Chengdu-成都

Chengdu is one of the most livable cities in China.

Xi'an may have the Terracotta Warriors, but Chengdu has the giant pandas. Each city has its own unique tourist draws and your trip to Chengdu would not be complete without a stop by its Panda Breeding Research Center. In the wild, pandas are reclusive and sightings are rare, but here at the center, you're guaranteed a look at them while they munch on a meal of bamboo. It is recommended that you visit the center in the morning during feeding time when the pandas are the most active.

Chengdu is also the capital of Sichuan Province, perhaps one of the best-known provinces of China, largely because of its popular, spicy regional cuisine.

The city dates back over 3,000 years ago and has matured into a mellow, charming urban center whose pace and energy is quite different from that found in Beijing and Shanghai. One of Chengdu's "firsts" is paper money: paper currency first became commonplace in 960 AD in the city.

Chengdu is a big city with its share of shopping malls, high-rises and traffic jams. Still, just one step around any corner here often opens up to a lush, serene park usually accented with the obligatory teahouse.