chengdu in 4 days, 3 nights

A teahouse afternoon in People's Park on arrival, pandas in the morning and hotpot at night, Wuhou Shrine, Jinli and Sichuan opera, and a last bowl of wontons before the flight home.

1. Day 1

   Arrive and a teahouse

   Morning

   Fly direct from KL, about 4.5 hours; Chengdu is on the same time as Malaysia. Tianfu airport is about an hour from the city by metro or car.

   Lunch

   Chilli oil wontons, known locally as chao shou, near the hotel.

   Afternoon

   A pot of tea in a bamboo chair at a teahouse in People's Park, watching the mahjong games by the lake.

   Evening

   Walk about 20 minutes to Kuanzhai Xiangzi, the Wide and Narrow Alleys. Then chuan chuan for dinner: skewers you cook yourself in a bubbling pot, counted up by the stick.

2. Day 2

   Pandas and hotpot

   Morning

   Get to the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding first thing, when the pandas are fed and most active. It's about 30–40 minutes from the centre.

   Lunch

   Mapo tofu, soft tofu in a chilli, bean paste and minced meat sauce. The dish was created in Chengdu.

   Afternoon

   Back to the hotel for a rest. The pandas nap through the afternoon, and so can you.

   Evening

   Hotpot in beef-tallow mala broth. Ask for a split pot if not everyone can take the heat.

3. Day 3

   Three Kingdoms and opera

   Morning

   Wuhou Shrine, the shrine to Zhuge Liang and Liu Bei of Three Kingdoms fame.

   Lunch

   Snacks along Jinli, the lantern-lit street next door.

   Afternoon

   Rest, or browse the shops around Chunxi Road in the city centre.

   Evening

   A Sichuan opera show for the face-changing act, where the masks switch in a blink.

4. Day 4

   Home

   Morning

   A slow morning and one more pot of tea.

   Lunch

   A last bowl of chilli oil wontons.

   Afternoon

   Head to Tianfu airport, about an hour, and fly home.