City Area

Wuhou Memorial Temple

Wuhou (Martial Marquis) Memorial Temple is dedicated to Zhuge Liang , the Martial Marquis of Shu in the Three Kingdoms.

Located in the south suburb of Chengdu, the temple covers 37,000 square meters (398,277 square feet). The date of its establishment is unclear, only that it was built next to the temple of Liu Bei , the emperor of Shu. It was combined with the Temple of Liu Bei at the beginning of the Ming Dynasty; consequently, the entrance plaque reads 'Zhaolie Temple of Han Dynasty' (Zhaolie is the posthumous title of Liu Bei). The current temple was rebuilt in 1672. Surrounded by old cypresses and classical red walls, the temple evokes nostalgia.

The main body of the temple is divided into five sections, the Gate, the second Gate, the Hall of Liu Bei, the corridor, and the Hall of Zhuge Liang, all of which run south to north. Inside, clay sculptures of Shu Emperor and ministers stand together, making them a special feature.

The most valuable cultural relic within the temple is the stele set up in 809. This huge stele 367-centimeter (144-inch) high and 95-centimeter (37-inch) wide is called the Triple-Success Stele. The three successes are: an article written by Pei Du, a famous minister of the Tang Dynasty who served four emperors in succession, calligraphy by Liu Gongquan, one of the most brilliant calligraphers in Chinese history, and a statement about the morality and achievements of Zhuge Liang.

Chengdu Panda Breeding and Research Center:

Located just 10km (6miles) away from downtown Chengdu, the Chengdu Panda Breeding Research Center has been created and imitates the pandas' natural habitat in order that they might have a the best possible environment for rearing and breeding. The Center cares also for other rare and endangered wild animals. The Research Center covers an area of 560 mus (92 acres), 96% of which is verdure. Giant pandas, lesser pandas, black-necked cranes, white storks as well as over 20 species of rare animals are fed and bred there throughout the year. Verdant bamboo, bright flowers, fresh air, a natural hill scene and a beautiful artificial view are merged ingeniously at the base.

The necessary facilities for giant pandas have been completed and include a fodder room, sleeping quarters and a medical station. Additionally there is a Giant Panda Museum together with research laboratories and a training center. A great number of plants and as many as ten thousand clumps of bamboos and bushes have been cultivated to provide for the giant pandas' diet and habitat. The center is planning to expand by another 3000 mus (500 acres) of land on which to simulate a natural environment order to prepare the giant pandas bred at the center for release into the wild.

The Giant Panda Museum was opened in 1993 to further scientific education and to improve public awareness of the protection of both wild creatures and their environment. This is the world's only thematic museum for rare and endangered animal species. The three main exhibitions are in the Giant Panda Hall, the Butterfly Hall and the Vertebrate Hall. The exhibits include all kinds of precious pictures, more than 800 materials and show more than 2140 different samples gathered in Sichuan. These include examples of animals, birds, amphibians, reptiles and insects as well as fossils and models. The resources held in store at the museum include up to ten thousand samples as well as a library of thousands of books and documents. This excellent and comprehensive museum provides a wonderful venue for all who are interested in seeing something of the propagation and protection of the region's natural bio-diversity.

Dujiangyan Irrigation Project of China:

Dujiangyan is the oldest and only surviving no-dam irrigation system in the world; and a wonder in the development of Chinese science. The project consists of three important parts, namely Yuzui, Feishayan and Baopingkou scientifically designed to automatically control the water flow of the rivers from the mountains to the plains throughout the year.

Yuzui, like a big fish lying in the Minjiang River, is a watershed dividing the river into two parts: inner river and outside river. Feisha Yan is a spillway that diverts the sand and stones of the inner river into the outer river. Baoping Kou, like a neck of a bottle, is used to bring water into the inner river from Minjiang. At the same time, Baoping Kou controls the amount of the intake water due to its reasonable location. These three parts interact with each other perfectly to form an effective water conservancy project. During the low-water season, 60% of the Minjiang water is brought into the inner river for irrigation while 40% of the water is drawn into the outside river. The situation is reversed in the flood season ensuring the water supply for irrigation and protection from flooding on the Chengdu Plain.

There is a magnificent bridge called the Anlan Cable Bridge crossing the Minjiang River above Yuzui, which is the most scenic place in Dujiangyan. The construction of the bridge originally commenced before the Song Dynasty (960-1279). At that time, the body of the bridge was constructed with wooden blocks and the handrails were made of bamboo. Recently the wood and bamboo were replaced with steel and reinforced concrete to ensure the security of the visitors. Seen from afar, the bridge looks like a rainbow hanging over the river. From the bridge, you can clearly see the entire layout of the Dujiangyan system.

Thatched Cottage of Du Fu:

Du Fu, a very famous poet, lived in the Tang Dynasty (618-907). Just as its name implies, the Thatched Cottage of Du Fu was his home more than a thousand years ago.

The Thatched Cottage of Du Fu covers a total area of 24 hectares (about 59 acres), and is the combination of both Fan'an Temple in the east and the Plum Garden in the west. Construction inside The Thatched Cottage of Du Fu belongs to the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) style, with gardens in the unique compound style of traditional Chinese gardening. Inside the thatched cottage: gardens are quiet; streams are winding; bridges and pavilions are interwoven; trees reach for the sky; plum trees and bamboos stand side by side; and classical architectural styles bring you a strong cultural atmosphere. Besides, whenever you walk here, you will feel uplifted, because the plum blossoms in spring, the lotus flowers in summer, the chrysanthemums in autumn and the orchids in winter will bring you the enjoyment of both man-made beauty and nature's romance.

The area includes several amazing structures. Next to each other in a line that divides the whole thatched cottage area into two parts are the Screen Wall, the Gate, the Lobby, the History in Verse Hall, the Faggot Gate, and the Gong Bu Temple. On each side there are cloisters and other attached buildings echoing each other. This layout gives the place solemnity, simplicity, elegance, and grace.

To the east of the Gong Bu Temple stands the Tablet Pavilion, which is on the original site of the cottage. It has 5 main and 4 attached rooms with thatched roofs and is surrounded by bamboo fences, vegetable gardens and herb plots. All these endow a strong atmosphere of culture. Again, the grand bronze statue of Du Fu in the Memorial Hall of Du Fu and the vivid earthen figure of Du Fu in Gong Bu Temple all impart a feeling of deep respect for the poet.

Wangjiang Tower Park:

Located on the south bank of Jinjiang River, Chengdu, Wangjiang (in Chinese, overlooking the river) Tower Park is one of three famous cultural relics in Chengdu, along with Wuhou Memorial Temple and the Thatched Cottage of Du Fu . While Wuhou Temple honors the legendary minister of Shu, Zhuge Liang, and Du Fu Cottage honors the Sage of Poetry, Wangjiang Tower is dedicated to a woman, Xue Tao, a poet in the Tang Dynasty (618-907). Since in the past women lacked social status, the story of Xue Tao is all the more fascinating.

The 39-meter- (128-foot-) high Wangjiang Tower is the greatest building in the park. It is also called Chongli (grand and beautiful in Chinese) Tower, derived from an ancient article describing Chengdu as beautiful and grand. Of the four stories of the tower, the upper two are octagonal while the lower two are square with every eave layer exquisitely decorated with sculptures.

Wenshu Monastery:

Wenshu Monastery, located at No. 15 Wenshu Yuan Street, Chengu, Sichuan Province, is the best-preserved Buddhist temple in Chengdu. It is the home of the Buddhist Association of Sichuan Province and Chengdu City.

Initially built in the Tang Dynasty (618-907), Wenshu Monastery was once called Xinxiang Temple. In 1681, during the reign of Emperor Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), Cidu, an accomplished Buddhist monk, came to the monastery. He built a simple hut between two trees and for several years lived an ascetic life there. Legend has it when Cidu was being cremated; the statue of Wensu (Bodhisattva Manjusri in Sanskrit) appeared in the flames, staying for a long time. So people regarded Cidu as the reincarnation of the Bodhisattva Manjusri. Thereafter, Xinxiang Temple became Wenshu Monastery.

Cultural relics are the highlights of Wenshu Monastery. Since the Tang and Song dynasties, over 500 pieces of painting and calligraphy by celebrities have been stored here. In the Sutra-Preservation Pavilion, many famous handwriting exhibits, paintings, and artwork are restored. These precious works of art were created by renowned Chinese painters and calligraphers, including Zhang Daqian, Zheng Banqiao, and Feng Zikai. Of all the precious relics, a piece of the broken skull of Xuan Zhang, a renowned monk of the Tang Dynasty, is the rarest. Another treasure is a delicate jade Buddha statue brought from Burma to China in 1922 by Xing Lin, a Buddhist monk who walked the whole distance. In addition, the monastery houses some 300 Buddha statues of various materials including iron, bronze, stone, wood, and jade, some gloriously painted.

Wolong Panda Reserve:

Wolong Panda Reserve in the east of Mt. Qionglai, and a 3-hours drive from Chengdu, is a comprehensive state natural reserve of 200,000 hectares (i.e. 494,200 acres). Begun in 1963, Wolong Panda Reserve is the earliest, largest and best-known panda reserve in China. It was placed on UNESCO Man and Biosphere Reserve Network in 1980.

Sixty-seven captive pandas are among 150 pandas in Wolong Panda Reserve managed by the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda. The Center was founded in 1980 with assistance from World Wildlife Fund.

Hi-tech is commonplace in the Research Center, which is a world leader in propagating the panda species. Tourists can take pictures with mice-like panda babies.

People from all nations are welcome to adopt pandas through naming them with an accompanying donation. Pandas are national treasures and also goodwill ambassadors.

Wildlife observation spots opened in Wolong Panda Reserve attract explorers, tourists, animal-lovers as well as scientists. Occasionally wild pandas may show up in the Reserve. Every year more than 100, 000 visitors come to Wolong Panda Reserve.

Three-Star Piles Museum:

Sanxingdui Museum is located in Northeast of Sanxingdu archeological site, west of the famous cultural city of Guanghan, on the bank of Jian River (commonly called Yazi River), 40 kilometers (about 24.9 miles) north of Chengdu City. Covering an exhibition area of 4,000 square meters (about 1544.4 square miles), and opened in October 1997 this is an archeological museum with excellent modern facilities. The cultural relics in the museum were mostly unearthed from the Sanxingdui site. In order to know about the museum we should know more about the Sanxingdui site.

Sanxingdui is a cultural relic of the ancient Shu (Sichuan). It is an important archeological discovery, which changed the people's understanding of ancient history and culture. If you want to visit a place to know more about Chinese Shu (Sichuan) culture, make it this one, for the civilization shown by the cultural relics can be called a true wonder.

Sanxingdui refers to three earth mounds at the site. Hence the site found here is called Sanxingdui Relic. The Relic area stretches for about 12 square kilometers (about 4.6 square miles), which is the largest, oldest, and most connotational Shu cultural relic in Sichuan. It is said that the Heavenly Emperor cast down three handfuls of earth, which fell near the Jian River and became three earth mounds on Chengdu Plain. The three earth piles, described as three golden stars in a line, hence became known as Sanxingdui (three-star piles). Now affirmed by modern archaeology, the three earth mounds of the Sanxingdui Relic are in reality the southern walls of an ancient city that was built of earth. There are two breaches in the city wall, after the collapse and subsequent erosion; it became the three mounds we see today.

Around Chengdu

Jiuzhaigou Valley Scenic and Historic Interest Area:

Jiuzhaigou Valley is located in Nanping County, 450 kilometers (about 280 miles) to the north of Chengdu City. Its name is due to the existence of nine stockaded villages of Tibetan origin, and it is always regarded as a holy mountain and watercourse by the Tibetan people.

Jiuzhaigou Valley is a great masterpiece of nature having dreamlike scenery and abundant natural resources. It combines blue lakes, waterfalls, verdant forests, snow-covered mountains, and the folk customs of the Tibetan and Qiang peoples.

This region covers more than 600 square kilometers (about 230 square miles), and includes areas such as Shuzheng Valley, Rize Valley, Zechawa Valley and Zharu Valley, etc. The main beauty spots such as calc-sinter lake groups, waterfalls, and other waterscapes, as well as 12 summits make Jiuzhaigou Valley a wonderful appearance.

Huanglong Scenic and Historic Interest Area:

The Huanglong Scenic and Historic Interest Area is located in Songpan County, in the northwest part of Sichuan Province and encompasses the Huanglong and Muni Valley. Huanglong's major scenery is concentrated in the 3.6-kilometer (2.2 miles) long Huanglong Valley that includes snow-clad peaks and the easternmost glaciers in China. Due to its layered calcium carbonated deposit patterns, the valley resembles a golden dragon winding its way through the virgin forest, stone mountains and glaciers. Along the valley are scattering numerous colorful ponds of different sizes and shapes, which are strewn with gold colored limestone deposit giving a shimmering golden hue to water, so in sunlight, a golden dragon seems to surge forth from the forest. Thus it was named 'Huanglong Valley' (Yellow Dragon Valley).

Huanglong Scenic and Historic Interest Area are famed for its outstanding travertine (calcium carbonate) formations. With the virgin forest as its backdrop, the travertine scenery holds colorful ponds, beaches, lakes, springs, waterfalls, caves, etc. The travertine formations scenery is No.1 in China.

Dinosaur Museum in Zigong:

Established in the noted site of dinosaur fossils, Da Shanpu, Dinosaur Museum in Zigong is about 11 kilometers (about 7 miles) from the center of Zigong City. It covers 25,000 square meters (about 17 acres), which makes the Dinosaur Museum the biggest in southeast China. It enjoys the same excellent reputation as the American National and Canadian Dinosaur Parks, presently affording a large-scale preserved dinosaur fossil burial site.

The Dinosaur Museum holds affiliated buildings, a green belt and halls which include a fossil burial hall, central hall, conference room, dinosaur ecological environment hall, and so on. Since its opening in 1987, the museum has enjoyed a top reputation with its unique architectural style, magnificent burial site, life-like exhibits and elegant environment. With two floors and a basement, the huge rock cave-like museum exhibits dinosaur fossils, dinosaur site, plants and animals in the age of dinosaur, and rare species of dinosaurs.

Chengdu Traveler's Club

Planning a trip? Looking for travel companion? Exchanging travel information and share your experiences? Welcome to join the Traveler's Club--a part of ChengduTime forums