KORA / Cities — Sichuan
Chengdu 成都
Local favourites
Where locals actually go.
Tianfu Art Park 天府艺术公园
Two art museums and a library around a lotus lake — free, and built like the city means it.
Chengdu 339 成都339
Western China's tallest tower, shot from a riverside street — the local BDO pilgrimage.
Jiaozi Park 交子公园
The financial district's lawn — an orange ring bridge, twin towers, and a light show most clear evenings.
Xinglong Lake 兴隆湖
The jelly-blue lake of the science city — with a bookstore whose reading wall sits below the waterline.
Luhu CPI 麓湖CPI
Lakeside galleries, buyer shops and coffee in a garden — the design crowd's 2024 favourite.
The big sights
The official way in.
Chengdu's two heavyweight sights run on official-channel tickets that trip up foreign visitors. The rules below come straight from those channels, which KORA tracks daily.
| Sight | Getting in | Tickets |
|---|---|---|
| Giant Panda Base 大熊猫繁育研究基地 | Timed-entry tickets sold only through the official channels (third-party resale stopped in 2024), up to 14 days ahead. Go for opening time — pandas eat early and sleep through the afternoon. | panda.org.cn |
| Dujiangyan & Qingcheng Shan 都江堰 · 青城山 | The 2,200-year-old irrigation works and the Taoist mountain, ticketed via the official WeChat account. Channels shift — front-mountain online booking was suspended by official notice in mid-July 2026, so check before you commit. | Official WeChat account |
When the booking flow defeats your passport
Both systems are real-name and Chinese-first; passports work in theory and jam in practice, especially inside WeChat mini-programs. Tell KORA which day you want; we handle the Chinese-only flow and send you the confirmation.
Read next
More Chengdu from KORA
The Apps That Actually Work
Maps, translation, payments, rides — the China stack to install before you land.
EverydayEating With Restrictions in China
Halal, vegetarian, allergies — how to say it, show it, and actually get it, in the spice capital.
EssentialsChina Transit Without a Visa
Chengdu is a 240-hour visa-free transit port — who qualifies and how the rules work.
FAQ
Good to know.
Do I really need to book the pandas in advance?
In summer, yes — same-day tickets are rare. Sales run through the official channels only (third-party resale was stopped in 2024), opening 14 days ahead. Book the earliest entry slot you can: pandas are fed in the morning and mostly sleep after noon.
Are the places on this list really free?
The parks, lakes and museum grounds all cost nothing, matching the local note they came from. Inside them, a few things are ticketed separately — special exhibitions at the art museums, or the observation deck at the 339 tower. Every place page states what's free and what isn't.
What is Rednote?
Rednote (小红书) is the app Chinese people actually use to decide where to eat, walk and shop — hundreds of millions of users posting first-person field notes. It's almost entirely in Chinese, which is why we read it so you don't have to.
First time in China?
KORA is the insider in your pocket.
Panda tickets, directions, translations, and a payment rescue when a QR code refuses your card.