Chengdu is situated in central china and it is the capital of Sichuan province.It is the most populous city in central china and the 5th largest city in China in terms of population. Chengdu is an important financial, economic, commercial and cultural hub of central china. I was flying from Auckland to Hong Kong via Sichuan Airlines and i had a long stopover of 12 hours at Chengdu. Chinese people love pandas and Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding is the most popular tourist destination in Chengdu. I skipped the Giant Panda Breeding center because i had only 12 hours in Chengdu and wanted to explore other tourist sites.
Tianfu Square – There are direct bus services from Chengdu airport to city center and the whole journey takes about 30 minutes. Tianfu square is the center of Chengdu and number of major tourist destinations are located near the square. Tianfu square subway station is located at the basement and it is a major transfer station of Chengdu. Tourist attractions like Sichuan Art Museum, Chengdu Museum, Sichuan Science and Technology Museum, Sichuan Library and People’s Park are located at close proximity from the square. The huge 30 m statue of Mao Zedong situated at center of Tianfu square with his right hand waving to Chengdu Citizens is the major attraction of Tianfu square. Tianfu square is the symbol of Sichuan province and it shouldn’t be missed during your trip to Chengdu.
Wide & Narrow Alley Chengdu– Wide & Narrow Alley is located near People’s park and it is one of the major historical and cultural center of Chengdu. The alleys are known for shopping, tea houses, entertainment and local snacks. I would strongly recommend to visit the place during afternoon time because it is less crowded.
It is a great location to see ancient architecture of Chengdu and it is great place to capture some nice photos for Instagram. The area consists of three different alleys called narrow alley, wide alley and well alley. All the three alleys looked similar to me and it was very difficult to differentiate the alleys from each other. The alleys also features painting exhibitions, handicrafts and sculptures.
People’s Park– People’s park is situated about 15 minutes walk from Tianfu square. It is the largest park in Chengdu and it features lakes, gardens, children park and monuments. I visited the park early morning and i saw number of old people practicing Tai chi and playing badminton. I saw around 5 to 6 groups dancing to different types of music at the dancing area situated at the center of the park. Around the park i saw caricature artists, toy shops, snack shops, people playing cards, people singing Karaoke and people jogging around the park. People’s park is a great place to experience lifestyle of local people of Chengdu.
Wuhou shrine & Jinli street – Jinli street is located by around 20 minutes walk from People’s park. Many restaurants, souvenir shops and street snacks shops are located in the street. The total length of the street is around 500 m and it is one of the top pedestrian streets in China. Many cafes and bars are located in the street and it is a great place for nightlife in Chengdu. I tried some nice sichuan dishes and snacks from the Sichuan restaurants located in the area. Wuhou shrine is located just next to Jinli street. Wuhou shrine is the most serene place in Chengdu and there is also a beautiful garden located near the shrine. The entrance ticket cost for the temple is 60 RMB. The shrine consists of two gates, a corridor and two main halls. It was a long day for me after a 14 hours flight from Auckland to Chengdu but i really enjoyed visiting Chengdu as a day trip. I would recommend to spend at least 2 days during your visit to Chengdu.
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