Chengdu's city centre has a pedestrian spine, and it is where the city goes to shop and to be seen. Chunxi Road runs east from the central Tianfu Square area as a broad car-free street lined with department stores, flagship shops and snack counters, and it connects at its eastern end to a cluster of newer malls. It is busy seven days a week and crowded on holidays, and it is as much a social space as a shopping street - the local expression for people-watching here is well established.
The panda on the wall
The shopping complex on the eastern edge of the district has a large panda sculpture climbing its glass facade - a giant cartoon figure gripping the corner of the building, with its head and front paws emerging over the rooftop terrace. It has become the most photographed object in Chengdu, and the terrace where the panda's head appears is open to the public, so you can queue for a photograph standing next to it. Free, and worth ten minutes even if you have no interest in shopping.
Shopping and eating
The offer runs from international luxury brands in the newer complexes to local brands and mid-market chains along Chunxi Road itself, with a food hall in most buildings and street snacks at the edges. Chengdu's retail is strong on fashion and on food; the local specialities worth buying here are tea, chilli oils and doubanjiang from the food halls, and Sichuan embroidery or bamboo craft from the craft shops. Many stores open late and the area stays lively until ten or eleven at night.
Practical notes
Chunxi Road is served by metro lines 2 and 3 with a station directly under it, which makes it the easiest part of Chengdu to reach and the simplest place to arrange to meet people. It is a five-minute walk from the Daci Temple area and a short ride from the Wenshu Monastery and the old town at Jinli. Air conditioning makes the malls useful in July and August, when the city is hot and humid and the street is uncomfortable in the middle of the day. Card payment works widely in the malls; smaller street shops may be mobile-only.
