About Chengdu

Chengdu (成都 Chéngdū) is the provincial capital and largest city of Sichuan Province in southwest China. The megacity is home to over 21 million people. Its main draw for most foreign tourists is perhaps the giant pandas, with the world's foremost giant panda research institute just outside the city. Among the Chinese, it is also known for being home to China's largest and most vibrant LGBT scene.

Source: Wikipedia

Essential Information

Currency

Chinese yuan (CNY)

Symbol: ¥

Language

Chinese

Phone Code

+86

International dialing code for China

Driving

Drive on the right

Standard for China

Region

Asia

Eastern Asia

Connectivity

China's country code is86. Chengdu's area code is028. Coin-operated pay phones are located throughout Chengdu, and calling cards can be purchased from many vendors. Local landline phone numbers are eight digits long; cellular phone numbers in Sichuan are eleven digits long and start with 13, 15, 17, 19, or 18.

Getting Around Chengdu

Local transportation and navigation tips

SeeDriving in Chinafor detailed advice if you want to get around by car.

Safety in Chengdu

Moderate Safety (Global Peace Index: 2.01)

About the Global Peace Index: Global Peace Index measures peacefulness on a scale of 1 (most peaceful) to 5 (least peaceful)

Thieves are prevalent around certain areas of Chengdu. Be careful around the Yanshikou markets, crowded buses, on bicycles and especially around the North Train Station.

Source: Institute for Economics & Peace (2022)

Where to Stay in Chengdu

Accommodation tips and recommendations

The vast majority of Chengdu's mid-range hotels are not affiliated with a national or international brand and generally charge ¥300-700. The hotels in this category can generally put up the facade of the more luxurious hotels, but often suffer noticeably from deferred maintenance or haphazard customer service. Many are geared mostly towards Chinese and Asian tour groups. The hotels listed below are the best of the bunch with lobby staff who speak at least a basic level of English and usually off