Top Chengdu Hotels

Chengdu. Never heard of it? Well, it has two important attractions: Pandas and the Big Stone Buddha in Leshan, about 2 hours away. It''s a large but nondescript city, seemingly more under construction than even Beijing. The spicy Sechuan cooking delighted me, although my 11-year-old was a little overwhelmed by the heat. The pandas in the Panda Center (NOT the zoo, which at least one guidebook says) is worth the effort to visit. We did not go to Wolong, home of the Panda Research Center, but about 100 km away. Nevertheless, we saw pandas in action, and were utterly bewitched. Also, the Big Stone Buddha is all of those, and a wonder to behold. The climb is steep (and what goes down, on the narrow metal staircase, just go up again, on another narrow metal staircase). It''s also worth the trip. The heat in July in Chengdu was not quite as oppressive as it was everywhere else in China, but the pandas and the Buddha merit a (short) visit. We also saw a lovely bamboo park dedicated to a female poet and Du Fu''s home.

Great teahouses and temples. Definitely go to see the pandas, very cute. Taxis are cheap and plentiful, but we didn''t find any great restaurants - but I''m sure there are some!

When in Chengdu, it''s worth taking a couple of extra days to visit Leshan (world''s largest Buddha and beautiful garden/temple surroundings) and Dujiangyan which is the site of one of the oldest irrigation schemes in the world. Also, if you have the time, the drive to the Panda reserve a Wolong is beautiful - but all of these visits are cold in the winter!!<br> <br> If you are after western food, Grandma''s Kitchen and the Rome restaurant are great and pretty good value. The Tandoo Restaurant does great (if a little pricey) Indian and the buffets at the major hotels are good value.

The panda research center was a real treat. The tea garden in the old temple was a wonderful way to spend an afternoon.

In terms of attractions, probably the best things to see here are the Sichuan Opera and the Panda Sanctuary. Both excellent value and surprisingly the pandas are kept in a very good standard of accommodation - not quite the Sheraton but there''s plenty of bamboo.

Interesting culturally, but very remote compared to Chinas'' main cities. Get your hotel address and all other destinations written in large Chinese language to show to cab and bus drivers, etc., as they have little command of other languages. Main visit was to the big Buddah near Leshan by bus and taxi. Good cheap local shopping in Chengdu.

We moved around by rickshaw, taxi and mainly walk. Visited Mt. Emei.

Big Buddha at Leshan; Emeishan Sacred Mountain. Excellent service at travel desk/business office.