1 day, about 8 hours · History and culture lovers, second day in the city
Chengdu Culture Day: Shrines, Streets & Face-Changing Opera
A slower day in old Chengdu — the Wuhou Shrine and Jinli street, Du Fu's Thatched Cottage, a People's Park tea house, and an evening Sichuan Opera face-changing show.
Highlights
- Wuhou Shrine — China's famous Three Kingdoms memorial garden
- Jinli Ancient Street for snacks, crafts and lantern-lit lanes
- Du Fu's Thatched Cottage, home of China's great poet
- A covered-bowl tea and ear-cleaning in People's Park
- Evening Sichuan Opera with face-changing (bian lian)
A step-by-step feel
09:30
Wuhou Shrine
A tranquil temple and garden honouring the heroes of the Three Kingdoms. We explain the story so the statues and halls actually mean something.
11:00
Jinli Ancient Street
Right beside Wuhou — a lively old-style street of snack stalls, tea and handicrafts. Good for an early grazing lunch of Sichuan street food.
13:30
Du Fu's Thatched Cottage
Du Fu is one of China's most celebrated poets, and this leafy riverside park marks the simple thatched home he lived in during four productive years in the 8th century, after fleeing war further north. Wander the bamboo groves, lotus ponds and reconstructed cottage, and stop at the memorial halls displaying his poems in both Chinese and English. It's one of the calmest, greenest spots in the city — a deliberate change of pace after the crowds of Jinli.
15:30
People's Park & Heming Tea House
The heart of relaxed Chengdu: tea under the trees, mahjong, and the famous (and ticklish) ear-cleaning if you're brave.
19:30
Sichuan Opera face-changing show
An evening variety show of face-changing, fire-spitting, hand-shadow and comedy. We book the seats and get you there — a Chengdu classic.
What's included
- Private car with driver for the day
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- English-speaking companion (optional add-on)
- Help booking Sichuan Opera show tickets
- Entrance-ticket booking for the sights
Not included
- Entrance tickets and Sichuan Opera show tickets (at cost)
- Meals, drinks and tea-house costs
- Personal expenses and tips
Ready when you are
Tell us your dates and what you'd like to see. We usually reply within a few hours.