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Voykit pocket guide · China
Chengdu
成都
Go to Chengdu to see giant pandas and eat real Sichuan hotpot; allow 2–3 nights, more if you add a day trip to the Leshan Giant Buddha or Mount Emei by rail.
Chengdu is the capital of Sichuan province and the main gateway to western China. It has a panda breeding and research base on the edge of the city, a teahouse culture built around its old parks, and one of China's most distinctive regional cuisines. The Leshan Giant Buddha and Mount Emei are within a day trip by high-speed rail.
- Country
- China
- Local name
- 成都
- Best months
- Mar–May and Sep–Nov: mild temperatures and clearer skies than summer or winter
- Avoid
- Jul–Aug (hot, humid), Dec–Feb (cold, frequently overcast — Chengdu's basin geography traps low cloud)
- Stay
- 2–3 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- CNY
- Money
- Alipay and WeChat Pay accept Visa, Mastercard, JCB and Amex cards; single payments over ¥200 carry a fee of about 3% on a foreign card (smaller ones are free), and per-payment and yearly caps apply — check the app. Keep a second way to pay.
- SIM and data
- A roaming eSIM from outside China routes traffic through its home network, so Google, WhatsApp and Instagram work without a VPN — the simplest setup.
- Emergency
- Police 110 · Ambulance 120 · Fire 119
- Plugs
- Types A, C, I · 220 V · 50 Hz · Many sockets take flat two-pin (A), round two-pin (C) and angled three-pin (I) plugs; UK plugs need an adapter.
- Tipping
- Restaurants: No tip; upmarket hotels add 10–15% service.; Taxis and DiDi: No tip.; Tour guides and drivers: Expected on organised tours: about ¥100–200 a day for a guide, ¥50–100 for a driver.; Hotel porters: Not expected; ¥10–20 in luxury hotels.
- Water
- Not for drinking from the tap; bottled water ¥2–5, and kettles and free bottles in hotel rooms. Restaurants serve hot water or tea.
- Toilets
- Public toilets are frequent and free; squat toilets outside hotels and malls. Carry tissues — many have no paper.
Get in
By air
- TFU · Chengdu Tianfu
- Metro Line 18 links to the centre in about 50 minutes
- CTU · Chengdu Shuangliu
- Closer to the centre; Metro Line 10
Get around
The metro is the easiest way to reach the panda base, Jinli Street and both rail stations. Taxis and ride-hailing (Didi) are common; set up Alipay or WeChat Pay in advance.
See and do
Known for
- Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding
- Sichuan hotpot and mapo tofu
- Jinli Street's Qing-dynasty-style old town
- Leshan Giant Buddha, a day trip by rail
- Teahouse culture in People's Park
Sleep
- Tianfu Square
- Central, on the metro, walkable to People's Park and shopping.
- Chunxi Road
- Shops, restaurants and nightlife within walking distance of Jinli Street.
Language
Mandarin is the language of the whole country, written in Simplified characters; Cantonese dominates Guangdong and Hong Kong, and dozens of regional languages survive at home. English is on metro signs, airports and large hotels; elsewhere use a translation app. Pinyin (the romanisation) helps with names but tones change meaning.
- Translation apps: Baidu Translate, Youdao, Microsoft Translator and Apple Translate work without a VPN; Google Translate needs one or a roaming eSIM.
- Show destinations to taxi drivers in characters; copy them from Amap.
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake and a nod; use surnames with a title; avoid: Hugs and cheek kisses
- Face: Disagree privately and indirectly; avoid: Correcting or embarrassing someone in front of others
- Gifts: Give with two hands; expect the gift to be refused once or twice and opened later; avoid: Clocks, umbrellas, white flowers, sets of four
- Business cards: Present and receive with both hands, read it, keep it on the table; avoid: Writing on it or pocketing it at once
- Queues and crowds: Hold your ground politely in scrums at buses and lifts; avoid: Taking pushing personally
- Temples: Walk clockwise around Tibetan stupas and prayer wheels; remove hats; avoid: Touching statues or photographing where signs forbid
- Politics: Listen; follow your host's lead; avoid: Raising Tibet, Taiwan, Xinjiang, 1989 or the party leadership
- Numbers and colour: Red and 8 are lucky; red envelopes carry money gifts; avoid: Writing names in red; the number 4
Scams and watch-outs
- Sichuan food is genuinely very spicy; ask for wēi là (mild) if you're not used to it.
- Pandas are most active and least drowsy in the early morning; book base tickets ahead and arrive at opening.
- Winter air quality is often poor due to the basin's low cloud cover; check an air-quality app if it affects you.
- Foreign visitors need a valid visa or transit exemption; confirm current rules with official sources.
Low risk of crime against tourists; the main practical issues are winter air quality and spice tolerance.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Chengdu yet. Suggested stay: 2–3 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding
- Sichuan hotpot and mapo tofu
- Jinli Street's Qing-dynasty-style old town
- Leshan Giant Buddha, a day trip by rail
- Teahouse culture in People's Park
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Chengdu official portal: www.chengdu.gov.cn/
- Wikivoyage — Chengdu: en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Chengdu
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Printed from Voykit (/chengdu). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.