Make your next vacation destination Chengdu for its panda, food, culture and gorgeous scenery

Nylon

18-06-2025

Having only been to China on an exchange trip years ago when I was on an exchange trip in secondary school, I have never thought of returning to China as it wasn't a top priority destination for me. So, when I was given the opportunity to visit Chengdu, I was a little hesitant. The climbing panda at IFC Mall in Chengdu.
This, of course, was largely fuelled by the fear that every food in Chengdu was of mala-standard, and my half-past-six command of Mandarin. Despite the fears, I decided to take the plunge with the help of Trip.com's destination guide to make the best of my trip to Chengdu. Here's a look at some must-visit locations when you're in the city.
If there is one thing that could get me overly excited about visiting Chengdu, it is seeing those adorable panda bears.
As a world-class facility dedicated to the conversation, research, and breeding of giant pandas and other endangered wildlife, the base features a breathtaking landscape with lush vegetation and a simulated ecological environment that reflects the wild habitat of giant pandas, in addition to offering visitors interactive and educational exhibits to enhance public awareness of conservation efforts.
The Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding is the must-visit destination where you'll get a rare opportunity to see giant pandas both indoors and outdoors. I was lucky enough to see the pandas in their outdoor enclosures which was great as the space was huge and I didn't feel like I had to jostle with other folks just to get a video or photo.
With that said, I would recommend to visit the base early in the morning when the weather is cool as that's when you'll see the pandas lazing about or having their breakfast. The crowd is also much more manageable than in the afternoon.
And yes, for us merch-buying folks — there are many souvenir shops within the base where you can shop for those must-buy panda merch.
Held from 28 May to 3 June, the 9th International Festival of the Intangible Cultural Heritage is an event that gathers nearly 600 national and international cultural heritage projects from performing arts to traditional crafts and folk customs.
Since I was in Chengdu on the opening day, I had a chance to attend the opening ceremony at the Chengdu International Intangible Cultural Heritage Expo Park.
Co-hosted by the Sichuan Provincial People's Government, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, UNESCO, and the National Commission of the People's Republic of China for UNESCO, the festival was like a large gathering of cultures where we were not just treated to traditional performances and folk customs of Chengdu, but also to other customs and dances from countries like Italy, Mexico, France, Algeria, and Thailand.
While the opening ceremony may not be an experience open to the public, you are still able to enjoy the festivities that surround the festival dates at the park.
One of the most-talked about food when you're in Chengdu is hotpot and no one does it quite as grand as Margo Manor Hotpot — a large garden-like open air restaurant that makes you feel like you're dining in one of those period dramas.
Aside from the never-ending list of ingredients that you can enjoy with your hotpot, which include strange ones you might have never heard of like duck blood, black tofu and different variations of beef tripe, the restaurant also aced in the entertainment factor with performances on the lake.
While we were dining, we saw performers coming out to greet us as they sang on little boats that circled the lake we were seated next to. At one point, we even witnessed a scene from one of those 'wu xia' shows, where a woman was floating through the air and walking on water!
Safe to say it was a truly interesting dining experience that you would have to try for yourself in Chengdu.
A first of its kind in China — the Sichuan Cuisine Museum is an interactive museum where you don't just get to see and smell different types of Sichuan cooking but also taste the food.
Our first stop at the museum was to try out the various Sichuan cooking at a food hall of sorts where we could get tasting portions of different food such as dumplings, dan dan noodles, kung pao chicken, glutinous rice balls, and spicy noodles.
After we were fed, we headed off to see how different sauces were made and even witnessed a chef who blindfolded herself to show us how she cuts noodles in an extremely thin manner.
Our visit at the museum ended with a hands-on experience where we got to make our very own red bean panda bao by following an instructional video that played on the big screen. While I had hoped to taste my creation, we didn't get a chance to see our creation go to steam but here's hoping that someone else enjoyed my tasty creation.
While I'm still not a fan of Sichuan cuisine per se, I do have to say that it was a good place to experience all the different types of Sichuan food and forms of cooking, under one roof.
If you're in Chengdu, don't miss the chance to head out to Jiuzhaigou Valley, which is located on the edge of the Tibetan Plateau. A UNESCO World Heritage Site and easily accessible by high speed railway in just 2 hours, the valley is a sight not to be missed, especially with its crystal-clear lakes and breathtaking mountains.
The first thing we noticed about arriving in Jiuzhaigou is the drastic change in temperature which was below 18 degrees. This temperature will stay and get colder in the night so it is best to prepare warm clothes if you are looking to visit the valley.
Unlike the big cities, Jiuzhaigou is like a resort town of sorts, with its main attraction being the Jiuzhaigou Valley National Park. But, visiting that alone could take up more than your whole day, especially with all the hikes that you would need to do.
Although I am no nature gal myself, Jiuzhaigou Valley National Park is a gorgeous sight to behold especially with its natural lakes and mountains that just looks as if it came straight from a painting or a scene in those Chinese period dramas.
Even though most of the spots in the park get crowded from time to time, the huge space around makes it easy to navigate and you can still get beautiful photos or videos from almost any angle. And, just like any other tourist attractions, the park also has Tibetan costumes for rent so that you can take photos like the local — something that our tour guide didn't recommend as rental prices may not be cheap.
An important thing to note when you're visiting the park is to listen to your body, especially given that the conditions are different from when you are on ground. As you venture deeper into the park, you are bound to hit higher altitudes so it is common to feel more out of breath when you climb up or down the staircase, or even while walking long distances.
All in all, the visit to Jiuzhaigou was a magical one which made me appreciate our natural world and the beauty it contains, and this is a place that I would love to go back to when given the chance.