Must-see attractions in Chengdu

One of Chengdu’s most popular attractions, this panda park 18km north of the city centre is the easiest way to glimpse Sichuan’s most famous residents…

This Tang dynasty monastery is dedicated to Wenshu (Manjushri), the Bodhisattva of Wisdom, and is Chengdu’s largest and best-preserved Buddhist temple…

Spanning ancient Shu and pre-Qin dynasties to the Revolutionary era and modern Chengdu, this spectacular five-storey museum (completed in 2016) is packed…

In 2001 archaeologists made a historic discovery in Chengdu’s western suburbs: they unearthed a major site containing ruins of the 3000-year-old Shu…

Located adjacent to Nanjiao Park and surrounded by mossy cypresses, this temple (rebuilt in 1672) honours several figures from the Three Kingdoms period,…

Aficionados of Chinese history will enjoy a stop here for a look at Sichuan's past through Shu-era calligraphy and painting, bronze works and ceramics,…

Alongside Culture Park, this is Chengdu’s oldest and most extensive Taoist temple. Qingyang (Green Ram) Temple dates from the Zhou dynasty, although most…

Families will love the hands-on nature of this huge museum – almost every display is of a touchy-feely nature. Labels and descriptions are light on…

Rotating exhibitions of classical-style Chinese art in a traditionally styled courtyard building that's almost as artistic as the paintings within. It's a…

On weekends, locals fill this park with dancing, song and taichi. There’s a small, willow-tree-lined boating lake and a number of teahouses: He Ming…

Built for Wang Jian (847–918), a general who rose to power following the collapse of the Tang dynasty to rule as emperor of the Shu kingdom, this above…

This privately funded museum aims to create a space for the development and exhibition of contemporary and abstract art in Chinese society. Works on…

Very few things in Chengdu emphasise the stark contrast of modern and traditional China like the squat buildings of Daci Temple surrounded by the towering…

On a clear day the views from the outdoor 218m observation platform of the 339m Sichuan Tower are said to stretch all the way to Dujiangyan. On a hazy or…

A sprawling green park of ginkgo-lined paths, lotus-filled ponds (listen out for the massive frogs croaking happily away) and teahouses. There's also…

The earliest public nunnery in Sichuan, this Ming dynasty (1368–1644) nunnery was completely rebuilt in 2001. The small courtyard and two central halls…

This Tang dynasty Chan Buddhist temple is worth a quick stop, particularly if you're passing through the nearby Zhaojuesì bus station on the way back from…

This six-floor museum is understaffed and understuffed, and the regular rotating exhibitions are hit or miss, but the good is good enough to make it worth…