🇨🇳✨ “2 Days in Chengdu: Pandas, Spices & Teahouse Vibes Under $200”

#100usdchallenge
Chengdu, the heart of Sichuan, is where giant pandas, fiery cuisine, and laid-back teahouse culture collide. It’s a city that feels authentic, vibrant, and surprisingly budget-friendly.

📍 Where I Stayed
Chengdu Flipflop Hostel — modern dorms, lively lounge, great location near Chunxi Road. ~$18/night.
Total: ~$36 / 2 nights

🚇 Transport
Metro is cheap and efficient. Get a Transit Card (¥20 deposit, rides ¥2–6).
2-day transit budget: ~$6–8

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🐼 Day 1 — Pandas, Old Streets & Sichuan Flavors
• Breakfast: baozi + soy milk: $2
• Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding (morning is best): entry ~$9 (¥58), taxi or metro + bus ~$5
• Lunch: hot pot or dan dan noodles — ~$7–8
• Kuan & Zhai Alleys (Wide & Narrow Alleys) — free stroll, street snacks ~$3
• People’s Park — join locals for tea at Heming Teahouse: ~$3
• Dinner: Sichuan-style street barbecue — ~$6
Day 1 total: ~$35

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🌿 Day 2 — Culture, Temples & Spicy Eats
• Breakfast: local jianbing pancake — $2
• Wenshu Monastery — peaceful courtyard, free entry; vegetarian lunch at its temple canteen — ~$4
• Sichuan Opera & Face-Changing Show (Shufengyayun Theater): budget seats from $18–20
• Chunxi Road — shopping street with affordable eats (try rabbit head or cold noodles): ~$6
• Evening stroll along Anshun Bridge for skyline and riverside lights — free
• Dinner: Chengdu snacks — $5
Day 2 total: ~$35–40

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✅ 2-Day Grand Total (approx.)

Stay: $36
Food & drinks: $35–40
Transport: $6–8
Attractions: $27–30
Total: ~95-$100

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💡 Trip Hack

Skip expensive panda tours — use the metro + taxi combo (total under $5 each way) to reach the Panda Base. Plus, arrive before 8:30 AM to see pandas during feeding when they’re most active.

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Tips
• Always have WeChat Pay or Alipay for Tourists set up — most places are cashless.
• Sichuan food is spicy — say “bu yao la” (not spicy) if you prefer mild flavors.
• Carry tissues — some public bathrooms lack them.
• Teahouses are part of the culture — take your time, don’t rush.
• Avoid national holidays — sites can get extremely crowded.

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