Chengdu Itinerary: Pandas, Opera, Hot Pot, and a Giant Buddha in 2 Days

Chengdu China is probably best known for its Giant Panda Research Center. And while this is a highlight of our Chengdu itinerary, it’s only one of several fascinating things to do in Chengdu and the surrounding area. It’s also home to Sichuan Opera and some fabulous regional foods.

And the good news, for me, the Sichuan food wasn’t always super spicy. In fact, we could set some of it the spiciness levels we each preferred.

Nearby Leshan is home to the world’s largest Buddha; plus, there is shopping, dining, and entertainment.

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What to include in a Chengdu itinerary

With limited time, we had to pick the best things to do in Chengdu China and the surrounding area. And in this case, we found it fairly easy. Here is our list of the top five Chengdu attractions. It is possible to do all of this, plus add some shopping, eating, and discovering into the mix.

• Panda research centre (Officially: the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding)
• Sichuan Opera
• Authentic Sichuan hot pot
• Day trip from Chengdu to Leshan to see the giant Buddha
• Leshan street market
• Jiajiang Tianfu Tea Plantation
• Ancient village of Huanglongxi

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Panda research centre

Whether you come here to learn about pandas, or just to see the adorable animals enjoying a more natural surrounding, we highly recommend coming here. Visiting pandas in Chengdu is one of several highlights of our time in China.

The Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding is the first open laboratory for endangered animal research and conservation in China, and a UNESCO site. With displays also in English, we learned about the giant panda, the research currently being done, their current troubles, and how we can help. The centre is also home to other endangered wildlife, including red pandas, swans, peacocks, birds, butterflies, and hundreds of insects. And, the grounds are stunning.

But let’s get real, we came for the pandas, and boy did we enjoy what we saw. There was an overdose of adorable even before we made our way to the enclosure housing the baby pandas. Here, our timing was perfect. Mama panda was assisting baby panda as he tried to climb a tree.

The Panda Research Centre is a must-do on any Chengdu itinerary. We took transportation provided by our hotel. Had that not been an option, we would have gone with a tour that picks up and drops off at Chengdu hotels.
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Sichuan opera

Having the ability to attend a Sichuan opera was our initial motivation for spending the night in Chengdu. However, in the end, we wished we had more than two days on our Chengdu itinerary. Sichuan opera is a colourful mix of styles, each act being completely different than the one before.

There was drumming, comedy, acrobatics, fire-spitting, and face change.
Click here if you want to get tickets with hotel transfers.

Learning to eat hot pot

If just hearing the word ‘Sichuan’ conjures up hot and spicy flavours, you won’t be disappointed. Spicy aromas surrounded us in the Sichuan province, yet we nearly always found a mild option.

A new favourite for us was learning how to eat hot pot. Our day two guide took us to an authentic restaurant where being the only English speakers around was not a problem – mostly because he was with us.

The beauty of the traditional Sichuan hot pot is that we have control over the level of spiciness, although my definition of “mild” was probably stretched a bit here. Jeff was ready to brave “hot” but followed our guides advice and went for the medium temperature, which was more than enough spice. 

What we were served was a pot of water placed on a stove-top burner built into the table. In it was oil, spices, and a few vegetables. Once boiling, we chose from a variety of meats and veggies and “cooked” them in our hot pot. (We have enjoyed a similar meal in Melbourne Australia.)

Visiting the Giant Buddha in Leshan

Carved into the hillside on Mount Lingyun, the Giant Buddha of Leshan is the world’s largest Buddha. Created in 713 AD during the Tang Dynasty, the seated Maitreya Buddha is 71 metres high and overlooks the confluence of the Min and Dadu rivers.

The area, known as the Mount Emei Scenic Area, is a UNESCO site. It was home to the first Buddhist temple in China and is considered one of Buddhism’s holiest sites. If time permits, it is a lovely area to explore.

The drive from Chengdu to Leshan Buddha takes about 2 hours. Viewing options are either from the river on a boat, or walking the steep and narrow plank pathways alongside and in front of the Buddha. Our plan was to do both, with the boat first.

However, for us, the boat felt like enough and we opted for more variety in our day after the boat trip. We were glad that we had hired a private guide for the day as this gave us the flexibility to change our plans.

Taking an organized tour from Chengdu is the other option for seeing the Giant Buddha. Here are two top-rated tours:

• Leshan Grand Buddha Scenic Area and Panda Park Day Tour: This 12-hour day from Chengdu hits the two biggest highlights of the region. If you only have one day, this is the way to go. Visit two UNESCO sites in a day and see the best of the region.
  Click here for price and reviews.
• Leshan Giant Buddha and Huanglongxi Ancient Town Day Trip: A shorter day by a couple of hours, this one also starts and ends in Chengdu.
  Click here for price and reviews.

Leshan street market

After opting not to do the walk alongside the Buddha, we suddenly found ourselves with extra time on our hands and took a stroll through the Leshan street market. Not a must-do, but a fun look at daily life and a chance to pick up a quick snack.

Jiajiang Tianfu Tea Plantation

Another stop between Chengdu and Leshan is the Jiajiang Tianfu Tea Plantation. A few samples and I purchased an interesting buckwheat tea. However, it was the terraced tea fields and the huge teapot fountain that we found the most interesting.

Ancient village of Huanglongxi (a last-minute add to our Chengdu itinerary)

By skipping the multi-hour walk along the giant Buddha, we had time to visit the ancient village of Huanglongxi and enjoy some of its folklore and customs. While it’s free to enter, it was definitely more fun with our private guide as he told stories that we just wouldn’t know otherwise.

It’s a place with over 1700 years of history, highlighting a culture embedded in water, tea, farming, and Buddhism. Be sure to take a boat ride down the river, as that was one of our highlights.

In retrospect, we would recommend including a stop here on your Chengdu itinerary, rather than stumbling upon on it, like I did.

Our Chengdu itinerary

We opted to spend three nights, but only two days in Chengdu. Flying in just after dinner from Xi’an, we were able to take a quick walk, then relax and unwind before a good night’s sleep.

Day 1: We spent the morning at the Panda Research Centre, using the transportation provided (for a fee) from our accommodation. We spent the afternoon walking around Chengdu, a much more modern town than we had expected. In the evening, we enjoyed the Sichuan opera.

Day 2: We hired a private guide who picked us up from our hotel, took us to Leshan to see the Giant Buddha, and also to the hot pot restaurant, Jiajiang Tianfu Tea Plantation, and Huanglongxi. We returned to our accommodation near dinner time. We ate locally, got a good sleep, and caught an early flight to Beijing.

Was this the ideal Chengdu itinerary?

No. If I were to do it again, and I had the flexibility, I would have spent one more day, done everything a bit slower, and had time to explore more of the off the beaten path destinations.

Travel planning tips

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What will be on your Chengdu itinerary?