Renowned for spicy food, pandas, and a laid-back pace of life Chengdu is the perfect city for a taste of Han Chinese culture in southwest China.  Locals love to eat spicy hotpot and street barbecue en masse after spending an afternoon drinking tea and playing cards or mahjong at one of the city's countless teahouses.  As Sichuan province is home to the giant panda, Chengdu has been dubbed the panda city. Just outside town the Giant Panda Breeding and Research Base marks the world's leading panda research center.  With a history of more than 2300 years Chengdu still contains a few spots that provide a fascinating view into China's important past.  At the same time the city is very representative of the nation's rapid modernization as new office buildings shoot up alongside Daoist and Buddhist temples and shrines.  Don't confuse Chengdu and Sichuan Province with just anywhere in Han China though.  The Sichuanese are proud of their storied cuisine, hearty local dialect, warm and relaxed personalities, and the fertile plains and epic mountains which define their home.  

Activities in Chengdu include:

Hugging a panda at the Giant Panda Research Base

Savoring a vegetarian meal alongside monks at the Wenshu Buddhist Monastery  

Gaping at the world's largest stone carved Buddha in nearby Leshan   

View the archaeological discoveries of the 5,000 year-old Sanxingdui Civilization

Sipping tea amongst the locals in an atmospheric riverside teahouse

Private Sichuan cuisine cooking lessons with a your own personal chef

Braving an unforgettable spicy Sichuan hotpot meal

Wading through crowds of 21st century Chinese shoppers on Chunxi Road

Visit Songpan on an Overland China journey:
Bountiful Sichuan
Secrets of Sichuan
Treasure of Southwest China