Second Visit to Chengdu & Chongqing: Artsy to the Core, All Practical Tips
Flying from Beijing to Chengdu takes only four hours. After landing, we hop on the airport bus, and about an hour later we're in the city center.
Arriving downtown around midnight, we head straight to Shu Daxia Hotpot on Jianshe Road. Their crispy pork strips are amazing! As northerners who can't handle spicy food, the mildly spicy broth was just right—only the spicy beef made us sweat. Average spend is about 90 yuan per person, quite reasonable.
Our accommodation near Jianshe Road was a homestay above Lujia International Hotel, with great night views and very close to the Jianshe Road snack street.
Itinerary: People's Park – Persimmon Courtyard – Kuanzhai Alley – Paotongshu Street – Zhiji Street – Xiaotong Lane – Kuixinglou Street (meal) – Wenshu Monastery – Yishan Zawu – Jinli
By 7:30 a.m., People's Park is already bustling. Inside you'll find Heming Teahouse, Liao Laoma's Pig Trotter Soup, and Zhong Dumplings flagship store—perfect for soaking up local laid-back life. A cup of tea costs 10–20 yuan. Sit down for tea, an ear-cleaning session, and some traditional opera. This earthy, everyday charm is truly soul-soothing.
People's Park also has a matchmaking corner; I heard solo female travelers might get approached by eager aunties.
Since we finished People's Park by 9 a.m. and the shops in the surrounding alleys hadn't opened yet, we headed to Kuanzhai Alley. At just past nine, it was noticeably less crowded. I wouldn't recommend the food and drinks inside—it's quite commercialized—so we just strolled through quickly and then explored the neighboring lanes.
Kuixinglou Street is a foodie paradise:
1. Mi Dou Tofu Pudding: still love it after a second visit. Their sweet fermented-rice tofu pudding is a taste revelation; even though it contains alcohol, you barely taste it! About 20 yuan.
2. Tianxin Xiansheng Icy Jelly: this time it wasn't great, the packaging changed, and it's not the large bowl loaded with traditional rose and fruit jelly anymore.
3. Maojiao Huola (Fiery Spicy): third time! Rabbit kidney, potatoes, tripe, quail eggs are all delicious! They also have skewers and homemade old-style yogurt.
4. Chengdu Chike: insane lines, gave up on it a second time. It's said to be creative Sichuan cuisine with rave reviews.
5. Er Niang Chicken Claws: also highly recommended.
Persimmon Courtyard has One Bite Illustration Art Shop, Miduo Shop, and Persimmon Academy (might be closed to visitors). They all open around 11 a.m., so you can first grab a queue number at Kuixinglou Street then come back. At Maojiao Huola, if your number is called and you're not there, you only get pushed back three tables.
After lunch we cycled to Wenshu Monastery.
1. Dongzikou Zhang Lao Er's Sweet Water Noodles: people either love it or hate it. It's a sweet-spicy noodle with a good chew.
2. Royal Pastry Shop: this old-school Chengdu bakery always has queues. Their napoleon, ice mung bean cake, and crab-and-egg-yolk rice crust are all recommended.
3. Yan Taipo Guokui (stuffed flatbread) is an old shop. Afternoon queues are shorter. Their beef guokui is the best; I think the beef version beats the bamboo shoot and three-shred ones. Not spicy, just a bit oily but otherwise perfect.
Jinli is better at night. Though heavily commercialized and the snacks aren't great, it's still worth a stroll.
Itinerary: Dangba Street – Panda Base – Wuzao Bookstore – Chunxi Road – Jihe Bookstore – Jianshe Road
This street, ranked among the world's 50 coolest neighborhoods and No.1 in China, preserves its lived-in architecture while adding a trendy artsy vibe.
In the morning, head to Dangba Street for a bowl of signature pea-and-minced-pork noodles at Baoge Zajiang Wanzhou Noodles. The place is tiny but the aunties are super friendly. After breakfast, take a taxi to the Panda Base.
Public account: Chengdu Scenic Area Direct Bus allows direct ticket purchase, including round-trip transport for 72 yuan. If traveling in a group, taking a taxi is cheapest. It's not far; a cab ride is only about 20 yuan. If you want the sightseeing shuttle, go early or you'll queue for about half an hour. The shuttle ride to Moonlight Delivery Room takes about six or seven minutes. On the way back, you can walk, as it's all downhill and not far. The air here is incredibly fresh—walking feels wonderful.
After returning from the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, we arrived at Nan Hotpot on Chunxi Road by 1:30 p.m. If you want to eat at Nan Hotpot, you must go early to get a queue number; by then, no more numbers were available, so we had to wait until 4 p.m. to get an evening number. So we explored Wuzao Bookstore and Jihe Bookstore instead.
Chengdu's new internet-famous hotpot—food comes in small dishes but portions are generous. The surprise was that the dipping sauce even included sesame paste.
Last time in Chengdu, we went to Jiyu, got a number at 5 p.m. and only got seated at 11:30 p.m. This time, we got a number for Nan Hotpot at 4 p.m. and were seated right when dinner service started.
Fangsuo Commune and Momi's Sky City both have lots of postcards and creative knickknacks, worth a browse on a first visit.
Jianshe Road snack street is liveliest at night: sweet potato skin noodles, hotpot vermicelli, Zhou Qianqian's potatoes, Fu Ji ribs, Wande Bingtian shaved ice, chicken wings stuffed with intestines—so much food, but queues are long.
1. Eastern Suburb Memory: a creative park repurposed from an abandoned factory, full of industrial retro vibes, artistic graffiti covering walls, and cute cartoon figures. It's another photo paradise. And if you're hungry, there's the Eastern Suburb Memory Canteen.
2. Mount Qingcheng: mountains rise in tiers, shrouded in mist, with towering trees and lush vegetation—so ethereal. An old saying goes: seek the way at Qingcheng. Only after climbing can you truly feel its serene, fairyland-like atmosphere, a refreshing escape from the world.
3. Yulin Road's Little Bar (the one from the song). Nearby there's a secondhand bookstore: Shuhai Shilin Bookstore.
1. Taolin Restaurant: if you don't enter Taolin, how can you know real Sichuan flavor? This famous local Sichuan restaurant with long queues will never disappoint.
2. Li Ji Sweet and Sour BBQ: a local hole-in-the-wall near Chunxi Road, a top choice for late-night eats. The name alone—sweet and sour barbecue—is something you can't imagine, and they do delivery!
1. Don't bother with U37 Warehouse—it's tiny and can't compare to Eastern Suburb Memory.
2. Try to avoid eating snacks in Kuanzhai Alley and Jinli—honestly, they're not great and are overpriced.
Itinerary: Jiujiu Bean Curd Shop – Liziba – Sichuan Fine Arts Institute Graffiti Street – Liberation Monument – Bayi Snack Street – Hongya Cave
Chengdu to Chongqing is two hours by high-speed rail. In Chongqing, we stayed at Donghe Bay, with great views of Raffles City, Qiansimen Bridge, and the Grand Theatre.
Right opposite Donghe Bay is Li Bandeng Noodles, a tiny shop. The sight of people squished together eating noodles on the street tells you how popular it is. Two liang (about 100g) is enough for two girls.
The earthy Chongqing small-bowl dishes have blown up recently after Wang Yuan posted about visiting his hometown. It's a classic 'fly restaurant'—dodgy setting but incredible flavors.
The Sichuan Fine Arts Institute Graffiti Street is lined with accessory shops and vintage stores. Wandering, taking photos, browsing—it's all so atmospheric.
Liberation Monument looks even better at night than during the day. Nearby is the country's first Dangdang brick-and-mortar bookstore, where you can sit on the steps and read—a different kind of reading experience.
Bayi Snack Street is another foodie heaven: Haoyoulai Hot and Sour Noodles, One Yogurt Cow, rose ice jelly, Gui Baozi, Shancheng tangyuan.
Hongya Cave is insanely crowded for photos—whether at the viewing platform or by the roadside, it's shoulder-to-shoulder. You can try the nearby overpass for a different angle. Watch the time: the lights turn off at 10 p.m.
Nearby is Jiucun Grilled Brain Flower, a Chongqing staple for 23 years. Their signature grilled brain won't get boring even after three times. They also have barbecue, perfect for summer.
Itinerary: Shancheng Trail – Fanbatuo – Beicang Cultural and Creative Block – Xinshan Bookstore – Chaotianmen Square – Raffles City
I last visited Shancheng Trail in 2018. Returning now, a lot has changed.
Staircases hung with red lanterns, the scenery along the way, old-style iron-shaped cakes in old alleys, all kinds of Shancheng creative shops—this is a heartwarming lane that soothes the soul. Walking the mountain path, you never know what the next corner holds.
Super authentic small-bowl dishes, vintage decor of old wooden tables and stools, peeling walls, yellowed wallpaper, and old knickknacks placed everywhere—the moment you step in, it feels like old Chongqing of the 70s and 80s.
Recommended dishes: shaobai (steamed pork belly), pig intestines, tofu pudding, tossed pig trotter, steamed spare ribs with rice flour.
The streets are lined with unique coffee shops and bakeries, plus the Beicang Library where you can DIY. This is an artsy, fresh spot, perfect for photos. Though it can't quite match Eling Second Factory, it's brimming with artistic flair and has its own charm. Old and new, decay and rebirth—Beicang Cultural and Creative Block feels like yet another renaissance in Chongqing.
Chongqing's Xinshan Bookstore is noticeably smaller—not worth a special trip. If you must, I'd recommend the one in Chengdu.
Journaling zone, vinyl record section, quirky exhibition areas—you can watch the scenery, drink coffee, listen to music, and just feel time gently passing by.
Head to Chaotianmen Pier 2, spend five yuan for a nostalgic ferry ride. If you can catch the last one at 5:30 p.m., that's the best—sunset glow, the sun going down, collect the dusk on earth.
1. Yangjilongfu Jianghu Cuisine: both taste and portions are satisfying. Of course, queues aren't short.
2. Liziba Liangshan Chicken: if you're tired of hotpot, try this 39-year-old establishment for Liangshan chicken.
3. Caimi Old Hotpot: a new internet-famous hotpot spot.
1. Baixiang Street: navigate to Yonghui Supermarket or Baixiang Hotel, go into Building 1 on Baixiang Street. Every dilapidated old building here has its own story and history.
2. Longmenhao Old Street – Jingdian Bookstore – Nanbin Road – Nanshan Single Tree: if you take the Yangtze River Cableway, you can walk a few steps to Longmenhao Old Street after exiting. With green bricks and black tiles from the Republican era, this is another lesser-known streetscape. Walk along Nanbin Road for a different view of Chongqing's nightscape.
3. Eling Second Factory: similar to Chengdu's Eastern Suburb Memory, another perfect photo op.
1. Yangtze River Cableway: when crowded, it's a 2-hour queue for a 5-minute ride. You can see the cableway from a different angle at Baixiang Street or Longmenhao Old Street.
Finally, as always, I'll include a travel journal guide. Since this is a revisit, we breezed through or skipped many famous sights, aiming for a different experience from our first trip—immersing in local street life as much as possible.
The first time, we rushed through both cities as typical tourists, mind following the sights, ending in a hectic trip. This second visit, we let our hearts lead, wandering lanes and alleys, witnessing every corner crammed with stories. Those unexpected turns and corners give the old city its unique charm.
The daily climbing and descending, the bustling old streets, the straightforward locals, the fairyland-like foggy mountain city—Chongqing is one of those places you just have to visit.
Travelogue Index
1. Chengdu Day 1:
2. People's Park – Heming Teahouse
3. Kuanzhai Alley
4. Kuixinglou Street
5. Wenshu Monastery
6. Jinli
7. Chengdu Day 2:
8. Dangba Street – Pea Noodles
9. Giant Panda Base
10. Wuzao Bookstore – Jihe Bookstore
11. Chunxi Road – Fangsuo – Momi's Sky City
12. Jianshe Road Snack Street
13. Other Chengdu Recommendations:
14. Chongqing Day 1:
15. Jiujiu Bean Curd Shop
16. Sichuan Fine Arts Institute Graffiti Street
17. Liberation Monument – Dangdang Bookstore – Bayi Snack Street
18. Hongya Cave – Qiansimen Bridge – Jiucun Grilled Brain Flower
19. Chongqing Day 2:
20. Shancheng Trail
21. Fanbatuo – Small-Bowl Dishes
22. Beicang Cultural and Creative Block
23. Xinshan Bookstore
24. Chaotianmen Square – Nostalgic Ferry
25. Other Chongqing Recommendations:
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