ChinaRoam
ChinaRoam
Metro routes that work, tickets you can actually book, food you can order, and the payment hacks no guidebook prints — city by city.
Pandas, fiery hotpot and a famously laid-back cafe culture — the city where China slows down and eats very well.
Tianfu (TFU) is the main airport — Metro Line 18/19 to downtown in ~50 min. Shuangliu (CTU) is closer, Metro Line 10. High-speed rail links Chengdu to Chongqing (1h), Xi'an and Shanghai.
Fares ¥2–8, six lines and growing. Line 2 hits the shopping streets of Chunxi Road 春熙路; Line 4 reaches Kuanzhai Alley 宽窄巷子. Alipay metro QR works here.
DiDi is everywhere and cheap. The city is flat and bike-friendly — grab a shared bike for the neighborhoods.
The world-famous panda breeding center. GO EARLY — pandas are active at feeding time (~8:30) and nap by midday. Reserve with passport on the official site; a shuttle bus runs from downtown.
Reserve: Passport reservation recommended
Restored Qing-dynasty streets of teahouses, snack stalls and courtyard restaurants. Tourist-heavy but charming at dusk.
Reserve: None
Ancient-style lantern-lit street beside Wuhou Shrine — the most atmospheric place for evening street food and Sichuan snacks.
Reserve: None
Memorial to Zhuge Liang of the Three Kingdoms. Interesting for history buffs; combined ticket with Jinli next door.
Reserve: None
The signature experience — a bubbling cauldron of chili and numbing Sichuan pepper. Say 微辣 wei la for mild spice. Chains like Hai Di Lao 海底捞 are foreign-card friendly; local spots may be cash-only.
Skewers of everything, cooked in your hotpot, paid by the stick. Chengdu's most fun cheap meal.
The classic street noodle — sesame, chili and Sichuan pepper. Find it at any proper noodle shop.
Chengdu's legendary snack — spicy braised rabbit heads, eaten with beer. Not for everyone, but an authentic local ritual.
Alipay setup is the same as everywhere. Hotpot restaurants and street stalls are the most likely to be cash-only — carry ¥100–200.
Sichuan food is genuinely spicy, not just seasoned. '不辣 bu la' = no spice, '微辣 wei la' = mild. Drinkers love 冰粉 (iced jelly) as the dessert.
Less English than Shanghai/Beijing. Attractions and hotpot chains have English menus; translation apps are essential.
Mild and rainy year-round; autumn (Sep–Nov) is the sweet spot. Avoid the August heat.
ChinaRoam is a crowdsourced guide to traveling China, built for foreign visitors. We started with the city guides that everyone needs but nobody could find in English: how do I actually pay? How do I book a museum with my passport? Which metro line goes where?
Unlike tourist agencies and travel portals, every entry here is written by travelers who have been on the ground — and every guide is open for anyone to correct and improve. It's a living guidebook, not a static one.
Prices, opening hours, and visa rules change. Treat every entry as a strong hint, not gospel — check official sources for things that matter. And if you spot something wrong, correct it: that's the whole point.
No password needed — we sign you in with your email. Your tips will be signed with your name.
One tip = one fact that helps a fellow traveler. 30 seconds to write.
New contributors: your first tips are reviewed before going live. After 5, they publish instantly.