Things to Do in Chengdu

Chengdu is home to the only giant panda breeding research base open to the public, where you can see dozens of pandas in naturalistic settings.

The city has been continuously inhabited for over 2,500 years and was a major center of the ancient Shu Kingdom.

Chengdu's spicy hotpot tradition uses málà seasoning (numbing Sichuan peppercorns and chili) that's protected as a geographical indication product.

The city's name means 'perfect metropolis' in Chinese, derived from its ancient history as a planned settlement.

Chengdu's tea culture is so integral that there are hundreds of traditional teahouses where locals spend entire afternoons playing mahjong and drinking tea.

The city is located in a natural basin surrounded by mountains, which historically made it a strategic and isolated center of trade along ancient Silk Road routes.