I’ve just returned from Chengdu and wanted to look at archival photos of the city centre - specifically, what used to be in the area around the IFS shopping centre with the panda. With the help of AI, I was able to read descriptions of those places before the modern development, but I haven’t found any good websites with historical or vintage photographs.
Chinese websites either won’t load for me (heh), or they do load but it’s impossible to tell where the photos were taken or what their sources are. Are there perhaps any archives from English-language publications that might have historical photos of central Chengdu?

Travelling with husband and 8 year old child (who LOVES caves). We'll be based in Chengdu and want to do a day trip to Qingcheng but am struggling to decide on which side.

Any advice or experiences? We're all good walkers although we'll probably use the cable car for some bits whether we go the Front or Back side of the mountain.

I'm a jeweller and I'm travelling to Chengdu soon. The cost of gold plating services have risen dramatically where I'm from, and I'd like to see if I could Gold plate in Chengdu. Does anyone have any recommendations?

I'm a foreigner who's been to Chengdu 4 times now. I've always stayed at UrCove in Wenshu Chunxi Road area for a bout a week each time with my favorite gym being near Baicao station (CF FitPark) given their 50m pool and lifting facilities being really good and price reasonable. I do Ironman triathlon training so being close to a pool and good training places is key for me (as well as good food!)

There's a chance i'll be able to stay in Chengdu for 2 months soon and thinking a serviced apartment is the best bet to save money. Have a few questions:

1. Trip.com still the best place to look for serviced apartments given the duration? Any other platform? I have WeChat and Alipay. Mandarin is limited but i've gotten by with translator apps.
2. What area would you recommend that is between Wenshu and Baicao? Ideally would love to be close to the long river way to rent bike and do some mileage on it.
3. What should be a reasonable price range to consider? On Trip i've seen a wide variance. Laundry def important as well as A/C.

So I'm currently travelling in China and am walking way more than my feet can actually handle. My dorm mate in the hostel mentioned having gotten her shoes fixed and thinking of getting new orthotics (that's what my translator app says they're called, we call em orthopedic shoes inserts) since they will likely be cheaper than in my country. Health insurance doesn't cover it and they'd cost multiple hundred Euros. Idk if this is even feasible but my feet hurt immensely after walking or standing for a couple hours – not the legs, not the arch of my foot, but specifically the bottom of my feet, the heel and the ball of the foot. It's very likely I walk wrong, my shoes deteriorate in certain areas faster than others, and without multiple breaks a day for self-massages I couldn't make it these days. Yesterday I walked 21k steps and in the shower before bed I could barely stand anymore, it was so bad.

Anyways tl;dr: anyone know anything about the process of getting shoe inserts in China, maybe a rough price estimate or can recommend a place? Thank you!!

Searched on Amap but they all have very few reviews. Would love to get a recommendation from personal experience.

Planning a trip to Chengdu a week before CNY, probably leave on 3rd or 4th Feb 2027, back to my country (SEA). What would it be like, will shops be mainly closed and will tourist places be closed as well?

I’d like to get some video of the HSR for a four-year-old who’s really into trains. (And fire engines. And "diggers," whatever that is.)

Does anyone know a good public spot that’s reachable by Metro, where I can film the HSR approaching and then passing at speed?

Thanks!

While apllying for Sichuan university I came across this, how im supposed to get a guarantor in China ? I do not have a trust person in China capable of being a guarantor for me, what can I do here ?

Hi, I will visiting Chengdu next week and I would love to find any place where I can buy or play board games. Could you recommend me any?

I'm traveling solo in Chengdu and would love some company (one, two, or more) for hotpot on Wednesday evening, around 7pm.

I'm staying near People's Park and was thinking somewhere in that general area, but I'm happy to go elsewhere for a good place.

I'm interested in food, history, bouldering, and exploring the city. Locals, expats and other travelers all welcome. Mainly looking for good conversation over good food rather than drinking or nightlife.

If interested, please reply here or DM me.

ps If Wednesday doesn't work ... I'm here through Friday.

Rode on it for the first time today (only about 1/4 of the way on a shared bike), super impressed that something this huge was built just for the residents to walk & bike on, lots of pretty bridges as well.

Hey friends - does anyone know and love any independent record labels based in Chengdu? Would love recommendations for currently active labels releasing in any genre...

Thanks

Hi, we're visiting Chengdu for the first time next week and wanted to take a day trip to Leshan.

Ideally we would like to do it on the very same day we arrive but we need to find a place to store our bags.

Are there any self service or manned lockers in Chengdudong?

I know we could leave it at our hotel and go back to the station but we want to be more efficient and save that round-trip that would add at least an hour and a half.

Thank you for any tips or help

Two week China trip, late August. Beijing (5 nights), Xi'an (3 nights), Chengdu supposed to be the 4-night "slow down and eat" stop before Shanghai. Two weeks later I keep thinking about Chengdu and can barely remember Beijing.

The thing about Chengdu is everyone tells you it's a slow city, and they mean it more literally than I thought.

First morning we walked to Renmin Park because our hotel was close and I'd read the Heming Teahouse was a must-see. Went expecting a photo stop, ended up staying 3 hours. Bamboo chairs under old trees, gaiwan tea, 20 rmb a pot, refills basically forever. The park isn't a tourist attraction, it's where Chengdu people spend their day. Old guys playing mahjong. Old ladies dancing in a corner. A whole section where families post their unmarried kids' bios on paper for other families to browse (this exists and is exactly as intense as it sounds). We came back twice more that week.

Panda base is what everyone tells you to do and yes go, but go at opening (7:30). We got there at 7:45, spent 45 minutes at the nursery when it was basically empty, by 10 the same paths had 200 people on them and the pandas had retreated inside. Skip the adult enclosures, put the time on the nurseries where the actual movement is.

Hot pot was different from Chongqing (we did Chongqing on a previous trip). Chengdu version is lighter, less of that heavy butter base you get in Chongqing, but the mala numbness is a totally separate thing from spicy, mouth goes buzzing electric and stays that way for an hour after. Went to a random spot our taxi driver recommended on the third night and it was better than the famous chain we'd tried the night before.

Rough plan came together in trisAino ahead of the trip, made sure to book panda base tickets early (they sell out morning slots), read some reddit threads for teahouse recs. Useful for the checklist stuff. What none of it prepared me for is that Chengdu operates on a different clock, and 4 nights wasn't enough for that clock to adjust me.

Didn't make it to Leshan or Dujiangyan. Ran out of days and could not face the day-trip logistics.

Left thinking the way I sequence trips is probably wrong. The "rest" city was the one worth extending.

We moved halfway across the world and my child started 5th grade in a new school-- So I'm just excited to share with someone, anyone...

Super appreciative that my child's school has after-school homework assistance directly following daily dismissal, then dinner, then the kids attend their registered activity. All I had to do was choose what activity on what day and whether I wanted to pay more for premium activities such as swimming with professional instructors and if the child would have dinner at school.

I appreciate the school’s consideration of parental schedules and has everything all in one place

It was so AMAZING to not need to rush back and forth shuttling my kid all the time and just pick her up at the end of the day.

I get to TFU at 9.30PM and my next flight is the next morning at 9.30AM. Is there any sleeping capsules/airport hotel to catch some sleep? Should I get off the airport? What's your advice?

Thanks!

Where in Chengdu sells these?

27-gauge, 1/2-inch (27G x 1/2")

Can these be purchased over the counter, not having much luck in Pharmacy’s.

any recommendations of facial plastic surgery clinics in chengdu. i’m visiting for 2 weeks soon, and want some light work done. However google search isn’t really giving me any answers. Thanks!

Hello, I am looking for a camera store or a camera supply store, I am trying to buy a charger for a sony handycam battery but haven't had any luck finding stores

I've been dancing salsa for a few years in Europe and just moved to Chengdu. I'm interested in cross-body style salsa, either on1 or on2 both fine, but not cuban. Does anyone know of any good weekly socials? Preferably in a studio environment, but restaurant/bar also fine.

Beyond socials, are there any salsa schools where you can take classes? A google search reveals a few names, but when I put them on Amap I cannot find those places

Edit, solved! - Thanks everyone! Seems like it was probably the shoe-cleaner thing 🫡

Was walking around Chunxi Road, and on two separate occasions, Chinese men (probably around mid-twenties) walked up to me with a very polite "Hi sister, where are you from?" From there, they said that they were students working on a project, and then pulled out something that looked like a mix of a black vape box or maybe a spray deodorant. One of them asked if this is something we think we need. That's when I walked away both times. I saw them move on to the next couple of foreigners.

Does anyone know where this would be going? I assume it's a scam, but not just sure of what and am honestly intrigued.

Thanks!

Is there a good spot to buy NBA jerseys? I really want to find a new LeBron sixers jersey.