A city in southwestern China in the Minjiang River Valley is often called the "City of Chengdu Pandas." These animals are the pride of the local natural reserve. Tourists do not get bored here - the choice of entertainment is quite impressive.
Historical Chronicles of Chengdu (China)
Legend has it that in IV century BC eh... the founders came here and said: "The first year is to become a village, the second is to become a city, the third is to become a capital." Here is the end of this phrase "to become the capital" and became the name - Chengdu.
The place was famous for its production of brocade, therefore it was often called the "city of brocade" - Jincheng. Down to up to 316 Changdu - a city in China, the capital of the kingdom of Shu. Over the next centuries, it consistently became the capital of various states that were formed and disappeared. It became part of the PRC in 1949.
Location
Chengdu in China is located in the Sichuan Basin and occupies the plain of the same name. Territory of the urban district (area 12390 sq. m) stretches 192 km from west to east, and 166 km from north to south. It is sheltered from the northern winds by the Qinling Mountains. From here to Beijing - 1521 km.
The city can be safely attributed to one of those that make up the center of the country, but not everyone can boast of such a rich history. In total, there are 11 prefectures and 5 counties, the predominant population is Chinese and small peoples of the surrounding villages and towns.
Note! The time in Chengdu is exactly the same as in all of China. Although the country covers 5 time zones at once, it is the same in each settlement - Beijing.
How to get to the city
In Chengdu, the airport is located just 15 km from the city limits. In terms of workload, it is the second in the country (passenger traffic is more than 40 million passengers per year). The official name is Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport, but it is often called Shaunlu Airport.
In addition, the city is the largest railway junction, where 4 transnational lines converge - they are served by 4 stations. Roads lead to the neighboring provinces of Shaanxi, Yunnan and the Tibet Autonomous Region. There is an autobahn to Chongqing.
When is the best time to go to the city of pandas in China
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The local climate is rather mild. The rainy season lasts from June to September, so the year is divided into 2 unequal parts.
In summer, the temperature fluctuates between + 25 ... + 37 ° С.
The peak tourist season, due to the remoteness of the city from the coast, falls on the Chinese New Year, given that the average temperature in January is + 5 ° C and the weather is usually sunny.
Attractions and entertainment
The city of pandas Chengdu is interesting in itself, but many interesting places are located in the immediate vicinity.
Giant Panda Breeding and Research Center
The panda in China is a national symbol. The center is located 15 km from the city and covers 66 hectares. Now 86 pandas live here. The landscaped area has animal houses, a museum, a swan lake, souvenir shops, 3 restaurants.
Ticket price - 58 yuan... The best time to visit is from 8.30 am to 10.00 am, when you can watch the feeding of the pandas. Tickets can be booked online at the center's website.
Jinli Ancient Street
The street is famous for being over 1800 years old. On a 350 m long stretch, there are buildings dating back to the Ming and Qing eras.
Light brick houses with blue tiled roofs and red and black railings are lined with teahouses, shops, bars and hotels.
Memorial temple of Uhoutsi
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In the southern part of the city, there is the Uhoutsi temple complex, which covers an area of 37,000 square meters. m. in 223 AD e. The temple is dedicated to Zhu Gelyan, a famous commander. It is also the burial place of Emperor Liu Bei of the Three Kingdoms era.
Uhoutsi is interesting for its collection of sculptures of generals and officials from the era of the Shu kingdom, Lotus Pond and a beautiful garden.
Wenshu monastery
To get here, head towards Wenshu Yuan Jie Street to No. 15. Here is one of the best-preserved Buddhist complexes in the city. Presumably, the buildings were erected in 618-907. e. It houses a precious collection of 500 paintings and calligraphic canvases from the Tang and Sung eras.
Note!The monastery has 300 statues of Buddha made of all kinds of materials, the largest of which is White, brought here from Burma in 1922.
Guests will be interested in visiting the largest Tea House in the city.
Big Buddha
Leshan Buddha is a 2-hour drive from the city. height 71 m, which is the largest stone work in the world. It is carved into the rock at the confluence of 3 rivers: Dadu, Ming and Qingyi.
The statue is located in a niche designed to symbolize refuge. You can see the attraction in 2 ways: by buying a ticket for the trail that leads along the stairs cut down next to the slope, for 80 yuan, or to inspect it from the water, by purchasing a ticket for a tourist boat for 70 yuan.
White Dragon Cave
The ancient Buddhist temple was built in the III century BC. It was carved into the caves of Mount Eimeshan and consists of 3 large halls. The mountain with a height of 3099 m is located quite far from the city - 160 km in the south-west. It is one of the sacred in China and is dedicated to the Bodhisattva Pusyan.
Of greatest interest to tourists are the beautiful stalagmites and stalactites in the cave temple, shimmering in different colors. Nobody knows how many there are. According to legend, once upon a time in this mountain lived a fabulous monster - a snow-white serpent-dragon.
Note!This cave is just one of the 200 Buddhist attractions concentrated in this place.
Monkey sanctuary
Going on a tour towards Mount Eimeshan, one cannot ignore one of the most interesting local attractions for children and adults - the monkey reserve. It was created in 1998 to preserve the population of Tibetan macaques.
Live here today 1200 animalsnot found anywhere else on the planet. Macaques are very sociable. They are not afraid of people and like to beg for goodies.
Cathedral of the Golden Peak
Temple built in II century e., crowns Mount Eimeshan at an altitude of 3099 m. You can get into it in 2 ways: by an ordinary staircase from the foot, or by a funicular. Those who decide to climb on foot will have to spend several days on it.
The layout of the temple is elongated, in fact, it is one hall 65 m long. From the observation deck, fenced with handrails, a stunning view of the area around the mountain opens, especially at dawn. The structure was named the Golden Peak for a reason - it was gold that was used in the decoration of statues, roofs and decoration elements.
Gorge of nine villages
400 km from Chengdu in the mountains of Suchuan province is the Jiuzhaigou Nature Reserve with an area of 600 square meters. Opened it in 1972, and in 1982 it acquired the status of a national park.
There are 9 Tibetan villages in the gorge, of which 7 are inhabited.
On the territory of the park there are 108 transparent lakes as a tear. It is also home to several of the rarest animals - the golden monkey and pandas. They come here for the sake of virgin beautiful nature, because local residents are forbidden here to engage in any kind of crafts and agriculture: they only provide escort for tourists.
Summer residence of emperors
The Bishushanzhuang palace complex (which means “refuge in the mountains from the summer heat”) is a country residence of the Chinese rulers. It occupies 560 hectares and is surrounded by a 10 km long wall. The Temple of Eternal Blessing is located here, as well as the family sanctuary of the Qing Dynasty.
Note!It will take several days to inspect all 260 objects of the complex.
Once the residence was surrounded by 12 temples, but now only 7 of them have survived.
What to see in the vicinity
You should definitely look into the Taoist Temple of the Green Goat. The temple complex includes several palaces displaying the traditional Chinese style of the 6th-9th centuries. The name is given by 2 bronze statues that adorn the entrance - goats, whose body parts are borrowed from the animals of the Zodiac. Among tourists, this temple in Chengdu is the most popular.
Those who are not interested in antiquities should definitely visit the New Century Global Center, which opened in 2013.
It is the largest building in the world: length 500 m, width - 400 m, height - 100 m... Its area is 1.86 million square meters. What is missing here: a water park, an ice rink, a hotel, shops, cinemas, game centers, shops, a university and much more.
Chengdu City Accommodation and Accommodation
There are many accommodation options for tourists. Hotels on the map are presented in all categories: from one to seven stars, as well as private apartments, scattered from the center to the outskirts quite densely.
If the period of stay is long, then it is profitable to rent a house. In 2021, the cost of renting a 1-room apartment in the center was 23 thousand rubles.
Districts: where is it better to live
The most popular among tourists are 2 districts: Qing Yang and Jin Jiang. They have the best transport accessibility and convenience of location in relation to attractions (temples, museums, parks).
The Jin Jiang area is a modern business center with many shops, clubs, cinemas and hotels.
Where and how to eat
The vast majority of the local numerous cafes and restaurants will offer a large selection of dishes in the Sichuan culinary tradition. These are spicy aromas and a stunning pungency.
Popular delicacies include Ma Po bean curd, hot pot, nutty chicken and spicy chowder. An institution worth visiting is Huangcheng Laoma located on Kintai Road. No less famous are 2 restaurants: Tanyutou and Shizilou.
Shopping and shops
A shopaholic's paradise is Chunxi Street: there is simply a colossal number of boutiques and shops that are open from 10:00 am to 10:00 pm. In addition, there are many shopping centers of various sizes scattered around the city, the largest of which is the New Century Global Center.
Souvenirs: what to bring as a gift
You can bring bamboo products to friends and acquaintances as a gift: boxes, kitchen and writing utensils (with replaceable parts).
Patterned silk (brocade) is a local pride, you can buy it in many places, but the price bites. And, of course, there is a huge selection of varnished wooden handicrafts everywhere: boxes, fans, dishes, ornaments.
How to get around the city
The most popular ways to move are:
- regular buses (travel around 30 cents), but all stops are announced only in Chinese;
- taxi (the price depends on the time of day - higher at night), but in general, at least 6 times more expensive than a bus;
- metro (the fare is paid up to $ 1), all the names of the stops are duplicated in English.
Locals drive cars and motorcycles: bicycles are a thing of the past. More and more citizens prefer to use the metro.
China has many large settlements with more or less attractions. Among them, in terms of the richness and variety of interesting places among the leaders - Chengdu, where to spend a vacation or vacation will be interesting for young people, couples with children and just travelers from all over the world.
