Seven Chengdu days, from pandas to poetry

Choose the west or south entrance before planning around cubs, quieter areas or the celebrity panda Hua Hua.

Courtyards in Kuan Alley, small shops in Zhai Alley and a quieter finish in Jing Alley; snack lightly and eat nearby.

Visit Wuhou Shrine in the afternoon, then enter Jinli as the lanterns come on.

The IFS panda, Taikoo Li, Daci Temple and Wangping Street on an afternoon-to-evening city walk.

Start with Fish Mouth, Flying Sand Weir and Bottle-Neck Channel to understand a system still shaping the plain.

Red walls, the central halls and a cup of tea — with monastery etiquette ahead of photography.

The cottage is only one stop; poetry halls, memorial shrines and bamboo-lined red walls tell the fuller Chengdu story.