Du Fu Thatched Cottage

⚑ 28 Caotang Rd, Qingyang District

Featured in the film Season of Good Rain, this sanctuary was a quiet pause in revered Poet Sage Du Fu’s life. Enduring unfulfilled ambitions and losing his son to starvation, Du Fu came to Chengdu and built a humble grass-roofed cottage. During his years here, he composed some 240 masterpieces, finding the resolve to venture back into the world. Walking beneath the green canopy while reciting his poetry, one feels Chengdu offer a touch of tenderness to daily life.

Sanxingdui Museum

⚑ 133 Xi’an Rd, Guanghan City

In 1929, a farmer in Sichuan Province happened upon jade artifacts while digging an irrigation ditch, bringing the Bronze Age culture of the ancient kingdom of Shu to light. Visitors come face to face with ancient rites when they step into the gallery filled with colossal masks. Looking up at their bulging eyes and at a Sacred Tree nearly 4m tall, you can step back in time and see the world through the eyes of people who lived thousands of years ago.

Heming Teahouse

⚑ 9 Citang St, Qingyang District

For the people of Chengdu, tea is both an everyday ritual and a drink that sets life’s tempo. Open for over a century inside People’s Park, Heming Teahouse has left a leisurely imprint on people living across the city. As children, Chengdu locals come holding their grandmothers’ hands. As young adults, they return with a sweetheart to share whispered words of love. Sip Sichuan green tea from a traditional gaiwan (lidded bowl) and, in an instant, you may find yourself feeling like a local and truly savoring the unhurried pace.

• TIP Chengdu residents love having their ears cleaned, so ear-cleaning specialists make the rounds at Heming Teahouse.

Eastern Suburb Memory

⚑ 1 Jianshe South Branch Rd, Chenghua District

This was once a factory district where electronics were made. As the city grew, its factories moved to the outskirts, and the abandoned complex became a cultural hub beloved by Chengdu’s young people. Its vast red-brick warehouses, rusted steel staircases and old pipes crisscrossing the sky preserve the former industrial landscape, now infused with Chengdu’s creative energy. Take in a live performance against this steampunk-like backdrop.

Kuixinglou Street

⚑ 1 Jianshe South Branch Rd, Chenghua District

Walk about 10 minutes from tourist-packed Kuanzhai Alley and you reach Kuixinglou Street, a paradise for locals. This culinary mecca stakes its reputation on flavor and vitality rather than flashy appearances. Come evening, makeshift tables and chairs line the storefronts while diners line up outside their favorite spots. Order a beer and chuanchuan skewers spicy enough to bring tears to your eyes, then trade a word or two with the diners at the next table. You may feel like an honorary resident.

• TIP Because the street caters to locals, prices tend to be modest. Reviews are generally positive, with many saying it is hard to go wrong, whatever or wherever you choose to eat.

Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding

⚑ 1375 Xiongmao Blvd, Chenghua District

Pandas are an everyday presence in Chengdu and a symbol of the city’s distinctive slow ambiance. Despite evolving from carnivorous ancestors, pandas transitioned to a diet consisting exclusively of bamboo. Today, eating and sleeping take up most of their time. A panda leisurely munching bamboo or resting closely mirrors Chengdu’s own easygoing way of life. This is why the city’s residents embrace the panda not simply as a tourist attraction but as part of their cultural identity.

Long Sen Yuan

⚑ 60 Qintai Rd, Qingyang District

Chengdu has so many hot pot restaurants that the aroma of mala hot pot drifts through its streets. Long Sen Yuan’s mala hot pot is excellent, but the restaurant also offers all the classic accompaniments locals order with it: xiaosurou, bite-sized fried pork; hongtang ciba, glutinous rice cakes served with brown sugar syrup; and bingfen, a jelly dessert made from plant seeds. Together, they make this an ideal place to savor Chengdu’s hot pot culture.