Culture of Chengdu. Places to visit - old town, temples, theaters, museums and palaces

The major historical symbol of Chengdu is Wuhou Memorial Temple . This unique temple complex is distinguished by its impressive size and covers an area of almost 37 000 m2. It is located in the southern part of the city. According to the historical data, the temple complex started to be built in 223. It is surrounded by stone walls, inside which you can see real historical treasures: elegant Zhu Gelyana Pavilion, ancient gate, Liu Bei Pavilion and The Tomb of Emperor Liu Bei. When walking along the large temple complex, you should certainly drop in the nearby forest located. There is always a calm, peaceful and harmonious atmosphere. It is hard to imagine that such amazing place is situated in the dynamic megacity.

A few Buddhist temples, including Wenshu Yuan Monastery, have been preserved in Chengdu. The first monastery here was built in the 7th century, and the present monastery started to be built at the end of the 17th century. The ancient construction resembles a large museum with its design. There is a collection of paintings accounting for more than 500 masterpieces kept here. Also, the rich collection includes pieces of old pieces of calligraphy and precious manuscripts. The most valuable exhibits are relics of monks living in the monastery once. Exactly here, the famous statue of White Buddha that was brought to China from Burma almost a hundred year ago is kept. This is just a small part of those amazing cultural and religious artifacts kept in wonderful Wenshu Yuan Monastery.

One of the most unusual and most amazing attractions is Du Fu Cottage. The great Chinese poet had lived in Chengdu for a significant part of his life. The poet’s house is a small hut with a thatched roof that has miraculously survived to this day. At present, the hut is a location of a small museum dedicated to poet’s life and work. Here you can see an interesting collection of old books and papers. Of particular interest is a forest near the hut with more than 25 types of fruit trees and a variety of lovely flowers. Copyright www.orangesmile.com

History enthusiasts should certainly walk along the picturesque Chengdu Street that is one of the oldest city streets. The street was established in prehistoric times and was a location of shops that were visited by merchants from all over the world. Over thousands of years, the look of the street has changed but its “trading” atmosphere has remained. A lot of constructions of different epochs have preserved. At present, they serve as popular shops and restaurants. Most of the modern buildings on the street are built in style of the last centuries, so it is not so simple to distinguish them from real historical sites from the first glance. Tsinyangun Temple undoubtedly stands out among outstanding attractions of Chengdu. It is the oldest Taoist temple in the city and started to be built in the first half of the 7th century. The last extensive reconstruction of the temple was finished in the 19th century. The guests of the city have an opportunity to come over to the incredibly beautiful halls of this sacred place and admire their splendid interior. The temple is located on the territory of the picturesque Venhua Park that has been a permanent place for interesting theatrical performances for many years.