Visitor's Information for Chengdu

Chengdu is located on the edge of the fertile plains of the Red Basin in China's Sichuan province. Due to its agricultural wealth, Chengdu is sometimes called the "Land of Milk and Honey". The Funan river bisects the city, although boat traffic, common until the 1960's, has all but vanished. The greater city area is divided into five districts and 12 counties, altogether home to more than 9.2 million people. Chengdu has the reputation as a very "laid-back" city that emphasizes culture and relaxation and as a result of this and much green space is ranked one of the most livable mega-cities in China. It is credited with a good nightlife scene and contains many new western style buildings in the large city center. Summer weather is hot and humid, as the city is surrounded by small mountains to the east and sits in the Red Basin. Furthermore, to the west lie the foothills of the mighty Tibetan Plateau and the fabulously scenic mountains of west Sichuan. The city's most touted sites are the many temples and historical sites, however most are modern re-constructions of little interest and with extremely high entrance fees. Though Sichuan's other sites may be of greater interest, Chengdu is a nice city to fly into and stay a few days before exploring further into Sichuan.

Get in

Long Distance Public Bus (Coaches)

There are three bus stations in Chengdu, and they serve different destinations.

Chádiànzi, ☎ +86 28 8750 6610.

Destination : Dānbā, Hongyuan, JiÇ”zhàigōu, Rìlóng, Ruo Ergai, Sōngpān, Wòlóng

XÄ«nnánmén, ☎ +86 28 8543 3609.

Destination:  Daocheng, Éméi Shān, JiÇ”zhàigōu, Kāngdìng, Lèshān, Sōngpān

Wuguiqiao

Destination:  Chongqing,

By train

Frequent buses also leave for Chongqing, which is the beginning of many cruises down the Yangtze. These tours are available around town in Chengdu, and include transport to Chongqing, about three or four hours away. Train connections are available to Kunming in Yunnan, Chongqing and Xi'an..

By air

The airport is located 20km outside of Chengdu centre. Chengdu airport is one of the main air hubs in China, ranked 5th in passenger volume. It has flights to most major cities in China and some international destinations including Amsterdam, Bangkok, Hong Kong, Osaka, Phnom Penh, and Singapore. It serves flights to smaller cities within Sichuan Province, including the popular tourist destination of Jiuzhaigou.

Taxi fare from the airport to the city center averages ¥45. There is no extra charge for luggage or additional passengers. Going from the city to the airport, add an additional ¥10 to cover the toll on the Airport Expressway. There is also bus no. 303, which will take you to the Air China airline office on Renmin Nanlu (2. Section) next to the entrance of the Minshan-Hotel (there is no bus stop! just look for a bunch of taxis/pedicabs, since they are also waiting for the bus :). You are right in the center of the city and it costs ¥10 per person. The last bus leaves the airport around 1 am.

If you intend to take a taxi, be sure to turn LEFT when you exit the domestic arrival area toward the taxi stand and get in a marked, green-and-yellow or blue-and-yellow taxi. Turning right may lead you towards no-goods who are waiting to prey on foreign tourists with unmarked vehicles. Beware as these people sometimes sport official-looking ID, but is in reality fake. The fare offered will often exceed ¥100, and if you bargain with them, you may find yourself sitting in the cab for a while until agreeing to raise the price back up.

Get around

Chengdu does not have a raised highway system or a subway system, and consequently rush hour traffic can be hellish. Plan your itinerary around not having to be on the road during these hours.

  • Chengdu has an extensive system of city buses plying the streets. At each bus stop, there is a list of the bus lines coming through on this road, and on some city maps the whole network is displayed. However, the bus lines and maps only use Chinese characters, and even if the bus announces the station, it will usually only be in Chinese. Tickets are ¥1 for common and ¥2 for air-conditioned buses. After 10pm, tickets are ¥2 for common and ¥3 for air-conditioned buses.
  • Taxis are equipped with meters, which should be used, although they can be difficult to find. A free taxi will display an illuminated sign with Chinese characters in its dashboard. Taxi fare is ¥5 on flagfall and increase at ¥1.4 per km. At night, the fare is ¥7 on flag fall and increase at ¥1.6 per km.The meter records fares in increments of ¥1. Try to have small change on hand for taxi rides. Taxis can be extremely difficult to find, particularly during rush hour or when it's raining.
  • There are still some motorized bicycle-propelled pedicabs called san lun che (三轮车) which can take you moderate distances. Fix a price (¥4-10) in advance. They passengers ride behind the driver. The ride is fun, but san lun che are being phased out and are forbidden cross or ride on certain streets, and may be gone altogether soon.
  • Most guest houses have bicycles for hire. Check for technical problems before starting out unless you want to be held responsible for it later. If you leave your bicycle, do so in one of the designated "parking lots", where it will be guarded over for a small fee. If you can't find such a place, be sure to lock it securely against some structure.
  • A subway system is under construction. The first line is slated to open in 2010. It will start at Tian Fu Square and extend southward down Ren Min Nan road.


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