Cheap Chengdu: Free or Thrifty Things to Do

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The summer holidays in China are quickly followed by October's golden week, and this may have left you feeling a little strapped for cash if you've been living it up travellng! Luckily there are many places which are great value for money, or even free here in Chengdu. Here are some things to keep you busy until next pay day!

Wangjiang Lou Park 望江楼公园

Not that famous as People's Park but equally beautiful is the Wangjiang Park, located right to Jinjiang Riverside. The park was designed to honour the female poet Xue Tao. Besides enjoying nature, the park also offers a teahouse, lovely pagodas and the River View Tower or a gaze at the skyline of the city. You can take bus 35 or 335 and get off at Wangjiang Lou Park 望江楼公园 or bus 18 or 82, get off at Shunjiang Road Station 顺江路站 and walk to the park.

Opening Time:

The tower: 09:00-18:00
Free open area: 06:00-21:00

Price:

Entry to the tower is 20RMB, the open area is free.

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South bank of Jinjiang River, No. 300 Jiuyan Bridge, Wangjiang Road, Wuhou District 

It is close to the east gate of Sichuan University 

武侯区望江路300号九眼桥锦江南岸 (近四川大学东门)

Being next to water has a relaxing and even healing effect of some people. After exploring the bustling city, walking alongside Chengdu's river is probably the best way to calm down and enjoy some quiet moments. Over the last years the government took great effort to rebuild the riverside. Nowadays you can find nearly everywhere beautiful pedestrian streets, framed by old trees. 

My favorite one is a small canal called Xijiao River next to Sichuan Opera. Don't miss sitting down in front of one of the tee houses and enjoy a warm glass of traditional Chinese tea.

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From Huaishu Street crossing middle Tongren Road to Culture Park

从槐树街，中同仁路到文化公园

Well, there is no China without its amazing food. Make sure you get a taste of it. The best way to try as much as possible in a short time, are street sellers. Chengdu's streets are full of them, cooking different types of traditional Chengdu food directly in front of you. But don't forget your personal well being and have a good look at cook and ingredients. If everything is china-style you are ready to go. Enjoy!

Huanhuaxi Park 浣花溪公园

Huanhuaxi Park 浣花溪公园 is the largest, most invested historical, cultural and scenic park in Chengdu. The park wants to honour China's most famous poets. Next to the park is the Sichuan Provincial Museum and the Dufu Thatched Cottage located. The area also is a nice place to have a run in the morning, when the city is still quiet and the bustling traffic far away.

You can take bus k1a or k1 and get off at Qingshuihe station 清水河站 or take bus 165, 170, 19, 309, 319, 35, 407, 47, 58, 59, 82 or 88 get off at Songxian Bridge Station, walk the rest to the park.

Opening time:

Park: 6am to 10pm

Dufu Thatched Cottage: May- Sep.: 8am to 8pm; Oct.- April: 8am to 6:30pm

Price:

The park is free, Dufu Thatched Cottage: 60RMB

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9 Qinhua Road, Qingyang District

It is next to Qingyangzheng Street 

青羊区青华路9号 (近青羊正街）

Wenshu Monastery 文殊院

The WenShu Monastery is the largest well-preserved Buddhist temple in downtown Chengdu. It was built in the Tang Dynasty (618 – 907) and is dedicated to Wenshu (Manjushri, the God of Wisdom). It is famous for abundant precious cultural relics, paintings and calligraphic works. Over 500 pieces of paintings and calligraphies by famous artists (including Zhang Daqian, Zheng Banqiao and Feng Zikai) have been stored here since the Tang and Song dynasties. You can take the metro line 1 and get off at Wenshu Park station 文殊院.

Opening Time:

9 am to 5 pm

Price:

Entry is free

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Qingyang District, 15 Wenshuyuan Street

青羊区文殊院街15号

Well, not quite Tibet, but nearly. Just around the corner to Wuhou Temple is Chengdu's colorful Tibet quarter. Also called Little Lhasa will bring the taste of Tibet to you for little money. Stroll through the streets and find yourself in a different Chengdu. Listen to new sounds, see new faces and people with a different story of life. In the red and yellow world you see monks chatting and friends greeting each other.  

Don't miss out to catch a glance at the Tibetan art craft such as yak butter or Tibetan icons. Feeling tired after walking and gazing, treat yourself at one of the Tibetian restaurants.

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Ximian bridge Street and Wuhouci Street

洗面桥横街 and 武侯祠横街

Chengdu certainly is a bike city. Bikes are everywhere, on the streets or next to it, just waiting to be used. Riding a bike to explore the city is not only cheap but also a great way to get to know many spots in a short time. And while the big streets are quite busy, you can explore the quiet and hidden parts of Chengdu.

There are several apps you can use to rent a bike. Just scan the QR-Code, login in and pay. Moreover, you can now use Hello Bike 哈啰 App to rent an e-bike!

Therefore you need to have WeChat or Alipay. Or you find yourself a bike rental service. Check out Chengdu-Expat website or Mini-Program for more information for the bike rental.

In the new Shuangliu district 双流区 in the south of Chengdu is Xinglong Lake 兴隆湖. The place offers a perfect day trip, to enjoy nature and get some fresh breeze. The area also has some nice parks, such as Tianfu Science City Mountainous Park or Tianfu Park.

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Xinglong lake, Shuangliu District

The lake is reachable by metro line 1 to Xinglong Lake station

双流区，乘坐地铁一号线，兴隆湖站

Tangba Street 镋钯街 and Sansheng Street 三圣街

The two streets are located next to TaiKoo Li and Kangshi Street but have their very own flair. The streets are flanked by cute little coffee shops such as Let's Grind and noodles places. It is also the place to find some of the most famous Hot Pot restaurants in Chengdu but also, chuanchuan, and chill places like Mondoli. For a break of bustling streets and the smell of food, The Winshare and AA bookstores offer homely places to relax. Tangba Street was also listed by Times Out 19th of the "coolest 50 city blocks in the world", having a vibrant atmosphere at prime hours.

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Tangba Street 镋钯街; Sansheng Street 三圣街

You can take Metro Line 2 and 3 to Chunxi Road and walk the rest

Jinsha Museum 金沙博物馆

For many centuries, the Chinese have considered the Yellow River the cradle of Chinese civilization. But this began to change in 1986, when archaeological discoveries in Guanghan, about 40 minutes north of Chengdu, uncovered the Sanxingdui civilization, part of the mysterious Shu kingdom of the Shang dynasty, dating back some 3,000 years. In 2001, the ancient settlement of Jinsha was discovered during real estate construction, offering similarly rich discoveries. The state of the art museum, which now sits at the site, offers an elegantly displayed treasury of artifacts.

Opening time:

9am – 6pm

Price:

70RMB

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2 Jinsha Yizhi Rd. (Qingyang Avenue) 金沙遗址路2号(青羊大道)
You get there by Metro Line 7 to Jinsha Site Museum 金沙博物馆

Tel.:

87303522

Locals and tourists alike can take in some of Chengdu’s best sights from the water. Each river cruise takes around 40 minutes. You can just show up at the piers, purchase a ticket, and jump in one of the boats (you can't choose the kind of boat, or will have to wait). The small boats can carry 6-8 people, and the bigger boats can carry up to 30 people. You won't usually have to wait more than 15 minutes before setting off.

Both cruises are on every night, for you enjoy to enjoy ride and several light shows. There also seems to be an afternoon option, but when we asked the company,  we got a very Sichuan "not sure which day" answer to that question...

Operating time:

Monday to Sunday

19:45 - 22:00

 Children under 1 meter: Free

Tickets:

On-site purchase

98RMB/ pp

Locations:

1) Dongmen Wharf, Binhe Road, Jinjiang District

锦江区天仙桥滨河,  东门码头 (九眼桥)

2) Music Wharf, near Sizhu road bus stop, Jinjiang District 

锦江区丝竹路公交站,  音乐码头

For more details, scan the QR code below, or click here.

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Kuixinglou Street and NU art space 奎星楼街&明堂 

Kuixinglou Street is the place to appreciate urban art and local food. The by locals called "Min Town" is a touristic street in Chengdu not far from People's Park and the haunt for Chengdu's hipsters. Expect from ginkgo trees and graffiti painted walls you can taste local food, shop in "online-celebrity" stores and have a drink in the international Nu Café. And don't forget to use colorful Graffiti-Walls for some stylish photos.

For something new, something different the Nu Space Chengdu is always the right place to go.

Just around the corner from Wide & Narrow Alleys and is a part of the growing artist community MiNTOWN 明堂, started out as a coffee/ working place with a focus on art in an area of Chengdu renowned for its cultural vibrancy. In 2016, this evolved into a second venue (down the street) with offices, bookstore and a greater focus on live music. Bringing in and hosting acclaimed performers from across China and the globe, NU space is a great venue to head to for an entertaining evening. The original Nu Space has been open a few years and previously hosted NuArt Festival – but has recently opened up a bigger live music venue (400 people) and is giving Little Bar a real run for their money.

To check new latest events check their WeChat below:

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Kuixinglou Street, Qingyang District; 青羊区奎星楼街

Metro Line 1 to Luomashi Station 骡马市站, or change to Metro Line 4 and get off at Kuanzhai Alley Station, 宽窄巷子站, walk the rest.

For those who love adventures food experiences, Supo Farmer Market is the place to go to. The market is a typical Chinese farmer market, offering spices such as Sichuan pepper, self-made noodles and jiaozi (Chinese dumplings) but also roasted duck and other food ready to be cooked in a Chinese kitchen. The atmosphere is bustling and gives you experiences to tell friends and family later. But keep in mind that this market is totally different from those we might know from Europe, North-America or Australia.

Opening Time:

The best time to come is around 8:30/9am

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Qingyang Qu Supo Nongmao Shichang; 成都市青羊区苏坡农贸市场

Take Metro Line 4 to Qingjiang West Road Station, 清江西路站, walk the rest to the market

Chengdu Museum 成都博物馆

A museum only about Chengdu's part in Chinas history is located on the East side of the central Tianfu Square. On several floors, the development of civilization in Chengdu and Sichuan are presented, as well as ongoing and temporary exhibitions. In addition, there is the possibility to purchase traditional Chinese gifts as a souvenir of an amazing time in a wonderful city.

Opening time: 

9:00am- 8:00pm, closed on Mondays

Price:

Free, you have to show an ID

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Qingyang District, West Yu Street No. 4 

[futuristic new building on the West side of Tianfu Square]
青羊区西御街4号[天府广场旁边]

The museum is next to Metro Line 1 Tianfu Square station, 天府广场

Chengdu Urban Planning Exhibition Hall gives you a great overview of the history of Chengdu’s urban planning. Located on the second floor, the exhibition starts with a look into the past of Chengdu’s urban planning and the history of the region. The exhibition is in Chinese, however, every section has a QR-code that leads to further information (written and radio) in English and Chinese. The third floor has a model of the city and the surrounding and gives insight into ongoing and future projects of Chengdu. The museum tells you about even more exciting places in Chengdu to explore!

Opening Time: 

Monday to Saturday from 10 am to 5 pm

Price: 

The entry is free, you have to show a copy or a picture of your passport 

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69 West ShuXiu Road, Gaoxin District 

高新区蜀绣西路69号成都规划馆

Transport: 

Take metro line 1 toFinancial City Exit A, 金融城 A出口, walk the rest to the museum

When Chengdu's rush hour is full on, and the streets are stuffed with taxis, cars, scooters and hard-working bikers, there is one alternative to go for. Busses. But not all of them, there is a special rout running on an extra bus line on the second ring road, passing by the traffic. The buses are not only cheap (2RMB) but also give a great opportunity to discover Chengdu. Driving next to skyscrapers and catch a blink through some of the windows you will pass. There are few better ways to catch the feeling and the atmosphere of this city. Take on of the stops along the ring road, you can pay with the Metro Card or cash, but only with coins. The route is operated by bus k1 and k2.

What would be travelling or living in new places without meeting new friends? And you find them nowhere better than during a fun night of comed or quizzes.

The Chengdu Comedy Club holds weekly free English Open Mics, often in their clubhouse called The Beer Nest. Follow their WeChat below to get all updates.

Night of drinks and tricky questions take place every Tuesday from 8:30pm at Tim's Bar-B-Q, and every Wednesday from 9pm Homeplate.

Let’s quiz!

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Tim's Bar-B-Q 本垒美式烤肉

锦绣路1号，保利中心C 坐7号

No 7 Building C, Poly Centre,No. 1 JinXiu Road, Wuhou District

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Home Plate 本垒美式烤肉
Ziwei East Road No. 54, Wuhou District
武侯区紫薇东路54号

Like in every other Chinese metropolis, you can't miss the cities highest tower. With a height of 339m, the 339 TV Tower is one of western China highest TV buildings. The Tower has an observatory deck in 218m high, which gives an amazing view of the city. Our Tip, go in the evenings to see Chengdu's sea of lights at night. And don't miss the area where you walk on glass and can see what is happening underneath your feet!

Time: 

10am - 8pm

Price Observation Deck (weekend & holiday): 

100RMB, Students 70RMB, Kids 1.2-1.4m 50RMB

Price Observation Deck (weekdays): 

70RMB, Students 50RMB, Kids 1.2-1.4m 35MB

Elevator charged separately (35-50RMB)

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Chenghua District, 168 Mengzhuiwan

成华区猛追湾168号四川广播电视塔景区门口

Chengdu brings about a fantastic array of bars with themes ranging from French wine houses to craft beer houses to award winning cocktail bars and everything in-between. An even better way to enjoy these bars is to enjoy some of the great happy hour deals they offer.

To check out the list, surf to:

https://chengdu-expat.com/where-to-happy-hour-in-chengdu/

There are a fair few places around town, to get together with friends and play some classic board games - Catan, Monopoly, Splendor, D&D and more. There's even an English speaking group called Board Game Gang - so get in touch if you'd like to connect.

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On different days a week, some restaurants in Chengdu also offer a special discount on their menu. Check Chengdu-Expat latest news to keep on track where to eat like a king for a small budget.

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Got any other tips?

Let us know in the comments below!

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