Chengdu Highlight Tour

Welcome to Chengdu, the capital of southwestern China’s Sichuan province. Covering an area of 14,335 square kilometers, Chengdu is home to about 21 million people. It is alleged that once one come to Chengdu, one does not want to leave, which reveals the unique charm of this city. 

Upon your arrival, your guide will pick you up at the airport. Then you will be transferred to a hotel where you can have a rest. What you need to do is expect the following wonderful Chengdu Visa-Free Tour.

Free Time Suggestion

If you want to enjoy the tranquility of a slower pace of life, visiting Kuan Zhai Alley can be a good choice. “Kuan” and “Zhai” in Chinese means wide and narrow respectively. Wide alleys and narrow alleys are designed in parallel, with antique courtyards located on both sides. “Wide alley” is about 7 meters in width, where there are many buildings built at the end of the Qing Dynasty (1636-1912) and the beginning of the Republic of China, including some Western-style architecture. Meanwhile, “wide alley” is characterized by its leisure life as it teems with local customs and the old Chengdu style. “Narrow alley” is about five meters in width, which is preferred by those who seek a slower life. There are many courtyards of old Chengdu, which is mostly occupied by stylish bars, western-style dining, light dining, art hall, and healthy life hall. Most tourists will choose to spend their time here, feeling the slow pace of life. You can have a try!

Today, let’s drive you south for about 2 hours to Leshan Giant Buddha, 154 kilometers away from the urban center of Chengdu. Built in the Tang Dynasty (618-907), the Buddha is 71 meters high, representing the largest stone statue carved into a cliff in China and beyond. A legend about Leshan Giant Buddha goes like this: Once upon a time, at the confluence of Min, Dadu, and Qingyi rivers, the waves were so turbulent that boats that passed here would be overturned, thereby leading to numerous deaths. Seeing the situation, a Buddhist monk called Huitong determined to build a Buddha out of the cliff face, hoping that the Buddha could suppress the swift currents so that fishermen could be protected. With the effort of Huitong and generations of local people, the giant Buddha was finally shaped up after hundreds of years. Ever since a large number of accidents has been avoided. 

After lunch, let’s drive you back to Chengdu to visit Jinli Street. With a length of 550 meters, Jinli scenic area covers an area of more than 30,000 square meters. As the oldest trading and folk art street in West Sichuan, it integrates tourism, shopping, and entertainment, with Three-Kingdoms culture and Chengdu folk customs as its soul. Along the stone-paved street, there are many ancient-style buildings lined on both sides, all of which are the condensing essence out of the worldly life in Chengdu. For example, the grey bricks and crimson columns of the teahouses are of classic beauty and original simplicity. Porcelain and folk handicrafts displayed in the shops are very dazzling. When strolling down the street, you will find yourself immersed in the particular cultural refreshment. 

Leshan Giant Buddha

Jinli Street

Starting a day with a palatable breakfast, you will go to Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding. As its name suggests, it is famed for panda, a national treasure in China. As pandas are on the margin of extinction, the base serves as a shelter for the endangered species. Giant pandas in the wild occasionally eat grasses, bamboos, or even the meat of birds or carrion. In captivity, they may receive honey, eggs, fish, oranges, or bananas along with specially prepared food. If you are lucky, you will see groups of pandas lazily lying on the tree, bathed in the sunshine. Sometimes, several cute and naughty pandas may fall from the tree. How funny!

After lunch, let’s go to Wenshu Monastery. Built in the Sui Dynasty (581-618) and covering an area of over 200 thousand square meters, the monastery enshrines more than 300 Buddha statues of various sizes, which are cast in steel and made of wood or stone. On top of that, it houses treasures of calligraphy and painting since the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing dynasties. The most famous one was created by Emperor Kangxi in the Qing Dynasty .

Next, People’s Park is your destination. Built in 1991, it is a good place to experience the culture of old Chengdu. The park was originally called Shaocheng Park, which used to be where Manchuria and Mongolians in the Qing Dynasty lived. Nowadays, there are plum gardens, begonia gardens, rockery, teahouses, Mahjong halls, and other scenic areas. Drinking a cup of tea in the teahouse while reading a book and bathed in the sunshine is a good way for you to have a better understanding of what a happy "slow life" of the Chengdu people is. 

After that, you will be transferred to the airport. It’s time to say goodbye. Hope to see you again!

Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding

People’s Park

Author: Xie Peng