In Sichuan Province, one of China’s leading rice and wheat growing regions, the city of Chengdu has played an important role in the country’s history for thousands of years. But it was under the Qin and Han dynasty from around 316 BC that it became the political, economic and cultural center of southwestern China and even then was famous for silkworm breeding and brocade weaving. In the Three Kingdoms period of 220-280 AD, Chengdu had become the capital of the Shu Han state and by the 8th century it was an important center of trade, commerce and industry, notable for its lacquered and silver filigree work. During the reign of the Five Dynasties from 907-960 AD, Emperor Meng Chang arranged for large numbers of hibiscus trees to be planted along the city walls and streets, a tradition that continues to this day and gives the city its nickname, Hibiscus City ( Rong Cheng). Today, Chengdu is a major industrial city and is undergoing a massive construction boom. It is also an excellent cultural destination, home to 14 colleges, including Sichuan University, as well as many traditional teahouses and tea gardens.
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1 Chengdu Research Base van Giant Panda Breeding
Giant Panda Breeding’s Chengdu Research Base not only offers a chance to see these amazing creatures up close in their natural environment, it also provides an in-depth insight into these laidback animals. Founded in 1987, the facility started with just six rescued giant pandas, a number that has since grown to more than 80 animals. Tours also offer a chance to visit the museum with exhibits on the reproductive problems of these fickle bears. Often found sleeping, pandas are their liveliest during the morning feeding time, so plan your trip accordingly. For a chance to see pandas in the wild, book a trip to the vast Wolong Nature Reserve 130 kilometers west of Chengdu. Covering an area of 2,000 square kilometers, this beautiful protected area is surrounded by mountains and is home to 60 different species of mammals, as well as 300 species of birds and 4,000 species of plants, including giant sequoias.
Adres: 1375 Panda Rd, Northern Suburb, Chengdu, Sichuan
Official site: www.panda.org.cn/english/
2 Het Chengdu Wuhou-heiligdom
One of Chengdu’s oldest temples, the beautiful Chengdu Wuhou Shrine dates back to 302 AD when it was built in honor of Zhuge Liang, a famous strategist and statesman who later served as chancellor of the Shu Han Empire from 221-263 AD Christ (for his services, Liang became a prince). Rebuilt in 1672, this enormous temple complex has many interesting features, including the large central hall with its gilded clay figure of Zhuge Liang (the two small figures on either side of the prince are his son and grandson). Also worth seeing is the temple dedicated to Liu Bei, ruler of the Shu Han Empire, who is buried in the adjacent 12-meter-high burial mound. Other notable features include the 28 terracotta statues of ministers, generals and high officials of the Shu Han state on display in the east and west covered walkways, as well as a number of ancient inscribed stone tablets containing poems and writings from this important period in history of China.
Adres: Wuhouci Dajie 231, district Wuhou, Chengdu, Sichuan
Official site: www.wuhouci.net.cn/en/home.asp
3 The Wenshu Monastery (Manjushri Monastery)
The Manjushri Temple complex covers an area of over 12 hectares and consists of five separate temples built of wood and stone. The complex was built in 1691 over the ruins of an earlier monastery dating back to the time of the Southern Dynasties between 420 and 589 AD. Highlights include the Hall of Shuofa Tang with its 10 iron statues of Buddhist patron deities from the Song period of 960-1279 AD, as well as the more than 100 bronze sculptures of Buddhas and Buddhist saints from the Qing era between 1644 and 1911 and many more made from materials such as jade and wood. The site also contains numerous other important cultural relics, including paintings and calligraphy by leading Chinese artists and writers.
Adres: 66 Wenshu Yuan Jie, Qingyang District, Chengdu, Sichuan
4 Du Fu cottage with thatched roof
The sprawling Du Fu Thatched Cottage (Dù Fǔ Cǎo Táng) complex covers 24 hectares and is dedicated to one of China’s best-known poets. The site replicates the house in which Du Fu lived between 759 and 763 AD and wrote more than 250 of his best-known poems. Located on a picturesque bend of the Huanhuaxi River, the complex has lush gardens, numerous pavilions and beautiful bridges and paths. Although not original, most of the buildings date from between 1500 and 1800 and were carefully restored in 1949. Other highlights include the Gong Bu Memorial Hall with its exhibits depicting Du Fu’s life and work, complete with a foreign language section; the reconstructed cottage itself, a simple structure with a study, bedroom and kitchen; and the Hall of Great Poets with scenes from his most famous poems, including one dedicated to the destruction of the original cottage by a storm.
Adres: 28 Caotang Rd, Qingyang, Chengdu, Sichuan
5 Wangjianglou Park en River Watching Tower
Famous as the location where poetess Xue Tao lived from 769-834 AD, the River Watching Tower in Wangjianglou Park is notable for its beautiful 30-meter-high tower. Built in 1889, the attraction features the famous Tang Ancient Fountain period of 618-907 AD from which the poet is said to have drawn the water used to produce the unique red paper on which she wrote, and which still bears her name to this day. There are also several other buildings dedicated to her memory, including the Tower of Poetic Recitation (Yinshi Lou), the Pavilion of the Waxing Paper (Wanjian Ting) and the Tower of the Wax of Brocade (Zhou Lou). Another beautiful feature is a large bamboo grove laid out in her memory (the site boasts 140 different species of bamboo, a tree the poet was particularly fond of).
Adres: 30 Wangjiang Road, Chengdu City, Sichuan
Official site: www.wangjianglou.com
6 Het Yongling Mausoleum
Also called the Eternal Mausoleum, the Yongling Mausoleum is where you will find the well-preserved tomb of Wang Jian, ruler of the Early Shu Empire, until his death in 918 AD. In the northwestern part of Chengdu, this beautiful 15-meter-high building with its 14 impressive arches opened to the public in 1942 and is divided into three rooms, the central one housing the beautifully decorated sarcophagus of the emperor. Other highlights of a visit include a fine stone statue of Wang Jian and detailed murals of 24 musicians carved in stone and the only such decorations of their kind from the Tang Dynasty.
Adres: Fuqin Northeast Rd, Jinniu, Chengdu, Sichuan
7 Chengdu Cultural Park in Sichuan Opera
Chengdu’s Cultural Park (Wenhua Gongyuan) in the western part of the city is home to the ancient Taoist Qingyang Temple from the Tang period of 618-907 AD. (The current buildings date from the Qing period between 1644-1911). Particular highlights include the Pavilion of the Eight Trigrams (Bagua Ting) with its eight stone pillars and intricate carvings of dragons and other symbols of Chinese culture. The park is also where you’ll find the Shufeng Sichuan Opera House , one of the city’s premier cultural destinations and home to numerous regular performances of traditional Chinese music and theater.
Adres: 23 Qintai Lu, Chengdu
8 The Monastery of Noble Light
In the small town of Xindu, just 18 kilometers northeast of Chengdu, the Monastery of Precious Light (Baoguang Si) is well worth taking the time to visit. This sprawling complex dates back to the Han Dynasty of 24-220 AD and consists of more than 20 well-preserved buildings dating from 1670, including a beautiful pagoda, five temples and 16 courtyards spread over an area of approximately 20 hectares. Perhaps the most impressive is the 13-storey Sarira Pagoda which survives intact from the Tang period of 618-907. Other highlights include archaeological displays, including a stone tablet containing 1,000 Buddha reliefs from 540 AD, and 500 life-size terracotta statues from the Qing period of 1644-1911.
9 Chengdu Huangcheng-moskee
One of China’s most important Muslim sites, the Chengdu Huangcheng Mosque dates back to the 18th century and is located in the heart of the city’s ancient Xicheng district. Although badly damaged by a Japanese air raid in 1941, the location is notable for its mix of traditional Chinese and Arabic-influenced architecture with its white walls and colorful flourishes, and is notable for its large 16-meter-long prayer hall covered in original tiles. Other highlights include the attractive central courtyard, the two gates, and a library with many block-printed Qurans written in both Arabic and Chinese. To find out the exact date the building was built, look for the beam with a plaque that reads: “Seventh Year of the Qianlong Empire” (the answer is 1742).
Adres: 80 Yongjin Street, Xicheng District, Chengdu
10 Jianmen Pass and Scenic Route
Accessible from Chengdu along the old Sichuan Road (Shudao), the Jianmen Scenic Route, although a round trip of over 300 kilometers, is often included in the itinerary for formalized tour groups, and is well worth a visit for those traveling alone or in smaller groups via professional tours that regularly depart from the city. This scenic route takes in the spectacular Jianmen Pass (Jianmen Guan) – or the Sword Gate Pass in English – known for its steep slopes surrounded by some 72 mountain peaks, as well as many important historical and cultural sites, including the Old Plank Road , the Thousand-Buddha Cliff, Mount Douchui and Huangze Temple. But the main highlight is the reconstructed gate itself, a stunning replica of the original that protected the road during the Ming Dynasty and centuries later.
Where to stay in Chengdu for sightseeing
We recommend these unique Chengdu hotels in convenient locations for visiting the top sites:
- The Temple House: stylish luxury, traditional and contemporary design, rooms and apartments, tea house, urban day spa, indoor pool with skylights.
- Chengdu Marriott Hotel Financial Center: mid-range pricing, sleek style, Mahjong room, marble bathrooms, spa and fitness center, indoor pool.
- Fraser Suites Chengdu: affordable modern apartments, full kitchens, wellness area with massage room, inviting pool and hot tub, playground for the kids.
- Travel with Hotel Chengdu (Wide and Narrow Alley): budget hotel, friendly staff, library, free bicycles.
Day trips from Chengdu
De Leshan Giant Buddha
De Leshan Giant Buddha
The Great Buddha of Leshan , a colossal stone statue of Maitreya, has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1996. 71 meters high and carved directly from the surrounding rock, this astonishing feat was started by a Buddhist monk named Haitong in 713 AD. After his death, the work was continued by a number of other monks and artists until it was finally completed in 803 AD. Today the figure is the largest Buddha image found anywhere in the world and attracts pilgrims and tourists from far and wide (it is also responsible for the saying, “The mountain is a Buddha and the Buddha is a mountain”).
Locatie: Leshan, Sichuan
Mount Emei and its temples
Mount Emei (Emeishan), dedicated to the Bodhisattva Puxian, stands 160 kilometers southwest of Chengdu and is definitely worth a visit. The highest peak of the mountain, the Peak of Ten Thousand Buddhas (Wanfo Ding), reaches a height of 3099 meters and is revered by Chinese Buddhists as one of the Four Sacred Mountains, the others being Mount Wutaishan in Shanxi Province, Mount Jiuhuashan in Anhui Province and Mount Putuoshan in Zhejiang Province. As shrouded in myth and legend as it is in clouds and mists, the first Taoist temples on Mount Emei were built during the Eastern Han Dynasty of 25-220, and from the Tang period of 618-907 AD it became a of the important destinations of Buddhist pilgrims because of its more than 200 shrines (20 temples and monasteries still survive).
The Dujiangyan irrigation system
Built in 250 BC, the fascinating Dujiangyan irrigation system near the town of Guanxian on the upper reaches of the Minjiang River, some 55 kilometers northwest of Chengdu, is well worth a visit. Built to prevent catastrophic flooding, this amazing system included a network of earth dams with sections branching into tributaries and canals to irrigate fields. The system includes interestingly named components such as the Fish’s Jaws, which acts as a watershed and a dike; the flood defense known as Flying Sands (Feisha Yan); and the canal, the neck of the precious bottle (Baoping Kou). As a result of this ingenious system, the Minjiang has not been flooded for more than 2,200 years, and the Chengdu Plain of central Sichuan has become one of China’s most fertile regions. A nearby landmark is the Cave of the Heavenly Master (Tianshi Dong), where Zhang Daoling, the founder of the Taoist religion, taught in a cave in Mount Qingcheng . The temple dates from the Sui period of 589 to 618 AD and includes a terracotta effigy of Zhang Daoling and three statues from 723 AD representing Fuxi, Shengong and Xianyuan, three rulers who lived in China in prehistoric times.
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