3 Days Chengdu City Tour

Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding is the first must-see attraction in this city. As the giant pandas are more active in the early morning during the feeding time, you're suggested to set off as early as possible. FYI, it opens from 07:30 to 18:00 and the entrance fee is CNY55 per person. Among all modes of transportation, taxi is the fastest and easiest way with a fee of around CNY40 and a time of about 40 minutes from the city center. Alternatively, you could also take bus no. 87, 655, 198 (interval), which takes CNY2 or Panda Express no. 2, 3, 4, 5, which takes CNY5 to the base. If none of these buses are available from your hotel, you can take subway line 3 first, get off from Exit B of Chengdu Dadao Station and then transit to bus no. 198 (interval) or Panda Express no. 3/5 from.

There are several different large enclosures housing pandas of different ages in the base. It could be exciting to see them playing with each other, eating bamboos or apples and sleeping in the tree. If lucky, you may also see the cute baby pandas. Taking the tourist minibus at a fee of CNY10 is the most common way and it will stop at 5 stations. Generally, two or three hours are enough to finish the visit.

After that, get on the bus Panda Express no. 5 from Panda Base Station and get off at the Broad and Narrow Alley Station, which is only 600 meters (656 yards) far from Renmin Park (People's Park). Renmin Park is the favorite place for locals to get together to drink tea, chat, play Mahjong, dance and sing. Therefore, wandering in this park will be a good and special experience to see the authentic local life. If you are interested, you could join them in Mahjong playing or dancing.

This morning, head to the Broad and Narrow Alleys, which is reachable by subway line 4 and many buses, such as 163, 340, 51, 62, 70, 93, 13, 43 and etc. The Broad and Narrow Alleys is a traditional alleyway street lined with many courtyards in ancient style and now most of them are restaurants, cafes and stores. It is a good place to take a walk, have lunch or cafe or tea. If you want to take photos of the buildings, you would better arrive early as it will get quite packed after 10:00.

Then take bus Jinjiang Park loop line from Shiye Street Station to Wenshu Monastery station to reach Wenshu Monastery, which takes CNY2 and around 35 minutes. Wenshu Monastery, the best-preserved Buddhist temple in Chengdu, is an active one with many monks praying in the hall and organizing various charitable or Buddhist activities. The buildings and garden in the monastery is also very beautiful and the free entrance is a bonus for this visit.

From Wenshu Monastery, you can take bus no. 37 to Jinxiluxi station and walk northward along Qingyang Road for around 550 meters (601 yards) to reach Jinsha Site Museum, which is built for the protection, research and display of Jinsha culture and ancient Shu civilization. The visit will start with an excavation site and then followed by the huge exhibition halls. Each hall contains many artifacts from the site, which will give you a glimpse into Chinese life and rituals as far as 3000 years ago. The entrance fee is CNY70 per ticket and please kindly note that the museum closes every Monday.

After breakfast, you can take subway line 4 or bus no. 151, 165, 170, 35, 58, 82, 1134, G74 to the Thatched Cottage of Du Fu. For subway, you need to get out from Exit B of Caotangbeilu Station and for buses, you need to get off from Dufucaotang Station. Du Fu was one of the most prominent poets of the Tang dynasty (618-907) in China. This site is where he spent his later life. Inside, you will see a reconstructed Thatched cottage, a temple as well as a large beautiful garden. Besides, the bamboo trees, ponds, pagodas and bonsai are also a feast for the eyes. There are also English translations of Du Fu's poetries. Read them and you will get an insight into Chinese ancient literature. The entrance ticket fee is CNY50.

Sichuan Museum is nearby the Thatched Cottage of Du Fu, just a few minutes walking. Entrance to the museum is free, and you just need to show your passport to get the free ticket. There are three floors with a great collection of paintings, calligraphies, ceramics, bronzes and folk arts. It is worth spending an hour or two to see and learn about the history and culture of Sichuan region. Although there are plenty of English explanations, you could get more by hiring an English speaking tour guide or renting an audio guide machine at the information center.

Bus no. 58 is the fastest way to take you to Chunxi Road from Sichuan Museum. Besides, subway line 2, 4 and bus no. 47 can also take you to Chunxi Road, the busiest pedestrian street in Chengdu. The whole area is packed with shops, malls, eateries and cafes, a vibrant place for people to go shopping. You can buy some souvenirs here for your friends. At the same time, you can also satisfy your hunger in a restaurant of your choice. Then if you have interests, go to the nearby Jinjiang Theatre to enjoy the Sichuan Opera (Changing Faces) Performance. The performance time is from 20:00 to 21:00. The ticket price ranges from CNY150 to CNY280 for different seats.