Ask a Question Can't decide, Chengdu or Chongqing, where to go? Let me help you to make up your mind. Here I gonna make a sharp contrast of Chengdu and Chongqing, and tell you their highlights and why people choose one over another. In one word, Chengdu is tremendously attractive, because of its panda bases and panda volunteer program, and its close to other beautiful places like Jiuzhai Valley. Chongqing is a mountain city, famous for its cityscapes, night views, and starting places of Yangtze River Cruise.
| Chengdu | Chongqing | |
| Status | China's major gateway city | One of the Four Municipalities |
| Best time to visit | April- November(Autumn is the best, Winter for snow scenery) | April- November( Autumn is best for Yangtze River Cruise) |
| Tour days | 3 days for Chengdu, 5-7 days for Chengdu+Surrounding tour) | 3 days for Chongqing, another 5 days for Yantze River Cruise |
| Best places to visit | Dujiangyan Panda Base, Chengdu Panda Base, Xiling Snow Mountain, Jinli Street | Hongyadong, Ciqikou, Wulong Karst Geological Park |
| Things to do | Panda volunteer program, eat Sichuan food, climbing mountians | see karst mountains, eat Chongqing food, take Yantze River Cruise, or ride Yantze River Cableway |
(Above picture/ Chonging Landscape)
1. If you are a photographer of city buildings, and cityscape, Chongqing would be you love.
2. If you want to have a Yangtze River Cruise(not recommended in winter), Chongqing, 100 percent is your destination.
3. If you are discoverer of city beauty and city arts, Chongqing has so many for you to explore.
4. If you have never seen a city built on mountains and trains going through a block of flats, Chongqing will open you eyes.
5. If you want to see how crowded a business street could be, Chongqing is ready for your upcoming.
6. If you are a lover of night view in a city, Chongqing would be a light for you.
1. If you want to see Giant Panda and experience as a feeder of Giant Panda, Chengdu has Panda Bases for you.
2. If you are a eater, like to order Sichuan food in a Chinese restaurant, Chengdu has prepared authentic local food for you.
3. If you want to visit Jiuzhai Valley or Huanglong National Park, or other natural landscapes, Chengdu would be your transfer city.
4. If you want have a tour in winter, Chengdu has beautiful snow attractions and outdoor ski resort for a wonderful winter vacation.
Chengdu is home of China Giant Panda, and in Chengdu, there are two Panda Bases for tourists to see panda. Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding. In this Panda Base, you could those incredible cute animals, visit their kitchen, house, and playground. Who can’t refuse to see those pandas? A ticket of only 58 yuan, and you could see many adult pandas and baby pandas.
Dujiangyan Panda Base. Here has a popular program, Panda volunteer program, you have a chance to be panda feeder. Joining this program, you could get so close to those cute pandas: hug them, prepare food for them, clean their houses, give them body health check, and learn much knowledge about GIANT PANDA.
Chongqing has a zoo, where you could also see Giant Panda, but it would not be your first choice, compared to Chengdu Panda Bases.
(Above picture/Sichuan hot pot)
► Chengdu Gourmet. Back in home, most of you have tasted Sichuan food in a Chinese restaurant, and some of you even don’t notice it’s Sichuan food. Famous Sichuan food are Mapo Tofu, Kung Pao Chicken, Yuxiang Shredded Pork, Sichuan hot pot. Chengdu tour could be a gourmet journey, especially if you are into spicy food. Spicy food is Sichuan food, no spicy is not Sichuan food.
In Chengdu, you could find so many delicious food in alleys, and streets. Other recommended foods in Chengdu are Pork lungs in chili sauce(Fuqi feipian), Szechuan style chicken( Bang Bang chicken and Bo Bo chicken), Sichuan noodles( Dan Dan Mian), braised pork shoulder(Jiang zhou zi). Food streets recommended by us are Jinli Street, and Kuang Zhai Alley.
► Chongqing Gourmet. Chongqing, the city like Chengdu, is another gourmet city in China, and it has the same taste in spicy food. Chongqing hot pot is as famous as Sichuan hot pot in China, really hot and spicy, Chinese people love it very much. Chongqing noodles is another big name of Chongqing, Chongqing Xiaomian and Chongqing Hot and Sour Noodles( Chongqing Suanlafen), popular in the whole China. Chongqing also has lots of popular snacks in Ciqikou and Hongyada, where you could find Chongqing gourmet everywhere.
Chongqing doesn’t have a flat landscape, but it has hills and rivers. Chongqing has been nicknamed as “Mountain City”, because they build houses on mountains and those buildings are crowded together. People are easy to get lost in directions in this city, and are you ready to challenge yourself?
In Chonqing, you would view Chongqing cityscape as a wonder. A great picture of this mountain city lying in the riversides of Yangtze River will definitely be attractive to you. Still, you could see Chongqing style roads: wave road, road built on rooftop, most complex road interchange, and rail going through a block of flats. Surprising, amazing, there is much for you to explore this city.
(Above picture/Chongqing/ Wulong)
► Chongqing natural attractions. Wulong Tiankeng Three Bridges Scenic Area is an amazing natural attractions of Karst landscape. It is a must see places in Chongqing, and also a hidden treasure hikers and backpackers. Its three natural bridges are breathtaking, and the bridges, cliffs, stones, and caves forms great natural scenery, and it has been a outdoor scene for shooting movies, like Transformers: Age of Extinction.
Other natural attractions in Chongqing: Furong Cave, and wonderful sceneries along Yangtze River. Having a Yangtze River Cruise is popular among tourists, because it is the best way to see the splendid sceneries along Yangtze River, like high standing cliffs and roaring water.
► Chengdu natural attractions: Qingcheng Mountain, Xiling Snow Mountain. Qingcheng Mountain is a sacred mountain to Taoism, with refreshing sceneries and great Taoism buildings. Xiling Snow Mountain also has great natural sceneries in four seasons, but the most amazing is in winter.
(Above picture/ Xiling Snow Mountain)
(Above picture/ Yangtze River Cruise)
| Chengdu | Chongqing |
| See pandas in Panda Bases | Take Yangtze River Cruise |
| Climbing mountian, Qingcheng mountain | Hiking in Wulong Tiankeng Three Bridges |
| Hang around & Dining in Jinli Street | Hang around & Dining in Ciqikou, Hongyadong |
| skiing in Xiling Snow Moutian(December, January, February) | Yangtze River Ropeway Ride |
| Snap Chongqing City View & See Chongqing things, Chongqing wonders |
(Above picture/ Chengdu/Kuan Zhai Alley)
► Chengdu weather from January to December
|
Month |
Jan |
Feb |
Mar |
Apr |
May |
Jun |
Jul |
Aug |
Sep |
Oct |
Nov |
Dec |
|
Average High℃) |
10 |
12 |
17 |
22 |
26 |
28 |
30 |
30 |
26 |
21 |
16 |
11 |
|
Average Low (℃) |
3 |
5 |
8 |
13 |
17 |
20 |
20 |
20 |
19 |
15 |
9 |
5 |
|
Rainfall (mm) |
5 |
10 |
20 |
45 |
80 |
110 |
235 |
245 |
120 |
40 |
15 |
5 |
|
Days of rainfall |
7 |
8 |
11 |
13 |
15 |
16 |
17 |
16 |
17 |
14 |
8 |
6 |
► Chongqing weather. It is almos the same with Chengdu weater, because Chongqing is close to Chengdu, and the two cities have similar temperature in four seasons.
Weather tips: Spring and Summer, it rains a lot in Chongqing and Chengdu, better to bring an umbrella.
Best time to visit Chengdu and Chongqing is from April to November. But Chengdu would a great place for winter vacation too, because of Xiling Snow Mountain, and its skiing resort. Winter would be a bad time for Yangtze River, really cold and most cruises would be out of service for maintenance.
Related Readings:
Shanghai VS Hong Kong, Which Would You Like to Visit
Hangzhou or Suzhou, Which Is the Winner for Vacation
Zhangjiajie or Guilin, Which City Do You Prefer to Visit
Beijing VS Shanghai, Which is Your Pick for Visiting
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