Chunxi Road, Chengdu

Is Chunxi Road worth visiting?

Yes — for an evening, not for the shopping. The brands are the ones you'd find in any big Chinese mall. What makes Chunxi Road worth an hour or two is the package: the city's busiest pedestrian streets, the giant panda clinging to the IFS building, the low tiled roofs of Taikoo Li, a temple traced back to the 3rd century tucked among the boutiques, and Sichuan snacks at every corner.

Chunxi Road (春熙路) is really four streets — North, South, East and West Chunxi Road — around little Zhongshan Square, plus the malls that grew up around them. It was laid out in 1924 and went fully pedestrian after a rebuild in 2002. It fits best at the end of a day with the pandas or the temples: you arrive by metro, eat, see the lights and ride home from the same station.

The IFS panda: where it is and how to get close

‘I Am Here’ is a 15-metre panda by the artist Lawrence Argent, unveiled when Chengdu IFS opened in January 2014. It hangs from a corner near the top of the mall's podium, so from the street it looks as if it's hauling itself onto the roof — the classic ‘panda butt’ photo.

For the face, go into IFS and take the lift from the ground floor straight to 7. The terrace there is a small sculpture garden with benches and restaurants — dinner next to the panda at sunset is a popular move. It costs nothing, but the lifts are few. Come on a weekday before lunch or right at opening, around 10:00. Terrace hours follow the mall's; we found no official timetable, so treat them as unofficial.

Things to do on Chunxi Road

• Photograph the panda from the street, then from the 7th-floor terrace of IFS.
• Walk to Zhongshan Square, the small plaza at the heart of the district, with a seated bronze statue of Sun Yat-sen from 1943 and benches by the fountains.
• Spot the old names. Among the chain stores, a few long-running shops survive — the Hengdeli watch shop, around a century old, the Jingyi optician and old snack brands.
• Wander through Taikoo Li, an open-air district of low Sichuan-style buildings, courtyards and lanes, with the cavern-like Fangsuo bookshop underground.
• Step into Daci Temple, a Buddhist monastery traced back to the 3rd century, where the pilgrim Xuanzang was ordained in 622 — now ringed by glass boutiques.
• Stay for the lights. After dark the screens and shop fronts light up and the skyscrapers glow above the pedestrian streets.

Taikoo Li and Daci Temple

Taikoo Li starts right behind IFS, 3–5 minutes' walk from Chunxi Road station. It opened in 2015 and was built around Daci Temple: instead of another tower, there are low buildings in Sichuan style, courtyards and alleys full of boutiques and cafés. Entry is free, and shops keep roughly 10:00–22:00.

Daci Temple sits inside the district and is a working Buddhist monastery. Wikipedia traces it to the 3rd century and records that Xuanzang — the monk who travelled to India for the sutras — was ordained here in 622. It's open roughly 8:00–17:30. The fee is disputed: a 2026 Wanderin China guide says ¥30, other sites say free. Carry a little cash, keep your voice down and don't photograph people praying.

Best time to visit and how long to stay

Go on a weekday evening. Arrive about an hour before sunset: see the panda in daylight from the terrace, stroll through Taikoo Li, then come back to the pedestrian streets as the lights come on. If you want to see inside Daci Temple, do it first — it closes around 17:30.

The walk itself takes about an hour; two with the IFS terrace and Taikoo Li, three with dinner. Weekends and holidays — Golden Week in early October and Chinese New Year above all — get very crowded from early afternoon, so keep your phone in a front pocket and agree on a meeting point, such as the statue on Zhongshan Square.

What to eat and how to pay

Chunxi Road is an easy first taste of Sichuan food. Old snack brands trade here and in the side lanes: Zhong dumplings (钟水饺), Lai tangyuan rice balls (赖汤圆), Long Chaoshou wontons (龙抄手) and Han baozi buns (韩包子). Portions are small, so try several. Save hotpot for a proper sit-down restaurant.

China runs on QR payments. Set up Alipay or WeChat Pay before you arrive and link your foreign Visa or Mastercard with your passport — that covers snack stalls, shops and the metro. Flagship stores in IFS and Taikoo Li also take international cards directly. Shops must accept yuan notes but may be short of change, so carry small notes.

Chunxi Road vs IFS vs Taikoo Li

It's one district over one metro station, so do all three together. Short on time? The panda from the 7th floor and a quick loop of Taikoo Li.

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How to do it right

• Go up to the panda first, then Taikoo Li and the streets — you'll miss the evening lift queue at IFS.
• Best ‘panda butt’ shot: from the street by IFS. Best face shot: from the 7th-floor terrace.
• Daci Temple closes long before the shops, around 17:30 — go in before your evening walk.
• See live pandas at the Panda Base in the morning, then ride Line 3 straight back to Chunxi Road.
• Carry on into the lanes of Kuanzhai Alley for an older-looking Chengdu.
• For DiDi or a taxi, save 春熙路 and ask for the IFS drop-off on Hongxing Road.

Questions