Chengdu Travel Guide

Overview

Chengdu Located to the west of the Sichuan basin on Chengdu Plain is the city of Chengdu, a key city in the southwest regions of China. Since ancient times,the famous Dujiangyan hydraulic irrigation project had won Chengdu the fame of being a"Land of Abundance.Constructed in the 3rd century, Dujiangyan is the world's oldest irrigation project that does not employ the use of a dam. Its successful construction enables Chengdu Plains to be free from disasters such as floods, droughts, and Famine.

Rich and populous Chengdu has a special tea and recreation culture. The standard of living in Chengdu is among the best in China, and the people's lifestyle is unique among the Chinese cities. Time is required for one to fully appreciate the easy and comfortable life in Chengdu. Sadly, most people tend to regard Chengdu as a stopover city. Even in tourism, the travel agencies usually recommend locations such as Mount Qingcheng.

Dujiangyan Irrigation System, Mount E'mei, Jiuzhaigou Valley and Huanglong as the main attractions of that region. This is because the natural and historical heritages in the regions of Chengdu are truly outstanding, and they are the chief reason why visitors flock from all over the world to Chengdu. As such, many people miss out on the splendor of Chengdu the city, itself, and fail to realize that the unique culture of Chengdu and the carefree city life is not easily found anywhere else in China.

In Chengdu, eating is a satisfying activity, and one does not have to patronize a famous or expensive restaurant for a good meal. In fact, it is the wide variety of snacks--such as Long chaoshou(dumpling soup), Lai tangyuan(glutinous rice balls), Fuqi feipian(couple beef slices), Dandan noodles, and old Sichuan dried beef.

That truly reflects the charm of Sichuan cuisine. At night,the food streets of Chengdu, namely, the west of Yanshi Street, Kehua North Road, Embassy Road, and Wangping Street, come to life. Business is vibrant there, and customers come for the delicious snacks. Chengdu cuisine is one of the four major cuisines of China, and it is predomi nantly hot and spicy. It is so popular that it has found its way into other parts of China, and many cities, such as Shanghai, Suzhou and angzhou, which are known for their light-tasting cuisines, are abound with restaurants that serve Sichuan cuisine. Hence, the value of Sichuan cuisine is not to be underestimated.

Giant Panda. Chengdu is the great place where you can see the cute black and white bears up close and personal. With more than 80 giant pandas in Chengdu panda base, you can stroll through the green bamboo groves, meet pandas in different enclosures, watch them munching on bamboo, climbing trees and play fighting with each other, and sleeping, etc.

Leisure Life. In this laid-back city, no matter how quick the city develops and how fast-paced the locals move, the consistent relaxed and calm way of life resonates throughout every aspect of Chengdu.

Gateway City. For the geographical location, Chengdu is also served as gateway city to nearby attractions, like Leshan Giant Buddha, Mount Emei, Dujiangyan Irrigation System, as well as to Jiuzhaigou, Hongyuan, and West Sichuan. It is also one of the most popular gateway cities to Tibet, no matter transfer by flight or by train.