Chengdu
Attractions Chengdu 5 min read
Panda Base & a teahouse afternoon
Be at the panda base at 8am for feeding time, then spend the afternoon doing nothing in a People's Park teahouse.
Morning: the pandas
The Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding is 30 minutes north of the city. Pandas are active only 08:00-10:00; after that they sleep. Go early — it's the whole point.
- Book online with your passport; on-site queues are long
- Arrive at 7:30am opening; head straight to the adult enclosures
Afternoon: the teahouse
After pandas, do as Chengdu does: nothing, slowly. Heming Teahouse in People's Park is the classic — bamboo chairs, a ¥20 gaiwan of green tea, and an afternoon of it.
- No English menu; point at what the next table is drinking
- Cash or WeChat; no rush, no time limit
Evening
Walk Renmin South Road toward the river, then eat hotpot in the Yulin neighborhood.
Locals' Tip
Pandas are active only 08:00-10:00; after that they sleep. Go early, then go eat — that's the Chengdu rhythm.
Locals' Crowd