144-hour visa-free transit
If you meet the criteria, you can transit for up to 144 hours in selected cities without a Chinese visa. You can visit the city at your leisure and book a hotel, etc. Unlike the 24-hour exemption, this one has more stringent criteria.
With the transit visa exemption policy, lets see where is worth of traveling in Chengdu.
Stop1 Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding
Opening hours: 07:30am—18:00pm, all year round
If there is one thing only you must do in Chengdu, the panda base is the right spot you should go! Meet a pile of the world's most adorable giant pandas upon arrival of Chengdu airport, one of Chengdu's top family-friendly attractions. More than 80 pandas live in this downtown panda base, including some babies that are rarely seen at other zoos. At the panda base, get an up-close encounter with all the pandas, and watch the house keeper feed the pandas with panda cake. Panda Base Tour is one of the popular and must watch tourist attractions in Chengdu. The base offers visitors up-close viewing of the pandas as they eat, sleep and play.
Duration:3hrs
Stop2 Dujiangyan Panda Base of the Giant Panda Research Center
Opening hours: 08:45am—17:00pm, all year round
Tour the Panda Park, see the giant pandas, red pandas and moon bears and explore their environment. Accompanied with the informative and passionate guide, it is easy to learn all about these amazing animals - find out how the conservation is helping and why the conservation of Giant Pandas is so important. There is so much more to see! Over 20 giant pandas, from babies to adults(around 1-15 years old) to see.
Duration:2.5hrs
Stop3 Wenshu Yuan Monastery
Opening hours: 08:00-17:00, all year round
Wenshu Yuan Monastery is a famous Buddhist temple in the west of Sichuan Province. Covering 13.5 acres with over 190 halls and rooms, Wenshu Yuan Monastery rides north to south and appeals to a great many visitors home and abroad by its graceful garden, solemn halls, and masses of cultural relics. As a provincial officially protected site, the whole Wenshu Yuan Monastery is an enclosing quadrangle courtyard with classical architectures in the style of Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) standing on the central axis, such as the Hall of Heavenly Kings, Mahavira Hall, the Three Persons Hall, Preaching Hall, and Sutra Hall, as well as a complete set of a temple on both sides, like Chan room, Buddhist hall, Fast rooms, Guests rooms, etc. and the Bell Tower and Drum Tower stand facing each other. In addition, there is a bronze bell over 4500 kilograms hanging in the Bell Tower.
Duration:1hr
Stop4 People’s Park (Renmin Park)
Opening hours: 00:00-24:00, all year round
Originally built in 1911 and covers 11 hectares, People’s Park (Renmin Park), is the largest as well as the earliest park of Chengdu established in the city center. The park was also the locality of many a historical event. Extended for several times, the present Renmin Park is a developed one combined gardening, culture, tea-tasting, leisure and recreation. The graceful park houses a nationally protected cultural site, four municipality protected historical sites, more than 70 kinds of famous trees and couples of plants gardens; various exhibitions and performances also take turns here. Teahouse, lotus ponds, walking paths, pavilions and resting spots make the park a popular haunt for Chengdu locals since its establishment.
Duration:1hr
Stop5 Kuanzhai Alley
Opening hours: 00:00-24:00, all year round
Located in Chengdu’s Qingyang district, the three parallel alleys of Kuanzhai Alley offer a lively mix of old and new, with renovated and restored buildings that date from the Qing dynasty. A popular shopping, dining, entertainment, and tourist destination, it’s also one of the city’s three historic conservation districts.
Duration:1hr
Stop6 Chengdu Museum
Opening hours: 09:00-20:00, all year round
Chengdu museum new museum is located in the center of Chengdu city. It mainly shows the history of Chengdu. The museum combines modern technology to bring the original exhibits to life. The folk custom museum can learn about the way of life in old Chengdu, there are many vivid decoration. The shadow puppetry gallery on the fifth floor is very beautiful, showing the process of selecting the skin to the finished product, as well as the characteristics of the shadow puppetry everywhere
Duration: 2hrs
Stop7 Huanglongxi Ancient Town
Opening hours: 00:00-24:00, all year round
Huanglongxi is a resplendent pearl hiding in the Chengdu Plain, an over 1000-year-old ancient town in urban area. Stepping here can find ancient streets, old temples and ordinary alleys; turning around can find smiling people with simple and honest folk customs; raising head can find luxuriant ancient banians which have protect the town for over 1000 years. The charming Huanglongxi consists of one lake, two rivers, six temples, seven streets, nine alleys. This is a region of rivers and lakes, which integrates mountains, water and city. It is also a cultural ancient town that is the integrity of antiquity, charm and interesting. At the same time, it is also a livable ancient town that reflects the environmental concept that the ancients relied on nature, had close relationship with nature and human was an integral part of nature. As this town locating on the edge of the downtown area has more than 2000-year history and profound cultural deposits, it obtains countless laurels. In 2005, it became a key tourism development town of Chengdu. Additionally, with age-old water culture, it was elected to be one of ‘Ten New Scenic Spots of Chengdu’ and became a new landmark of Chengdu tourism in 2011. It is the reflection of the real life of people in Chendu.
Duration:2hrs
Stop8 Dujiangyan Irrigation System
Opening hours: 08:30am—17:30pm, all year round
Admire the ancient irrigation system in Dujiangyan City, which is originally constructed around 256 BC by the State of Qin as an irrigation and flood control project, it is still in use today. A UNESCO World Heritage Site has become a major tourist attraction in Sichuan. Dujiangyan Irrigation System is a masterpiece of the time and the nation. The Irrigation System consists of three major parts, the Yuzui Water Diversion Embankment, Feishayan Spillway and Baopingkou Water Inlet Passage. Without the construction of any dam or water reservoir, the Irrigation System takes advantage of the natural waterway curve and the geological feature that the site is at the end of the valley where Minjiang River rushes out of the mountains, so the three major parts are coordinated into an automatic system in terms of irrigating and flood discharging. Therefore Chengdu Plain is secured with adequate irrigation and protected from floods, thus come out “The Land of Abundance”, and assisted the unification of China under the first centralized dynasty, Qin. Over 2260 years, the function of Dujiangyan Irrigation System has been enhanced all through the years, with an irrigated area of over 6700km2.
Duration:2.5hrs
Stop9 Qingcheng Mountain
Opening hours: 08:00am-17:00pm, all year round
Qingcheng Mountain is one of the four famous Taoist mountains in China, one of the five immortal mountains, one of the birthplaces of Taoism in China and one of the ten scenic spots in Chengdu.Qingcheng Mountain is situated in the southwest of Dujiangyan City, Chengdu City, Sichuan Province, 68 kilometers east of Chengdu City and 10 kilometers southwest of Dujiangyan Water Conservancy Project. Scenic area of 200 square kilometers, the highest peak of 1260 meters above sea level Laojun Pavilion, Qingcheng Mountain is divided into front and back hills, peaks around undulating, lush green trees, enjoy the reputation of "Qingcheng world seclusion".
Duration:2.5hrs
Stop10 Wangjiang Tower Park
Opening hours: 08:00am-18:00pm, all year round
Wangjiang Tower Park is located on the south bank of Jinjiang, the nine-eye bridge in Chengdu. In the park, there are cultural relics such as the ancient buildings of Wangjianglou and the famous Tang Dynasty female poet Xue Tao Memorial. Xue Tao Memorial Hall in the park displays Xue Tao's life experiences and her works. Xue Tao loved bamboo very much. Her descendants planted more than 200 varieties of bamboos in the park. Thus this park is also known as the “bamboo park”.
Duration:2.5hrs
Itinerary A:
07:30am-07:50am Drive to Chengdu Panda Base
08:00am-11:00am Visit the panda base
11:00am-12:30pm Lunch
12:30pm-16:30pm Visit Wenshu Yuan Monastery, People’s Park and Kuanzhai Alley
16:30pm-17:00pm Back to hotel
The itinerary is subject to change.
Itinerary B:
07:30am Hotel pick up
07:30am-09:00am Drive to Dujiangyan Panda Base
09:00am-11:00am Visit the panda base
11:30am-12:30pm Lunch
13:00pm-15:30pm Visit Dujiangyan Irrigation (or Qingcheng Mountain)
15:30pm-17:00pm Back to hotel
The itinerary is subject to change.
Itinerary C:
08:30am-09:00am Drive to Chengdu Museum
09:00am-11:00am Visit Chengdu Museum
11:00am-12:30pm Lunch
12:30pm-13:30pm Drive to Wangjiang Tower Park
13:30pm-15:30pm Visit Wangjiang Tower Park
15:30pm-16:30pm Back to hotel
The itinerary is subject to change.
TOP 5 THINGS TO DO IN Chengdu in 12 HOURS LAYOVER
144-hour Transit Visa Exemption Policy for Foreign Travelers from Designated Countries at Chengdu Entry Port
With the approval of the State Council, since January 1, 2019, Chengdu will implement the 144-hour visa-free transit policy. Foreigners from 53 countries, who hold valid international travel documents and a connecting flight ticket bound for a third country (region) with a fixed seat and a fixed date within 144 hours, can enter via Chengdu Airport and stay in Chengdu for 144 hours, visa free. The extension from 72 to 144 hours will further facilitate foreigners' transit and transfer and their traveling and business in Chengdu.
What is the 144-hour visa-free transit policy?
According to 144-hour visa-free transit policy, foreigners from 53 countries, who holdvalid international travel documents and a connecting flight ticket bound for athird country (region) with a fixed seat and a fixed date within 144 hours, canenter via Chengdu air ports and stay in Chengdu for 144 hours, visa free.
List of Countries Applicable for 144-hour Visa-free Transit Policy
European Countries under Schengen Visa Agreement (25)
Austria, Belgium, Czech, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and Monaco.
Other EuropeanCountries (14)
Russia，UK，Ireland，Cyprus，Bulgaria，Romania，Ukraine,Serbia，Croatia，Bosnia and Herzegovina，Montenegro, Macedonia，Albania，and Belarus.
Countries of Americas (6)
U.S., Canada, Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, and Chile.
Oceania Countries (2)
Australia and New Zealand.
Asian Countries (6)
Korea, Japan, Singapore, Brunei, The United Arab Emirates, and Qatar.
How to apply
Foreigners who apply for 144-hour visa-free transit status should meet the following requirements:
1、They must be citizens from one of the 53 eligible countries specified. They must hold valid international travel documents certifying their nationality and identity.
2、They must have a valid airplane passenger ticket for connecting travel to a third country or region. The ticket for travel must specify the traveler has a confirmed seat and that the departure time is within 144 hours.
3、 Port of entry and exit: Chengdu Airport.
Bilingual hotline
Exit and Entry Administration Division of Chengdu Public Security Bureau has set up a hotline in both Chinese and English to provide 24-hour consultation—18030695002.
Notices
1、144-hours stay begins from 00:00 on the next day of entry.
2、Stay in the administrative districts of Chengdu only.
It is worth noting that the foreigners under the 144-hour visa-free transit policy shall only be allowed to stay in the administrative districts of Chengdu after their entering via Chengdu Airport.
3、Departure Country A→Chengdu B→Third Country C
The foreigners under this policy who enter via Chengdu Airport shall fly to a third country (region) via the same airport. Departure country A and the third country C shall not be the same one.
Supporting Service
To provide the above mentioned foreigners with better service during their stay in Chengdu, So far, Chengdu is ready for the implementation of the 144-hour visa-free transit policy. Border Defense General Squad of Sichuan is taking three preparatory measures of matching policies, clearance facilitation and targeted service to provide quality, convenient and efficient service for foreigners under this policy. Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport is promoting the construction of a smart transit platform to provide rich and varied value-added services for visa-free foreigners. Basing on the "14+48+30" general plan for international airline network, Chengdu Port Logistics Office is coordinating and launching the upgrading project on international terminal building to enhance the clearance efficiency and to provide better service for cross-border travelers. Chengdu Tourism Bureau is launching a theme promotion campaign to publicize the 144-hour visa-free transit policy, and will promote jointly with Ctrip boutique travel routes to the world. Chengdu Culture and Tourism Group is promoting a series of theme products such as "Ancient Shu Culture” and Chengdu Travel PASS Card which covers all major scenic spots in Chengdu. City Municipal Commission of Commerce is promoting the construction of model consumption scenarios to optimize the consumption environment and meet the diverse and multi-level consumption needs of domestic and foreign tourists.