In Chengdu, Ancient Wonders Meet Modern China
The capital of Sichuan Province combines archaeological marvels, giant pandas, and fiery hotpot within a megacity hurtling headlong into the future.
Famous for its giant pandas, Chengdu is also the gateway to one of the 20th century’s great archaeological mysteries. This year marks a century since a farmer’s spade accidentally unearthed a trove of jade and stone relics, leading to the discovery of the Shu Kingdom, a Bronze Age civilization that left behind bronze masks and other treasures but no trace of its people. It’s best to wander the capital of China’s Sichuan province slowly, letting the sights, sounds, scents, and especially tastes in this UNESCO City of Gastronomy wash over you slowly. Nurse a cup of jasmine tea contemplating its ancient mysteries during the day, then experience the mouth-numbing pleasures of its legendary hotpot in the evening.
(See all 25 of the destinations that made our list of the best places to visit in 2027.)
When to go
Spring and fall are ideal. Daytime temperatures between March and May are usually between 50 and 77 degrees, with gentle night rains—warm enough that you’ll only need to pack light layers and cool enough to enjoy long walks. The air is crisp between September and November, and the crowds are generally thinner. Avoid the first week of October, though; National Day on October 1, a celebration of the 1949 founding of the People’s Republic of China, kicks off a weeklong holiday.
What to Do
See Giant Pandas:
Visit this native species at the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, about seven miles north of the city. It’s least crowded when it opens (7:30 a.m. March to October; 8 a.m. otherwise). The pandas will be at their least frisky during the hot summer months.
Explore Archaeological Wonders:
About 40 minutes away by train and taxi, the Sanxingdui museum sits next to the ancient dig site where the secrets of the Shu Kingdom are still being excavated. Inside, gaze up at the 13-foot bronze sacred tree, the largest bronze artifact ever discovered, which dates to the Late Shang Dynasty more than 2,000 years ago, and check out the bronze masks, many of which have unique features like winged ears. Back in Chengdu, Jinsha will reopen after a 17-month renovation displaying its famous Sun and Immortal Birds circular gold ornament, an artifact discovered in 2001 on the site where the museum sits.
Drink Tea:
A gaiwan, or lidded bowl and saucer, of jasmine tea costs 20 yuan (about $3) at the century-old, open-air Heming Tea House inside People’s Park. Sip while listening to mah-jongg tiles clack on tables beneath the trees, consider enlisting the services of the ear-cleaner working the space with picks and a tuning fork, a generations-old Sichuan ritual.
Venture Out After Dark:
Take the Jinjiang River night cruise on a lantern-lit boat where you’ll have a chance to hear open-air opera performed dockside. Then check out Little Bar in the basement of the MixC Mallin the Wouhou District, which has been hosting the city's rock bands since the 1990s. Folk singer Zhao Lei called it out on his 2016 hit “Chengdu,” and fans have been flocking there ever since.
Getting Around
Most international flights land at Chengdu Tianfu International Airport, the newer long-haul hub about 35 minutes from the city center on metro line 18. The older Shuangliu Airport handles mostly domestic routes. The metro will take you almost anywhere in the city, and taxis and ride-hailing apps are cheap. Use high-speed rail is ideal for day trips to UNESCO sites: The Leshan Giant Buddha, the world’s largest stone Buddha, is about an hour south of the city; Dujiangyan, home to an ancient irrigation system, is less than an hour west, near Mount Qingcheng, the birthplace of Taoism.
