From 8.38am we sat aboard the high-speed train from Yang Shuo to Chengdu for almost 8 hours, arriving in late afternoon. However, the time passed quickly. With charging ports and on-off data connection, I was entertained well enough by my devices – shockingly for probably 90% of the ride. In China, based on my experience, the Gao Tie train is superior to flying. Let me make a chart for you to compare the two.
Aspect | High-speed Train | Plane |
Travel Time to Station | 30 minutes to 1 hour drive/metro from city center | Usually 1 hour or more drive/metro from city center |
Number of Stations | Multiple stations in some cities (e.g., South, East) | Typically only one main airport per city |
Price Comparison | Generally varies, often cheaper for short to medium distances | Varies, can be more expensive especially with added fees |
Baggage Handling | Store above or in nearby storage area, no weight limits | Must check in luggage, with stricter weight limits |
Security Measures | Minimal security measures | Full security screening; no liquids over 100ml |
In-Travel Experience | More freedom to use devices, plugin ports | Less device usage, no plugins |
Connectivity | Good cellular connection, some trains offer free Wi-Fi | Usually no connectivity during the flight |
Noise Level | Can hear passengers and kids playing, yelling, coughing | Plane sounds, less people noises – unless near a crying baby |
Comfort | Smoother ride, more legroom | More cramped, takeoff/landing/turbulence discomfort, blocked ears |
Entertainment | Freedom to work online, use devices | Babies crying nearby |
Leaving the train, we were off to a great start when we decided to choose taking a Didi to the hotel over the metro because it would be fairly cheap and faster. Hah, faster… We ended up in a basement that felt like a human oven waiting more than 30 minutes for the Didi (the train would have taken 40 minutes), and having to pay attention the entire time to spot our car because the map wouldn’t update accurately underground. The clogged queue of Didi drivers crawled along searching for their passengers.
Once we were finally in the car, it started stalling on a small ramp heading out of the car park because the manual car was out of petrol. So we had to exit the car at the gas station while the driver filled it up, then it was a smooth enough ride back. But fat regrets.
Chengdu is a classic tourist city with a lot of hotspots and amazing atmosphere. We visited for three days. Chengdu is the capital of Sichuan province, which is famous all over China for its cuisines. I’m too white to handle spice and didn’t end up try any famous dishes, so you can research Sichuan foods on XiaoHongShu and explore them yourself there.
From the travel, my impression is that Chengdu is all about shopping and pandas (or both - shopping for pandas).
Chengdu Shopping
We went to Jinli Old Street (锦里古街), which was cramped with people, "人山人海”, a sea of people. It was a typical Chinese market road.
Chunxi Road (春熙路) was a big shopping road area that reminded me of Nanjing Road (南京路) in Shanghai.
The most outstanding shopping spot was Chengdu SKP, a mall filled with over a thousand of luxury international brands. The architecture was fabulous and going on a weekday evening, there was a quiet atmosphere. I didn’t see a single customer in the stores, so I assume people shop there on the weekends.
This mall was also interesting because from the outside, you’d have no idea there’s a mall right there down the path and down a couple escalators. There’s a sign with SKP to signify it and you can’t see any of the mall from the outside. Apparently it is called "sunken-style" design because 99% of the mall is 30 meters below the ground.
I’d recently bought a top from a random retailer along the street that sell all sorts of cheap clothing as a memento. I had read the top as saying “niu niu”, which “niu” in Chinese is slang for “cool” (literally means “cow”). Later on, I realised it actually said “miu miu” and I got mad and had no idea what that meant. Walking into the stunning architecture with bright gold lighting, a gentleman bowing and welcoming me to the mall, and a selection of luxury before my eyes, I noticed a store, “miu miu”. Turns out Miu Miu is a high fashion Italian brand. Here I was coming to have a peek at a mall of gold inadvertently wearing a fake top.
Opposite it was the ginormous, impressive New Century Global Center (新世纪环球中心) that is the world’s largest building in terms of floor area. Briefly entering it, it seemed like an entertainment mall, with your usual clothing brands like H&M, Uniqlo, but then cinemas, a water park, arcades and more. I’m sure there was more to it as well.
Chengdu Pandas
The main selling point of Chengdu is its pandas - and yo, they milk that shit. Panda posters plastered everywhere, in the nooks and crannies of every street will be panda stall sellers, brands incorporating the word panda... I can’t imagine visiting Auckland and finding clusters of mini stores at Piha, Mission Bay, Takutai Square yelling out to buy stuffed kiwis. Then again, we do call ourselves “kiwis”, pretty stuck-up, aye.
My favourite panda store was Panda House, which seemed to have more unique panda designs compared to everywhere else and the quality was very good, though a bit more expensive.
In terms of seeing real-life pandas, there are a few options for panda places to visit. The most convenient and busy one is the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding (成都大熊猫繁育研究基地). You can easily take the metro Line 3 to Panda Avenue Station（熊猫大道）then get on the 408 bus (the one with all the panda designs on it) that takes you to the South gate entrance.
30,000 people are allowed daily into the facility. The later you go, the more people there will be. The place is massive with different sections, however, 89% of people enter from the South gate (11% enter via the West gate).
The people sitting at the front of the bus heading to the Research Base got off first. They were so rushed to get to the building entrance that they started running, causing a frenzy chain reaction of everyone getting out chasing them. My mum and I stepped off the bus and stood like statues by the door with our necks tilted and eyebrows raised at we watched the herd of humans flurry away. The bus driver, a sixty-ish year old, wrinkled Chinese man, stepped out and lit up his cigarette. He laughed, “where are they going? The entrance is that way”, pointing the opposite direction.
The Research Base is non-profit, so my ticket was student half price at 27 yuan, which was definitely good value and I appreciated that - some Chinese tourist spots are overpriced, stingy with discounts, then end up being lame and not paying off.
We followed the crowds to Panda place 8 and 9. Then it happened: the first panda sighting. A group of people clamoured at the glass with their phones up like paparazzi. I tried to weave into the crowd and got moved around naturally like I was in a mosh pit. Gradually I made it to the front to see a flat, goldish, white, fluffy animal lying in the distance. A panda? Sleeping? It could’ve been a white bathroom mat for all it looked. The glass was sweaty from people’s breath and fingers; it reminded me of that scene from the titanic. But I pressed one knuckle against the glass to stop myself from being pushed against it. I felt children from both sides behind me squeezing my pants.
The funny thing is, if you entered from the West gate, where people usually end their day, you’d see the pandas indoors with perfect vision, eating or playing around. People by that point are desensitised to panda sightings and way more chill. There are also just less people. Indoor panda sightings are less cool than outdoors though.
Also, I do not recommend panda tours. We went solo, but tours will waste your money and you won’t have the freedom to watch pandas where and how long you want. If you want to learn about the pandas, ChatGPT it; read the signs; Baidu it.
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