Chengdu Beyond the Pandas
One Day Teahouse, Theater Backstage, Landmark Square, and Panda Afternoon Tea Tour
Many travelers visit Chengdu to see giant pandas but return for the food and its unique laid-back culture. This day trip to see the city highlights will let you experience the charm of Chengdu's unique and long-standing culture.
Highlights
- Discover the relaxing teahouse culture by learning tea etiquette.
- Watch how middle-aged square dancers take over the local park
- Step into the marriage market and learn about the underlying reasons behind it
- Go behind the scenes and visit the backstage of an authentic theater
- Enjoy a panda afternoon tea and a bird's-eye view of Tianfu Square
What Our Customers Said
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Giant Pandas - Giant Buddha - Mount Emei
We had a wonderful 3 days in Chengdu area,visiting the Panda breeding Center, Leshan Giant Buddha and hiking at Mount Emei.We have been travelling several times with Chinahighlights and everything was well organised as usual. Our guide Michael (fluent in English and German) was great showing us the beauty of Sichuan. We can highly recommend travelling with him and Chinahighlights. moreMar 2023, steffenwet
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Two amazing tours
Both tours were led by excellent guides who knew a lot about everywhere we went, and were very helpful and friendly. The agent was equally helpful and quick in responding to questions which was ,especially in covid restrictions time, extremely convenient. moreJul 2022, Elizabeth
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Panda Keeper for a Day at Dujianyan Sichuan
This is was the second time that we had signed up for the program Panda Keeper for a Day, this time at the Dujianyan Panda Base, about 1 hour drive away from Chengdu. Great experience again. We will surely do it once again. moreMar 2022, Thomas
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Amazing Tibet experience in Sichuan
Henry was an informative guide who went out of his way to ensure positive experiences. Mr Wu was not only a safe and attentive driver on sometimes rough roads but also a great photographer, capturing shots of us as we toured. Henry went out of his way to talk to anyone around to help bring the place alive through stories so we had the opportunity to meet so many locals, real people, and hear about their lives. Another highlight was the opportunity to climb a 1000 year old watchtower in Danba and meet the local family who managed it. Truly magical. Henry was also a consummate foodie who provided us with great local food recommendations along the way. moreJul 2021, Deborah J
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Amazing visit to panda bases in Chengdu and Woolong
Jason was terrific; he understood our interests in pandas and he made our outings very enjoyable. We plan to return to Chengdu to visit pandas and will be asking for Jason again. moreDec 2019, victoriadH3461ED
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Amazing visit to panda bases in Chengdu and Woolong
Our 2 day tour in Chengdu, including a visit to Chengdu and Woolong panda bases (part of 9 day tour in China) was amazing. From the planning stages with Carol Wang to the activities on the ground with our tour guide Jason and our driver, everything proceeded smoothly, with appropriate last minute adjustments to ensure the best experience. moreDec 2019, victoriadH3461ED
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Panda heaven
We have just completed the Chengdu leg of our trip to China organised by Robert Hui at China Highlights. Our Guide for the 2 Day trip was Daisy Du who made us feel very welcome and helped us check in and ensured our rooms were satisfactory then gave us directions of where to go for the best food. The next day Daisy took us straight to the Giant Panda Breeding and Research centre. It was fantastic to see the Pandas so close. It’s a little sad that they are in captivity but it is essential to increase the breeding rate and so save these wonderful animals from extinction. We saw Pandas of all ages and sizes including a tiny little baby that was only 36 day old. After an extremely tasty lunch picked for us by Daisy she then took us into the people’s park and showed us the tea houses and dating area where parents can advertise their single ‘30 something’ children to potential partners. The day ended with a wander around Jinli Old Street where you can buy anything from food to souvenirs to furniture. We have had the best time in Chengdu helped no end by the friendly, helpfulness of our guide Daisy who knew all the best places to go and sights to see. Thank you Daisy, a great time was had by all. ---jayne_Stu Halifax, United Kingdom moreNov 2019, jayne_Stu
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Wonderful Chengdu tour with Jason
With other two friends I have visited Chengdu in September 2018 and our tour guide was Jason, who has been really amazing with us.He had the smart idea to bring us to the Pandas reserve very early in order to avoid the crowds, even if we were visiting Chengdu right during the Chinese national holidays.After the Pandas reserve, we visited the tea park and the city centre, where Jason could give us a lot of information about Chengdu. Jason gave us also very nice suggestions about places to visit in the evenings during our free time. Totally recommended!!! ---Vittorio C Berlin, Germany moreNov 2019, Vittorio C
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Suggested Itinerary
Chengdu is probably the laziest city among China's new first-tier cities.
There has always been a teahouse on every corner in the city. The daily ritual of stopping at a teahouse to meet friends and chat began in Chengdu at least 1,000 years ago. Take a seat and sip a cup of tea. Your guide will explain the etiquette to you of how to drink tea and the intentions you express when you put the lid, bowl, and tray in different places.
Square dancing is already a part of the locals' lifestyle and the dance form nowadays is much more interesting and uniquely Chinese. Feel the good vibes and join in with line dancing, a waltz, or a little Chinese salsa if you want to.
You will also see some vibrant scenes that may only happen in Chengdu: desperate parents are posting messages in a marriage market looking for a partner for their unmarried offspring; a local man is enjoying a traditional teahouse ear massage with a metal rod in his ear; Chengduers are playing mahjong everywhere in summer — even in the river.
Local ParkChengdu is the main home of Sichuan opera. A lot of old fans visit the grassroots opera house that we recommend every day. After lunch, follow your guide for the chance to go backstage to see how the actors and actresses do their makeup and have a chat with them.
Backstage at the TheaterChengdu was inhabited over 4,000 years ago and was once the center of the ancient Shu culture. It is a miracle that you can still trace its cultural features today in the city.
Tianfu Square is the geographical center and important landmark of Chengdu. From above, it looks like a huge tai chi pattern depicting yin and yang, and you can see the image of a flying sunbird in the center, which is the emblem of the city.
There is a strong link between the city's historical functions and street names. Your guide will tell you the most featured and interesting city street names and the stories behind them.
Immerse yourself in interesting stories about Chengdu city while also enjoying an exquisite panda afternoon tea in a skyscraper with a fabulous view across the heart of the city.
Tianfu SquarePrice includes:
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