A UNESCO World heritage site since the 90’s, this incredible statue was originally carved in 700-800 AD. Tickets into the park as of 2023 were $12 USD per person.
There are no words for how breathtaking this site was. There are plenty of beautiful temples and buddha statues to check out before making your way down to the feet of the Giant Buddha.
It should be noted that this is a pilgrimage site for Buddhism, and that the monks really do their best to squeeze money from those devout who buy lucky candles or souvenirs. So, it may be best to buy Leshan souvenirs elsewhere.
A train will take you directly from downtown Chengdu about 40 minutes to an hour into Leshan. So this is definitely a whole-day activity, but worth the commute! (Train ticket will be about $20 USD per person).
People come from all over the world to see the Giant Buddha, and it’s no wonder why! Leshan Giant Buddha is one of the most breathtaking points of interest in Chengdu China.
Mount Qingcheng & Dujiangyan Irrigation System
Similarly to Leshan, this site is outside of Chengdu, and will take about an hour by train. The Dujiangyan Irrigation System is a massive man-made wonder which dealt with massive floods that Sichuan was prone to.
After finishing the system, Sichuan allegedly became an agricultural leader in China. In 2000, it was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Another wonderful outdoorsy activity in Chengdu, visiting Mount Qingcheng and seeing the incredibly expansive irrigation project will satisfy your fresh-air desires, while also allowing you to see more of Chengdu’s culture.
There is so much more to do in Chengdu, but adding these sites to your list will help you to check off the biggest of Chengdu China’s points of interest. I know you’re just going to love this beautiful city! Happy planning!
You may also like:
