text:
Chelmsford (England)

Chelmsford is is largely a commercial city that is the county town of Essex, England. Chelmsford has a vibrant nightlife scene with many pubs, late night bars and restaurant establishments in the city centre area. Its central Essex location and good public transport links make the city ideal for revellers, commuters and tourists to visit from surrounding areas.

Understand
Famous as the birthplace of radio, Chelmsford is the county town of Essex, England. It lies 30 miles (48.5 km) northeast of Liverpool Street, London, approximately halfway between there and Colchester. It is almost exactly in the centre of the county and it has been the county town of Essex since 1215. It is also the seat of the Borough of Chelmsford, which covers a wider area than the city, including the new (ca. 1970s) settlement of South Woodham Ferrers on the banks of the River Crouch. Chelmsford was made a city on the Queen's diamond jubilee in March 2012.

Summer
Being in the south east of England, the city enjoys a warmer climate than most of the United Kingdom and has some of the hottest summers in Britain; it is also one of the driest places in the country. Temperatures often reach 30°C in the summer. The hottest day on record in the city was on the UK-wide temperature record-breaking day on August 10, 2003 when 35.2°C or 95.4°F was recorded. Thunderstorms mostly occur during July/August however they can occur anytime of the year.

Winter
During the winter the temperature rarely stays below 0°C during the day and even with night-time winter temperatures, it's extremely rare to fall below -5°C. Air and ground frost is very common from November through to March.

Snow is sometimes seen in the winter months because the town is near to the east coast where cold, moist air is brought in from the North Sea. There has been up to three inches of snow on days in January and February which has resulted in minor disruption to transport and caused some schools to close. However, the snow tends not to persist for a significant length of time in any noticeable quantity.

Local government information

 * Chelmsford City Council website

By road

 * Chelmsford is on the A12 London to Lowestoft main road. Connecting to Colchester 25 miles to the NE and to London 25 miles SW.
 * The A130 main road connects the town to Rayleigh (near Southend) to the south.
 * The A131 connects the town to Braintree to the north.
 * The A414 runs eastwards to the M11 (25 miles) and beyond.

By plane

 * Heathrow Airport is about two hours drive via the M25 London Orbital Motorway and the A12 dual carriageway (westbound) motorway. Alternatively the Heathrow express train service (running every 20 minutes) connects with London Paddington to Heathrow Airport Terminals 1, 2 and 3. Connection can easily be made from Chelmsford via London Liverpool Street; expect the total journey to take slightly over two hours. Dot2Dot run shuttle buses from Heathrow to Liverpool Street station. National Express can be used from Chelmsford but the journey must be made via London or Cambridge – with a 40-60 minute wait at the interchange (there is not a direct bus service to Heathrow Airport).
 * Gatwick Airport is about an hour and a half drive away via the M25 motorway (anti-clockwise) and A12 dual carriageway (westbound). Alternatively a complicated rail and underground combination from Chelmsford connects with the main London to Gatwick rail service at London Liverpool Street station; expect the total journey to take slightly over two hours.
 * Stansted Airport is about half an hour's drive away via the A414 national route, then the M11 (nothbound) motorway. Taking the Stansted Express train is indirect and expensive, requiring a change at London Liverpool Street or Stratford. Instead, express coach X30 take 30–45 minutes from Stansted Airport to Chelmsford Bus Station and run 24 hr a day on an hourly basis. Return fare to Stansted is £13.50.

By bus
Chelmsford's bus station is on Duke Street adjacent to the rail station and is a hub for urban and interurban bus services which connect to most towns within Essex as well as a frequent shuttle service to Lakeside Shopping Centre in Thurrock, and non-stop coach services to Stansted Airport. The station has real-time departure information screens so finding your bus is relatively easy. Facilities include toilets, ATMs, a pharmacy, a Subway sandwich shop and a Tesco Express convenience store. There are 2 Park&Ride services: one serving a car park in Sandon, just off the A12 south of Chelmsford, and the other, called Chelmer Valley. This is to the north of the town on the A130. This service is especially convenient for those going to Anglia Ruskin university as the bus passes right through the campus.

By bicycle
Chelmsford is on National Cycle Route 1 from Dover to the Shetland Islands, and the local section is between London and Colchester via the Lee Valley.

It's also on National Cycle Route 13 from Fakenham to London.

By foot
The town centre is easily navigated on foot. The high street is fully pedestrianised and the two largest shopping malls have no vehicle access. Chelmsford benefits from being fairly flat and there are also good provisions for the disabled.

By car
Access into Chelmsford is very good although be prepared to wait in queues in the centre of town, particularly along Victoria Road and Parkway. Rush hour is between 7-10AM and again from 4:30-7PM. The Park and Ride service has helped things, although on occasion it can take a while, especially in the late afternoon, to leave the town. There are plenty of car parks, costing between £2 and £8 for a day, however be careful about parking in some areas as traffic wardens are notorious in the town. If in doubt ask a local the best areas to get free parking.

By bus
The internal bus service is very good although schedules are rarely stuck too. Most of the stops have electronic displays to show when the next bus is due so it is best to just turn up and see how long the wait is. Inside the town limits most locations can be walked to inside an hour, however most shelters are pleasant enough and nearly all have seats. Average bus prices are between £1 and £3 for a return inside of the town. Almost all local services use small midi-buses which can only seat around 25 passengers so they can become crowded. If heading for a destination along one of the main arterial roads it's usually more comfortable (and sometimes cheaper) to take an interurban bus as they'll follow a more direct route, have larger (often double-deck) buses and charge lower fares; although they're less frequent. Fares are charged by distance and the driver usually can provide change for smaller bills. Return fares are generally better value than single fares, but are not transferable between operators, e.g. a return ticket on a First service cannot be used on a Regal Busways service. Bus services can also take travellers as far as Stansted Airport and Colchester, although services are very slow and infrequent. There is a direct service to Lakeside Shopping Centre called service 100 which calls via Billericay, Basildon, Stanford-Le-Hope and Grays. Service 100 buses come every 20 minutes on Monday to Saturday (No Sunday service), but the journey between Chelmsford and Lakeside does take around 2 hours.

By taxi
There are many taxi firms available in the town and all are clearly marked, so never accept a ride from one that isn't. Nearly all are saloon cars although there are more black cabs available. Cars can be booked or found at locations or 'ranks'. These are found at the station and along Market Road. In the evenings more surface, the most easily located being the Baddow Road rank, located outside Pizza Express at the bottom of the High Street. Cabs are rarely hailed from the street, as you are never too far from a rank and cars will generally be full if seen on the roads.

By bike
The Town Centre is sometimes difficult to navigate when cycling, however it has improved dramatically: there are many cycle routes to and from the town. However, cycling is prohibited in the high street and will result in a fine if you are over the age of 16. Council initiatives have lead to more and more cycle racks installed in the town.

Do

 * Watch cricket at
 * Watch cricket at
 * Watch cricket at
 * Watch cricket at

 * Go to the races at City Racecourse (aka Great Leighs, Chelmsford CM3 1QP), which has flat racing year-round on a Polytrack surface. It's been bust and re-opened and bust several times but is back in business, using its all-weather surface to host events washed out elsewhere. It's on A131 London Rd two miles south of Chelmsford.

Buy
Chelmsford does not offer the traveller much in the way of unique gifts or products, but the town does feature enough for the passer through to stock up on essentials.

The high street is dominated by the Debenhams department store, which offers the latest fashion, fragrance and electronics. Opposite this is the Marks and Spencer store, offering food and fashion for the older generation. There are numerous other shops, most notably Waterstones Books, Currys Digital, Next and GAP. The 'Quadrant' just over the stone bridge, is Chelmsford's only independent department store. It has three floors and sells fashions for the over-30 customer including East, Kalico, Jane Shilton and Brook Taverner for men. It is also the only store in the town centre stocking leading furniture brands.

Chelmsford is also served by two large retail parks offering warehouse-style shopping and big car parking queues on Bank Holidays.

Eat
Chelmsford's situation means that there are not any foods considered 'local cuisine', however there are countless restaurants and food outlets from street vendors and take away shops to Michelin Star restaurants to satisfy any gastro-hungry traveller. There are plenty of options for Indian in the town, again, most of these are located around Baddow Road towards the South of the Town Centre. Most of the pubs and bars in the town offer some sort of food menu. Nearly all the Chinese offerings are 'all you can eat' and the quality, and clientele are reflected by the £10 asking price. Be prepared to be asked for ID also, however old you claim to be! Chelmsford is overrun by takeaway options, from fish and chips to Chinese its all available late night and for pocket change. None of which can really be recommended as serious dining options, however, for after a night on the town, they are always a welcome sight. All the usual fast food suspects such as McDonalds, Burger King, Pizza Hut, and Starbucks, can be found on the High Street. On Saturdays, the market on the High Street also serves fast food.

Drink
Chelmsford has a vibrant nightlife scene with many nightclubs, pubs, wine bars and restaurants in the town centre area, particularly in Duke Street and Moulsham Street. Its central Essex location and good public transport links make the town ideal for revellers to visit from surrounding areas. Though there is a wide range of bars and pubs in the town center, there is a large antisocial behavior problem as the only form of entertainment in Chelmsford is cheap drinks and loud music, resulting in the town centre becoming a no-go area after 10PM on the weekend.

Chelmsford lacks any form of alternative nightlife which is seen as a problem, there is no longer an under 18 club night on the weekend, and no live music venue for touring bands. Many people have to travel out of Chelmsford to either southend/Colchester or Romford and on into London if they are to find any other form of entertainment outside of what is on offer in chelmsford. This includes even the cinema where people will drive to Romford or Braintree to see a film as it offers a higher level of comfort.

A popular destination is Moulsham Street, the former High Street of the Town but now more reliant on the nightlife than anything else. Hardcore revelers often attempt a 'pub crawl' of the entire length, usually called the 'Moulsham 9', although the 'Rising Sun' is on New London Road, and Moulsham Street carries on past Parkway, so there are several more pubs and bars on the other side. Often this pub crawl is attempted in fancy dress so don't be surprised to be standing at the bar next to Scooby Doo at some point!

Sleep
There are a number of hotels and bed and breakfasts in and around the town.

Connect
As of Feb 2023, Chelmsford and its approach roads have 4G from Vodafone, and 5G from EE, O2 and Three.

Stay safe
Out of all of the large towns in Essex, Chelmsford is probably the safest and easiest for the traveller to feel comfortable in. The majority of the locals will be helpful and happy to point out directions or places of interest. While violent crime is fairly low, walking the streets at night should be done with great caution, and it is ill-advised to confront gangs of youths however insulting they may be.

Central Park and West Park should be avoided at night - it is big, dark, fairly deserted and the only other people around will probably be the sort you don't want to meet and also avoid any large groups. Since the pathways are fairly long and straight, these can easily be avoided by choosing an alternative route.

The Melbourne and Springfield areas of the town have got a bad reputation amongst locals, although perhaps, certainly with Springfield, it is a case of a few bad apples spoiling the crop. Melbourne should be avoided at night on foot and its pubs should be avoided all together by non-locals (they get very rough) with the exception of the Athletic Stadium and Park, which surprisingly is safe at night, mainly due to the various sports clubs who use it for training.

Go next

 * Colchester - historic town
 * Burnham-on-Crouch
 * Southend-on-Sea - seaside town
 * Braintree - with Freeport Shopping Village
 * Brentwood
 * Basildon
 * Maldon

title: Chelmsford (England)


text:
Chelsea (disambiguation)

There's more than one place called Chelsea:

Canada

 * Chelsea (Quebec) - a municipality in the Outaouais region of Quebec, near Ottawa

United Kingdom

 * Chelsea - a district within London

United States of America

 * Chelsea (Massachusetts) - a city in the state of Massachusetts, near Boston
 * Chelsea (Michigan) - a town in the state of Michigan
 * Manhattan/Chelsea - a district within New York City

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: Chelsea (disambiguation)


text:
Chelsea (Michigan)

Chelsea is a city of 4,944 people (according to the 2010 census) in Washtenaw County.

Understand
Chelsea's big claim to fame is local-boy-turned-famous-actor/writer/director Jeff Daniels, a proud Michigander who still lives in town between engagements, and who tends to showcase Michigan in his films (Escanaba in da Moonlight is set in the Upper Peninsula (UP), and Super Sucker in the fictional town of Johnson City). Daniels is also a strong supporter of local arts, and founded the Purple Rose Theatre Company as a way to feature Midwestern actors, directors, designers and playwrights. The other big name in town is the Chelsea Milling Company, home of Jiffy Mix, one of the first instant baking mixes and still a popular brand nationwide.

If you're not thrilled by movie actors or fluffy biscuits, then you can always stroll around the charming downtown area, with its quaint homes, fun shopping, and locally-famous restaurant The Common Grill, which has published two cookbooks that you'll be able to find in local bookstores.

Get in
Chelsea is in southeastern Michigan, between Ann Arbor and Jackson.

Get around

 * Western-Washtenaw Area Value Express (WAVE), +1 734 475-9494. Door-to-door rides within Chelsea, Dexter, and the north side of Ann Arbor (connecting with the #9 AATA bus). $3-4.

Events
Chelsea offers residents and visitors many local events and activities to choose from on any given day. These events are listed on the Things To Do In Chelsea website. The major annual events include:

 * Sounds and Sights on Thursday Nights, Main Street, +1 734 475-1145, . Held for 11 weeks from late June through late August, on Thursday nights from 6:30PM-8:30PM. Local musicians, street performers, food vendors, downtown shops open late.
 * Chelsea SummerFest, Main Street, +1 734 475-1145, . Held during two days in late July. Artisans and craftspeople, live entertainment, children's activities, merchant booths, special guest appearances, specialty foods, classic cars and more.
 * Hometown Holiday, Main Street, +1 734 475-1145, . Held the first weekend in December. Tree lighting ceremony, visits with Santa, storytelling, live nativity scene, live entertainment and sing-a-longs, concerts, luminaries, light parade, crafts workshops and more.
 * Hometown Holiday, Main Street, +1 734 475-1145, . Held the first weekend in December. Tree lighting ceremony, visits with Santa, storytelling, live nativity scene, live entertainment and sing-a-longs, concerts, luminaries, light parade, crafts workshops and more.

Buy

 * Kern Road Farm and Kitchen, 13877 E Old US-12, +1 734 433-0738. Pre-Civil War farm selling jams, jellies, herbs, herbal jams, flavored vinegar, fruit vinaigrettes, chutneys and syrups.
 * Kern Road Farm and Kitchen, 13877 E Old US-12, +1 734 433-0738. Pre-Civil War farm selling jams, jellies, herbs, herbal jams, flavored vinegar, fruit vinaigrettes, chutneys and syrups.
 * Kern Road Farm and Kitchen, 13877 E Old US-12, +1 734 433-0738. Pre-Civil War farm selling jams, jellies, herbs, herbal jams, flavored vinegar, fruit vinaigrettes, chutneys and syrups.
 * Kern Road Farm and Kitchen, 13877 E Old US-12, +1 734 433-0738. Pre-Civil War farm selling jams, jellies, herbs, herbal jams, flavored vinegar, fruit vinaigrettes, chutneys and syrups.
 * Kern Road Farm and Kitchen, 13877 E Old US-12, +1 734 433-0738. Pre-Civil War farm selling jams, jellies, herbs, herbal jams, flavored vinegar, fruit vinaigrettes, chutneys and syrups.

Eat and drink

 * The Common Grill, 112 S Main Street, +1 734 475-0470. Tu-Th 11AM-10PM, F Sa 11AM-11PM, Su 11AM-9PM. Appetizers, salads, sandwiches, pizza, and main couses. Specialties include their delicious homemade rolls, seafood chowder, grilled Black Angus sirloin steak, oven-roasted chicken breast, and grilled ahi tuna salad niçoise. $10-30.
 * Mike's Deli, 114 W Middle Street, +1 734 475-5980. M-Sa 10AM-7PM, Su 11AM-3PM. Deli sandwiches on Zingerman's bread, sides and salads. $2.95 - $8.45.
 * Scooples Cafe, 114 N Main Street, +1 734 433-0655. Open seasonally; call for hours. Old-fashioned ice cream parlor.
 * Cleary's Pub, 113 S Main Street, +1 734 475-1922. M-Sa 11AM-11PM, Su 3:30PM-9PM. 12 draft beers, appetizers, soups, salads, sandwiches, burgers, pizza, pasta, chicken, meat, seafood and Southwestern main courses. Live music Friday and Saturday nights. $6 - $19.
 * Seitz's Tavern, 110 W Middle Street, +1 734 475-7475. M-Sa 7AM-1AM. Old-fashioned tavern.

Coffee, tea and chocolate

 * Café Touba, 6065 Sibley Road, +1 734 433-0697. Moroccan gypsy-style café serving fruit smoothies, fresh juices, energy power drinks, coffee, herbal tea and special healing drinks.
 * Gourmet Chocolate Café , 312 N Main Street, +1 734 475-1071. Gourmet-quality chocolate, coffee, pastries and baked goods.
 * Pierce's Pastries Plus, 103 W Middle Street, +1 734 475-6081. M-Sa 5:30AM-2PM, Su 7AM-1PM. Gourmet coffees, pastries, pies, soups and sandwiches.

Go next

 * Ann Arbor is about 20 minutes east on I-94.
 * The other towns and villages of Washtenaw County are a short drive away.

title: Chelsea (Michigan)


text:
Chelsea (Quebec)

Chelsea is a municipality of 7,500 people (2016) in Outaouais. From Ottawa, it is just beyond Gatineau and many Chelsea residents commute to one of those cities for work.

Understand
While 60% of the area is in Gatineau Park, much of the rest of Chelsea is residential with mostly large lots, and tracts of undeveloped land. It has a distinctly rural feel. The population of Chelsea is almost evenly divided between anglophones and francophones and both English and French languages are in common use throughout the town.

The municipality has a reputation for being environmentally responsible and was one of the first in Canada to ban the use of pesticides.

Chelsea is named after the Vermont town of its first settler, Thomas Brigham. The name has been in use since the early 19th century.

Get in
From Hull, take Highway 5 north (to exit 12 or 13) or head north on St. Joseph Blvd (Highway 105) past the Alonzo Wright Bridge.

Chelsea is also accessible via Notch Road, from Mountain Road North (chemin de la Montagne Nord).

A taxi from Ottawa would cost $30-45 (Dec 2018).

STO city buses #27, 33 and 35 leave Ottawa from the corner of Wellington and Bank Streets and travel through Gatineau to the de la Cité-des-Jeunes/du Plein-Air stop frequently ($4, 40 min). From there a taxi will take you to Chelsea for $14-18 (Dec 2018).

See
The Ottawa Valley can be seen from several lookouts in the Park—magnificent sunsets.

Sleep
There are other hotels and hotels in Gatineau and Ottawa.

Val-des-Monts
A small municipality 50 km to the northeast, on the east side of the Gatineau River.

Go next

 * Hull
 * Wakefield
 * Gatineau Park

title: Chelsea (Quebec)


text:
Cheltenham

Cheltenham is an historic spa town in England, which started its development in the early 1700s with the discovery of healing waters. It became very popular after the visit of King George III in 1788, and developed further. You cannot take the waters in Cheltenham, but you can visit the Pump Room to get a feeling for the ambience.

Understand
Cheltenham (pronounced Cheltnum) is now probably most famous for the Gold Cup horse race which takes place in mid-March every year. You'll need to book early to find a room, possibly as early as the previous year. Many people accept rooms anywhere within about a radius.

It's also famous for housing the top-secret Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) responsible for signals intelligence (SIGINT) for UKUSA by Britain's best computer scientists and mathematicians, in its doughnut-shaped building (designed that way for security reasons).
 * Visit Cheltenham website

By train

 * Golden Valley line: London Paddington → Reading → Didcot Parkway → Swindon → Kemble → Stroud → Stonehouse → Gloucester (reverses at Gloucester) → Cheltenham Spa.
 * Cross Country Route: Bristol Temple Meads → Bristol Parkway → Cheltenham Spa → Worcester Parkway → Birmingham New Street → Tamworth → Burton on Trent → Derby → Chesterfield → Sheffield → Wakefield Westgate → Leeds → York.

There's a regular bus service (D or E) to the town centre from Cheltenham Spa station:

Stagecoach (D or E): Hatherley → Warden Hill → Rail Station → Town Centre → Racecourse → Bishop's Cleeve → Woodmancote

There is an easy walk through Montpellier into the centre (15–20 minutes). An alternative off-road walking route is The Honeybourne Line but there have been muggings at night. It's too far to walk if mobility is an issue, so take a taxi.

By car
The M5 reaches Cheltenham from the north and south and the A40 from the East (from Oxford) is also a useful transport link. Parking is rarely a problem now in Cheltenham, but the one way systems can sometimes get a little confusing. With this in mind a good option would be to use the Park and Ride facility National Park and Ride Directory. If you're planning a day at the races, Cheltenham, has its own Racecourse Park and Ride facility.

Inside of Gloucestershire
There are buses from Cirencester, Stroud and other local villages to Cheltenham once an hour.

Several bus services go to Cheltenham from Gloucester. The most direct, comfortable and convenient of these is the 94 (Stagecoach Gold) bus, which as of March 2018 now operates 24 hours a day (except on Sundays).

Less frequent bus services go to and from Tewkesbury, such as the 41 and 42.

Outside of Gloucestershire
Many national long-distance buses stop at the (behind The Promenade) including the Stagecoach S2 bus service and the National Express bus.

The S2 bus travels from Oxford to Cheltenham several times a day. A single ticket from Cheltenham to Oxford is usually £8.00, but day-return tickets are also available:

 * S2 (Stagecoach) Oxford → Cassington (A40) → Witney → Curbridge → Burford → Northleach → Andoversford → Charlton Kings → Cheltenham

The National Express has connections to London Heathrow (and beyond). However it's not possible to buy a ticket at the station outside of office-hours, so buy online or by telephone.

By plane
Nearby Staverton hosts, which has regular flights to Jersey. There are also many private aircraft there, which can be chartered.

Birmingham Airport and Bristol Airport  are each only a couple of hours drive (north and south respectively) and offer a wide range of destinations inside and outside of Europe.

It can take several hours to drive to the London airports (Heathrow, Gatwick , Luton and Stansted ).

By car
Cheltenham is relatively easy to get around by car. Tourists should be aware of the one-way system when driving in the town centre, although there are plans to possibly alter this under the Cheltenham Transport Plan.

Most parking in the town is paid and is run by NCP or the town council.

By taxi
Taxis are fairly reliable. If you flag a taxi down or get one from the taxi rank you will be charged from the meter, whereas if you book with a taxi company you will be charged considerably less. Most locals use taxis at night as far as the surrounding villages as night-buses are few (apart from a regular link to Gloucester). At night, taxis wait along The Promenade (it can be very busy at pub-closing times). Uber "Local Cab" is available.

By bus
The main bus company is Stagecoach which operates a number of buses around the town, mainly on routes with letters rather than numbers.

The D bus goes from the station through the town centre to the racecourse and on to Bishop's Cleeve. A single from the town centre to the station costs £2.30, and a day ticket for all the Stagecoach services within Cheltenham (Dayrider) costs £4.00.

Do

 * Go to the races at
 * Go to the races at

Events
Cheltenham is known for its events. The Cheltenham Gold Cup and Cheltenham Literature Festival are internationally recognised and draw thousands of people each year.

Theatre
Cheltenham has several theatres which host a variety of productions.

Buy
Cheltenham is a popular shopping destination in the region. Both Promenade Street in the centre and Montpellier have many high-end shops; including the House of Fraser department store. The High Street and Lower High Street are where you find all the usual chain stores. There is also the Regent Arcade shopping centre.

Outside of the town centre itself consists several retail parks with free parking that should fulfil most of a shopper's needs.

If you are travelling into or out from Cheltenham on the A40, it's worth taking a look at the Dunkerton's cider shop near Charlton Kings. It is the latest business venture of Julian Dunkerton, founder of Superdry. If cider isn't your fancy, there is also the Battledown Brewery and Sibling Distillery nearby.
 * Cheltenham Farmers Market is held on The Promenade on the second and last Friday of the month.
 * Cheltenham Farmers Market is held on The Promenade on the second and last Friday of the month.

Drink

The only large nightclubs in town are V (formerly Moda) and Moomoo (formerly Blush), nothing unique but both enjoyable. Popular mainly with students.

Stay safe
Cheltenham is mostly a safe town. The so-called "bad areas" though are Hester's Way to the west of the town centre and Whaddon to the north-east, these areas have large amounts of social housing and are unlikely to be of interest to visitors.

Connect
As of May 2022, Cheltenham has 4G with EE and Vodafone, and 5G with O2 and Three.

Go next
Map of places with Wikivoyage articles nearby
 * Gloucester is about west.
 * Tewkesbury is about 9 miles north.
 * Cotswolds villages of Bourton-on-the-Water, Stow-on-the-Wold and Moreton-in-Marsh are about 10 miles east.
 * Cirencester, the 'capital of the Cotswolds' is a half hour drive to the south
 * Bristol is a longer day trip to the south.

title: Cheltenham


text:
Chelyabinsk

Chelyabinsk (Russian: Челя́бинск cheel-YAH-beensk) is a big city, with more than a million inhabitants, the capital of Chelyabinsk Oblast in the European part of Russia.

History
Chelyabinsk is the closest city to where a meteor exploded during its fall through the atmosphere on 15 February 2013. It is the largest known meteor to enter Earth's atmosphere since the 1908 "Tunguska Event". The high heat and extreme pressures of entering and traveling through the atmosphere caused the meteor to explode at an altitude of 30–50 km, sending a powerful shockwave through the city and surrounding regions.

People
People in Chelyabinsk are mostly Russians, Tatars and Bashkirs; other nations are present as well. The level of education can vary as well as social background and wealth. The society is extremely polar from incredibly rich to extremely poor. In the city there are a lot of factory workers and other laborers, especially far from the downtown.

The number of English-speakers is very low. Those who seem to speak it mostly know only a couple of phrases from their school study. It is more probable that you could meet an English-speaking person among young people than among old ones. It is advisable to get acquaintances in the city in advance. For that you can use local English-speaking on the VK social network or local CouchSurfing  community.

Russian people on the streets and in local transport seem to be a bit rude and not smiley, which can give you a bad first impression. They are mostly poor and closed inside their numerous problems, and it is not part of Russian culture to show false emotions. You smile only when you feel really happy or something funny happened; otherwise Russians normally keep straight faces. In reality people are really helpful, hospitable and frank, it is only hidden by their everyday masks of unhappiness.

By plane
To get to the city from the airport:
 * Bus lines 1 (to the railway station), 41 (to the Metallurgic district), 45 (to the North-West). A ticket costs approximately $0.40
 * Small city buses with stops on demand ("marshrutkas") line 82 to the railway station. A ticket is approximately $0.80
 * Taxi service. Average price is $10-$15 but don't become a victim of taxi drivers who would probably try to overcharge you. It is better to call a taxi in advance.

As Chelyabinsk Airport has a limited number of international flights it might be convenient to get in from the nearest big international airport of Yekaterinburg's Koltsovo airport in the center of Ural Federal District.

By train
Two daily trains to Moscow. Train 13/14 is quicker (34 hours), but the ticket price is comparable to that of the plane ticket. Train 391/392 is cheaper, at around ₽1300, but is less safe and slower (41 hours).

Trains to all other parts of Russia are available as well, including the Kyiv-Vladivostok train that travels about 10,000 km. International trains run to Asian ex-USSR countries, such as Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, and even to Beijing (twice a month).

The railway station is modern and spacious, with buffet and other facilities. There's an even wider selection in the downstairs food hall of Familia, the pyramid-shaped shopping mall facing the station. And for spiritual sustenance, visit the onion-domed chapel next to the platforms, Tserkov' ikony Bozhyey Materi Odigitriya.

By bus
Yekaterinburg-Chelyabinsk route is very popular, with buses running every 20–30 minutes at around ₽300 and 3–4 hours travel time. The main bus station in Chelyabinsk is Northern Bus Terminal (Avtovokzal Severny) which is located in the center of the city, near the Yunost sporting complex. Free bus shuttles circulate between the bus terminal and the railway station. There is another bus station Southern Bus Terminal (Avtovokzal Yuzhny) with mostly buses to smaller towns of the region.

Buses run to as far as Kazan in the west, Kazakhstan in the south and Tyumen region in the north-east.

By marshrutka (small city bus with stops on demand)
Marshrutka is a very convenient means of transportation. It is a typically Russian transport. Marshrutka can be considered as a shared taxi but it follows a certain route. All marshrutkas have route numbers painted on them. They follow the route like a city bus but they stop at bus stops only on demand. If you want to take marshrutka, stay at the right place (a bus stop) and hitch by stretching your hand. If you want to exit, just say it to the driver, preferably very loudly. Keep in mind that the driver will only stop at the next official bus stop and he might not hear you. You would better ask other passengers for instructions. This sounds as an inconvenience but as soon as you get accustomed to marshrutkas, you appreciate them. The transport network covers all the city and surroundings, the speed of a marshrutka is comparably high (much higher than one of buses as it doesn't stop at every bus stop) and the number of vehicle is tremendously big. The waiting period is usually about 5–10 minutes in suburbs and 1–3 minutes in the city center as there are a lot of routes. It is highly adviceable to but a map of routes and to ask locals. As well there are very good free electronic maps in Russian (2Gis). You can use online maps as well (Google, Yandex...).

The typical price is ₽15 but there are higher prices on longer routes (it can be ₽20 between districts and more expensive from the airport). In Chelyabinsk you should pay to the driver as soon as you get on a marshrutka (in some other cities you should pay when you get off). It is common to ask other passengers to pass money to the driver. It is quite safe as people would almost never steal your money in that situation. Passing the change back is common as well. There are marshrutkas with two types of doors. One type is automatic, so passengers should not do anything with the door. Another type is a sliding door which should be opened or closed manually. You should always close the door when get on a marshrutka or get off it last.

Do

 * Park Aloe Pole, Prospekt Lenina and Prospekt Sverdlovskiy. This is like a big city square with statuary and landmarks to view.
 * Sad Pobedy, Ulitsa Geroyev Tankograda, 79. Greenspace where you can look at Russian artillery to your heart's content.
 * Koleso Obozreniya, Prospekt Sverdlovskiy, 51А. A creaky-looking ferris wheel that offers views of the Reka Miass embankment for the intrepid.
 * Sad Pobedy, Ulitsa Geroyev Tankograda, 79. Greenspace where you can look at Russian artillery to your heart's content.
 * Koleso Obozreniya, Prospekt Sverdlovskiy, 51А. A creaky-looking ferris wheel that offers views of the Reka Miass embankment for the intrepid.

Connect
Russia has an international phone code of +7 while the telephone area code of Chelyabinsk is 351.

title: Chelyabinsk


text:
Chelyabinsk Oblast

Chelyabinsk Oblast (Russian: Челя́бинская о́бласть cheel-YAH-been-skuh-yuh OH-blust') is in the Urals region of Russia. It borders Kurgan Oblast to the northeast, Kazakhstan to the east, Orenburg Oblast to the south, Bashkortostan to the west, and Sverdlovsk Oblast to the north.

Cities

 * — a gold mining town with a historic district full of 19th century wooden architecture
 * — mining town in the center of the Ural mountains near Zyuratkul National Park and a historic riverbank site, Porogi
 * — a former center of Pugachev's peasant rebellion in 1744
 * — an industrial town close to natural sights in South Urals
 * — a former center of Pugachev's peasant rebellion in 1744
 * — an industrial town close to natural sights in South Urals

Get in
Chelyabinsk airport

title: Chelyabinsk Oblast


text:
Chemainus

Chemainus is a town of over 4,000 people (2021) in central Vancouver Island. It's notable for the dozens of murals that transform the compact city centre into an open-air art gallery. It also has a thriving theatre festival, and various other creative arts. It's a pleasant place to visit and stroll through.

Understand
The name Chemainus comes from the native shaman and prophet "Tsa-meeun-is" meaning broken chest. Legend says that the man survived a massive wound in his chest to become a powerful chief. His people took his name to identify their community, the Stz'uminus First Nation, formerly the Chemainus Indian Band.

The railway arrived in the 1880s and by the early 1920s the town's population had ballooned to 600 people. Chemainus was eventually designated a census populated area by Statistics Canada comprising the more built-up residential and commercial neighbourhoods. Its population had further grown to 3,035 residents by 2011.

By car
The easiest way to get to Chemainus is to drive. Chemainus is located 80 km north of Victoria and 35 km south of Nanaimo along Highway 1 (Trans-Canada Highway). It is located just off the highway, and the turnoff is well marked.

By plane
The nearest planes land is now in Maple Bay harbour near Duncan where seaplanes fly two to three times a day from Vancouver's harbour and airport. The nearest land airport is in Nanaimo with direct service to Vancouver and several other points in the region. It is also possible to charter a seaplane to fly into Chemainus harbour.

By boat

 * Ferry route:
 * Served by a ferry route that connects with, and . There are 11 round trips daily, 6 traveling in the order of Chemainus, Thetis, Penelakut, and Chemainus, and 5 traveling in the reverse of that order. Travel time is 30 min if travelling direct between Chemainus and either Penelakut or Thetis, 50-60 minutes if the trip is not direct, and 15 minutes between Penelakut and Thetis. Reservations are not available on this route.
 * Served by a ferry route that connects with, and . There are 11 round trips daily, 6 traveling in the order of Chemainus, Thetis, Penelakut, and Chemainus, and 5 traveling in the reverse of that order. Travel time is 30 min if travelling direct between Chemainus and either Penelakut or Thetis, 50-60 minutes if the trip is not direct, and 15 minutes between Penelakut and Thetis. Reservations are not available on this route.

By public transit

 * Routes serving Chemainus include:
 * Route 6 between Duncan and Chemainus (50 min) via Crofton. Operates multiple times daily.
 * Route 34 operates between Ladysmith and Chemainus (21-24 min). Operates multiple times per day from Monday to Saturday.

See

 * Chemainus is most commonly known for its murals (gargantuan paintings on the sides of the buildings). Times for the horse-drawn-buggy-tours or walking tours can be found either on Willow Street from the guides or within the Information Office in Water Wheel Park. Though the town is small enough to explore by foot in a single day and visit the murals by yourself, you won't get the history behind them without a tour guide.

Hospital

 * The nearest hospital is in Duncan.

Go next
Head 10 km south to Crofton and take the ferry to enjoy smaller island life on Salt Spring Island.

title: Chemainus


text:
Chemnitz

Chemnitz is a city in southwestern Saxony, with around 250 000 inhabitants the third-largest city in the state, after Dresden and Leipzig. The settlement developed around a monastery, and was granted city status in 1170. Due to its location at the foot of the Erzgebirge (literally ore mountains), in the 16th century Chemnitz began to grow in size an importance as a place of trade, and later as the base of industrial production.

The increase in Saxon coal mining during the 18th century allowed Chemnitz to develop into one of the most important centres of the German machine and textile industries - factors which gave it the nickname of "little Manchester". Several large areas of the city were built during this period including Kaßberg and Sonnenberg. Due to the economic importance of Chemnitz it was a prime target for the Allied air force during World War II. By 1945 the city had undergone near to total destruction. Between 1953 and 1990 Chemnitz was renamed as Karl-Marx-Stadt (even though Marx had never visited nor had anything to do with the city's contemporary history). A great deal of new building occurred during this period, much of which remains today. The large bronze head was presented to the town's people in 1971.

Understand
Unlike Berlin and Leipzig, Chemnitz has experienced much less demolition and rebuilding since the reunification. Modern buildings like the new department store, communist era flats and more historic buildings are within walking distance of each other. Parts of Chemnitz allow a glimpse into how a city of East Germany felt and looked, something that is increasingly hard to find in other parts of the former East.

Even with this the centre of Chemnitz has been described as "Germany's most recent city centre". The initial commercial investment after reunification focussed on large out-of-town shopping centres, and it wasn't until 1999 that major building activity started in the city centre. Comparable only to Potsdamer Platz in Berlin, a whole new quarter of the city has been reconstructed. New buildings include the Kaufhof Department Store by Helmut Jahn, Galerie Roter Turm (façade by Hans Kollhoff) and Peek&Cloppenburg Clothing Store by Ingenhofen and Partner.

By train

 * Leipzig (connections every hour, travelling time is about 50 minutes only)
 * Dresden and Zwickau (mostly 2 connections every hour)
 * Nuremberg (once every hour with a same platform change in Hof)
 * Erfurt, Weimar, Jena and Gera (every two hours)
 * Erfurt, Weimar, Jena and Gera (every two hours)

By plane
The nearest passenger airports are:
 * Dresden (80 km; 50 min by car) Especially Lufthansa (to/from Frankfurt Airport), Eurowings and during summer flights to many destinations in Southern Europe and Northern Africa
 * Leipzig-Halle (110 km; 1 hr 15 min by car) Wide range of operators including Lufthansa and Eurowings
 * Karlovy Vary (Carlsbad) (more than 1½ hr by car) charter flights in Turkey and Greece in summer
 * Prague (1 hr 45 min by car) International flights hub for Czech Airlines
 * Berlin Brandenburg International Airport

The airports in Dresden and Leipzig have their own train stations, from where Chemnitz can be reached with a change in Dresden Main Station (Hbf) or Leipzig Main Station (Hbf) respectively, taking just over 1½ hours. Public transport from the other airports in this list is inconvenient and tedious.

By car
Chemnitz is situated at the junction of the motorways A4 and A72.

 * Dresden A4, travelling time is about 50 min
 * Leipzig B95 and A72, just over 1 hr
 * Weimar and Erfurt A4, 1½ and 1 hr 40 min respectively
 * Prague D7 and I/7 to Chomutov, then B174 via Marienberg, over 2 hr
 * Nuremberg A9 towards Hof, then A72, 2½ hr
 * Berlin A13 towards Dresden, then A4, 2 hr 45 min
 * Munich A93 or A9 towards Hof, then A72, 3 hr 45 min

Get around
Like many East German cities, Chemnitz has an expansive network of public transport comprising mainly of buses and trams.

There are six tram lines in operation in Chemnitz, numbered from 1 to 6, and the special line 522. Do note that there is no line number 3. All of the lines stop at the Zentralhaltestelle, which is a collection of tram platforms on the corner of Rathausstraße and Bahnhofstraße in the very centre of the city. Do note that only lines 2, 6 and 522 reach the Hauptbahnhof. Line 1 and Line 4 form a continuum - trams on line 1 become line 4 past the Straße der Nationen stop, and the other way around.

Hauptbahnhof's status as a terminus rather than a through station is temporary, pending the completion of the works on the tracks passing through the station.

A map of the tram/bus network can be obtained from the tourist information office, found near to the main square in the city centre, or at this link.

Cinema
Chemnitz has several cinemas dotted around the city. The majority of films will be in German.

Buy
The city centre has several larger chain stores and many smaller independent stores.

Chemnitz comprises a large number of shopping malls in the city centre and in the suburbs, e.g. Sachsenallee, Chemnitz/Centre, Vita-Centre, Neefepark, Galerie Roter Turm.

Eat

There are several good, reasonably priced restaurants dotted around the main square (in front of the town hall). Several have tables on the square itself, something worth doing if the weather is good. Bakeries/butchers can be found around the main square, and if the market is on, there are also several Imbiss stalls selling freshly cooked sausages and other snacks.

Drink
Chemnitz has a wide range of bars and pubs. Some of these, especially those in the city centre, offer both outdoor and indoor seating areas.

Sleep

There is a youth hostel in the eastern suburbs.

There are about 20 hotels and a large number of guest houses (Pensionen or Fremdenzimmer) in Chemnitz and suburbs.

Go next
Chemnitz is a convenient place to stay if you would like to explore Saxony, Thuringia, Franconia and Bohemia with all of their amazing cultural and archaeological highlights as well as the stunning and scenic landscape of Saxony and the Ore Mountains.

 * Saxon Ore Mountains – Beginning on the southern outskirts of Chemnitz, this mountain region (up to 1215m high) has a centuries-long mining tradition, many former mines can be visited; additionally the area is known for its wood carving tradition, elaborate advent and Christmas customs and decorations; popular hiking, mountain-biking and winters ports destination (between 30 minutes and 1½ hours by car; regional trains to Annaberg-Buchholz or Olbernhau, City Bahn to Stollberg)
 * Oberwiesenthal – highest town in Germany, located in the Ore Mountains just on the border with the Czech Republic; during winter large and famous ski resort, explore by taking the train to Cranzahl and then the old steam train to Oberwiesenthal – 55 km south (1 hour by car)
 * Freiberg – 35 km northeast (half hour by train or 40 min by car)
 * Zwickau – 40 km southwest (30–45 min by train or car)
 * Colditz – famous for its castle that served as a prisoner-of-war camp during World War II – 50 km north (45 min by car)
 * Dresden – 75 km northeast (55 minutes on the A4 motorway or 1 hour by train)
 * Leipzig – 85 km north (1 hour by car or train)
 * Karlovy Vary (Carlsbad) in the Czech Republic – 85 km south (1½ hours by car)

title: Chemnitz


text:
Cheney

Cheney is a city in the Palouse region of Washington.

By car
Cheney is accessible from Interstate 90, take exit 270 onto State Route 904 to Cheney. Driving up from the south, S. Cheney Plaza and S. Cheney Spangle Roads are options as well.

By plane
The closest airport is Spokane Airport. Rental car facilities, public buses, and taxis are available.

By bus
There are public bus connections to and from the downtown Spokane bus plaza, bus routes are available to Cheney (Routes 29, 64). The coronavirus pandemic may affect service, contact the Spokane Transit Authority if you need additional information.

See

 * Eastern Washington University
 * Cheney Historical Museum

Go next

 * Spokane

title: Cheney


text:
Chengde

Chengde (承德; Chéngdé) is a city in Hebei. Rehe (the former name of Chengde) was the summer residence of the early Qing Dynasty emperors. The city maintains the fine features of this hill-side resort, such as the outer wall and large expanse of parkland that incorporates lakes, pagodas, and palaces. Outside this complex are the impressive Eight Outer Temples.

Understand
The resort, along with the Outer Temples, was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1994.

The city is about 260 km northeast of Beijing and has a population of around 460,000, with about 3½ million people in the prefecture (2016).

By plane
There is a small airport in southern Chengde where occasional charter flights shuttle between Beijing and Chengde. Chengde is 180 km away from the Beijing Capital International Airport. To travel by air, visitors can take a coach to Beijing and connect with their flights from there. A coach departs for Beijing every twenty minutes, making it very convenient.

By train
There are a dozen daily G-trains (High Speed) between Beijing (Chaoyang station, 北京朝阳) and Chengde (South Station, 承德南) that have shortened the trip to an hour from the 5 hours of a K train, which are still available (April 5, 2021). These G trains are on the line Beijing - Shenyang.

The fastest K train is K7711, leaving Beijing train station (the main one, on metro line No.2) at 08:07 and arriving in Chengde at 12:29. Another option includes the train to Dandong (stopping in Chengde mid-route), which leaves Beijing train station at 12:17, arriving at Chengde at 17:21.

By bus
Buses leave frequently (every 20 minutes) for Chengde from Beijing. The cost is around ¥70. The trip takes 2½-6 hours, depending on if it is a direct bus. Beware of getting on at the origin of the bus in the east of Beijing, as you may spend over an hour just going to Dongzhimen. To return to Beijing, you will find that buses frequently depart outside Chengde's train station.

By car
Another option is to find an unofficial taxi (heiche) from Beijing to Chengde. You will share this car with the driver and three other passengers (so that the car is full). It costs about ¥150 and takes 2-2½ hours. It is easy to find a heiche from Chengde to Beijing (ask in any hotel if you have trouble). The other way may be more difficult, but ask around.

By bus
Buses charge a flat rate of ¥1, but there is no attendant, so have correct change. The buses have no English and little pinyin signage.

Bus 118 goes from Chengde to the temples in the North and bus 119 to the temples in the East.

By taxi
Most taxis are metered. Short trips cost about ¥6 (plus ¥1 gas surcharge). Trips from one side of the city to the other are ¥10, and trips out to the temples should cost about ¥15 from the city center.

By foot or bike
Much of Chengde is accessible by foot or bike. One can walk from one end of the city to the other in an hour.

Eat
Donkey-Rolling Roll is a long roll with stuffing wrapped in yellow rice. The Roll is served on a bed of yellow beans. The act of turning the roll on the yellow beans is just like a donkey rolling on the ground. That is how the snack got its name. It could be found in Chengde more than 200 years ago. Generally, less than ¥100 for a large plate (in Chengde restaurants, there are always large and small plates; the large plate is about ten inches wide and the small one seven inches wide).

You noodle is a kind of coarse food grain. It is slightly dark colored. The local You noodle wozi dough is first rolled out to a thin skin, and then formed to its final shape. After that, it is put into a pot and braised. You dip it in the sauce when eating. It feels smooth and jelly-like in your mouth. You noodle jiaozi is a kind of ravioli stuffed with pickled vegetables.

Pubang deer meat clusters and the cooked deer meat clusters are quite tasty, and cost only ¥4-5 for each cluster. They are well worth trying. In the street south of the Summer Resort, there are many shops featuring local specialities which cater to tourists.

In the evening, you will find mini-booths selling tangy scented baked corn along Chengde Street.

Individual restaurants worth giving a try includes:

Go next
Shenyang, which is only 2h15 away on the high speed line from Beijing.

title: Chengde


text:
Chengdu

Chengdu (成都 Chéngdū) is the provincial capital and largest city of Sichuan Province in southwest China. The megacity is home to over 21 million people.

Understand
Chengdu is on the edge of the fertile plains of the Red Basin in China's Sichuan Province. Due to its agricultural wealth, Chengdu is sometimes called the Heavenly Land of Plenty. The Funan River bisects the city, although boat traffic, common until the 1960s, has all but vanished.

The Chengdu administrative area is home to more than 14 million people, with about 10 million of them in the Chengdu urban area. Chengdu has the reputation as a very "laid-back" city that emphasizes culture and relaxation. As a result of this and much green space, it is ranked one of the most livable mega-cities in China. It is credited with a good nightlife scene, and contains many new western style buildings in the large city center.

Summer weather is hot and humid, as the city is surrounded by small mountains to the east and sits in the Red Basin. Furthermore, an hour to the west lie the foothills of the mighty Tibetan Plateau and the fabulously scenic mountains of west Sichuan.

The city is famous for its lack of sun, so don't come expecting to get a sun tan. The city is foggy most of the year and typically warmer than coastal cities.

By plane
Ground transportation options include:
 * Chengdu Metro line runs from Shuangliu Airport (separate stations at Terminals 1 and 2) to Taipingyuan, where you can transfer to Metro line  and Metro line, and from there to other Metro lines.
 * Chengdu Metro line runs from Tianfu Airport to South Railway Station, where you can transfer to Metro Line 1 and 7, and from there to other Metro lines.
 * Chengdu Metro line runs from Tianfu Airport to Shuangliu Airport. The Express train takes you about 30 minutes to another airport.
 * Airport Shuttle buses operate between the airport and the city center, costing ¥10-15 (Shuangliu Airport) or ¥40 (Tianfu Airport). The main line #1 stops at the Air China airline office in a side street just off Renmin Nanlu opposite to the entrance of the Minshan Hotel. There are three other routes but the service is not as regular or frequent, ask at the ticket desk outside the Arrivals lounge. The last bus leaves the airport around 1AM.
 * Taxi fare from the airport to the city center averages ¥45. There is no extra charge for luggage or additional passengers. When going from the city to the airport, add an additional ¥10 to cover the toll on the Airport Expressway. If you intend to take a taxi from the airport, head for the domestic arrival area and exit the terminal where you should see the official taxi stand where you can queue for marked, green-and-yellow or blue-and-yellow taxis. Usual advice applies when distinguishing between official and fake taxis; if a person is too enthusiastic about getting you into their vehicle, you may have to pay more. Use your common sense.

By train
Train connections are available from Kunming in Yunnan, Chongqing and Xi'an.

Intercity service
The Chengdu–Dujiangyan intercity railway connects Chengdu station and Chengdu's suburbans, namely Dujiangyan and Pengzhou. The service operates in a way similar to metro, and provides cheap ticket price (the highest ticket price is ¥15).

By bus
There are three bus stations in Chengdu, serving different destinations.

Get around
See Driving in China for detailed advice if you want to get around by car.

By metro

The Chengdu Metro for a single ride tickets from ticket vending machines (English available) with ¥1 coins or ¥5 and ¥10 notes. Ticket booths are also available if you don't have suitable notes. A contactless metro card is available (card or panda keyring) which gives you a 10% saving on all journeys.

When entering the metro you need to put your bags through an x-ray machine. The ticket is flashed by the gates on the reader on your right side. You need the ticket to get out as well so keep it safe. When exiting the ticket is placed into a slot on the right side of the gate.

The system contains seven lines:
 * Line 1 runs north–south through the city center along Renmin Rd and Tianfu Ave, from Weijianian to Science City or Wugensong, connecting the North and South railway stations.
 * Line 2 runs northwest–southeast, from Xipu to Longquanyi, serving Chengdu East Railway Station.
 * Line 3 runs southwest–northeast, from Chengdu Medical College to Shuangliu West Station, serving to those hot touristic sites in Chengdu.
 * Line 4 runs east–west, from Xihe to Wansheng. It serves Chengdu West Railway Station.
 * Line 5 runs north–southwest, parallel to Line 1, from Huagui Road to Huilong. It diminuing the population on Line 1,
 * Line 6 runs northwest–east–southwest, from Wangcongci to Lanjiagou; this line has the longest subway tunnel sections.
 * Line 7 runs in a circle around the city. It has interchanges with all other lines, as well as the North, South, and East railway stations.
 * Line 8 runs northeast–southwest, parallel to Line 3, from Shilidian to Lianhua, serves to Chengdu's musical area.
 * Line 9 runs south–west, parallel to Line 7, from Financial City East to Huangtianba, it serves Chengdu West Railway Station. The planification shows that Line 9 will be a circle form line.
 * Line 10 runs south–southwest, from Xinping to Taipingyuan, where you can transfer to Lines 3 and 7. It serves mostly to people go to Shuangliu International Airport.
 * Line 17 runs west–northwest, from Jitouqiao to Jinxing, only transfer to Line 9. The future plan is to become a city fast line.
 * Line 18 runs south–southeast, from South Railway Station to Tianfu International Airport North Station, it serves for members go to Tianfu Interntional Airport.

Lines 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, and 18 all have interchanges with each other in the city center region.

By bus
Chengdu has an extensive bus system, including a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) line in a loop. At each bus stop, there is a list of the bus lines coming through on this road, and on some city maps the whole network is displayed. However, the bus lines and maps only use Chinese characters, and even if the bus announces the station, it will usually only be in Chinese. Tickets are ¥1 for non-aircon (now very rare) and ¥2 for air-conditioned buses. The fare is paid by putting the exact amount to a metal box next to the driver. No change is given, so make sure you have exact change. Normally, you enter via the front door, and alight by the rear door. On the new articulated buses, you can enter at either the front or rear door, with the middle door designated for alighting only.

aMaps (Chinese only) is helpful for planning routes by public transport. A separate smartphone app is available. Click on Chengdu on the map, then select the middle tab from (公交) from the search field. To show the route of a particular line, click 高级搜索 and type the line number to the search field that appeared on the right side. You can also select from and to destinations from the map via a context menu (the two topmost options) and the service shows the route with bus line numbers and also where to change the bus if needed. Classical bus useful for tourists are 1 and 99 (inside city), 300 (link between south airport to north railway station).

If you will be in Chengdu a while, you may want to purchase the contactless transit card (公交卡) - it's advisable to get the version which works for both metro and buses. They are sold at all Hong Qi markets and at some pharmacies. Not only do you no longer have to worry about carrying correct change, but you get free transfers for two hours plus some discounts. The card costs ¥20 and can be loaded with three types of credit. The first is cash. You will receive a 10% discount off the cash fare when using your card's cash. So a regular bus ride will cost ¥1.80 instead of ¥2. You can also load credits (次) for this month and credits for next month. Each credit costs ¥0.50, and most bus rides use two credits (the increasingly rare non-aircon buses cost one credit). So most rides then cost you only ¥1. Credits expire at the end of the month for which they were designated, so it can take a little effort to not buy too many or too few. Note that some bus lines (usually higher numbered ones, or those going way out to the suburbs) and the subway only accept your cash balance (not credits), which does not expire. When you board the bus and tap your card, the display will show the number of this month's credits remaining (if you used credits) or the cash balance (if you used your card's stored cash value).

The Hi Panda Shuttle Bus (成都景区直通车), also known as the Scenic Shuttle Bus, conveys passengers to many of Chengdu's key attractions and also travels to some attractions outside the city. Destinations include the Wuhou Temple, Jinli Street, Kuanzhaixiangzi, Du Fu's Thatched Cottage, Chunxi Road, the 339 TV Tower, Jinsha Archaeological Site, Panda Research Base, Happy Valley, Haichang Ocean Park, Jinjiang Theatre, the Museum of Sichuan Cuisine, Manhua Manor, Anren Town, Dujiangyan, Qingcheng Mountain, Sanxingdui, Leshan, Emeishan, Taoping Qiang Village, Bipenggou and Bifengxia. Most routes originate from the company's main hubs at Kuanzhaixiangzi and the Wuhou Temple. The company also operates from Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport, Chengdu East Railway Station, and Tianfu Square. Fares range from just ¥2 for a short trip to ¥68 for a 3-hour journey to Bipenggou. You can also purchase a combo set, which includes both the bus tickets and the entrance tickets for the attractions you intend to visit.

By taxi
Official taxis are either green or blue and are equipped with meters. An available taxi will display an illuminated sign with Chinese characters in its dashboard. The meter is turned on by tilting the sign, make sure the driver does that and if not, you can try to do it yourself and the driver usually gets your point. Some taxi drivers may try to offer you a fixed price but don't take it unless you know it's cheaper than with the meter on. Taxi drivers don't speak English nor do they understand the map, so have an address written in Chinese with you. Drivers don't know many street names so it's best to have the address to some well known place close to your destination. Collect taxi cards from hotels and restaurants and show them to the drivers, and when close to your destination start instructing by pointing with your hand. This method usually gets you there - some drivers however will not follow your instructions or get angry for you traveling a longer distance than what they expected.

Taxi fare is ¥8 on flagfall for the older taxis ¥9 for the new ones, and increase at ¥1.9 per km after the first 2 kilometers. For rides from 10 to 60 km the km fare is increased by 50% to compensate the taxi returning empty. During night time the starting price is ¥1 more and per km price is ¥2.20. Waiting price for the taxi is one km fare per every five minutes, and the meter counts traveling with speed less than 12 km/h as waiting time. Taxis often refuse to accept ¥100 bills so try to have some change on hand.

Taxis can be difficult to find depending on the area. There are also unlicensed taxis in the city but they're quite hard to notice. If you use one, know your destination and expected price and negotiate the fare beforehand.

By bicycle
Most guest houses have bicycles for hire. Check for technical problems before starting out unless you want to be held responsible for it later. If you leave your bicycle, do so in one of the designated "bicycle parks", where it will be guarded over for a small fee. If you can not find such a place, be sure to lock it securely against some structure. Be careful as the bike traffic flow can be intense.

In 2016, Mobike and other companies introduced city-bikes which can be used and paid for via a smartphone app.

Do
For up-to-date information on activities, places and attractions you should check out the Chengdoo Citylife Magazine's listings. You will find copies in most bars, restaurants, cafes, hostels and hotels.

 * 环球中心 - panoramio (5).jpg

Golf
Most golf courses in the metropolis of Chengdu are semi-private, but open for public play. The green fee varies between US$50–300 per person per round, depending on course, weekdays or weekend play. Cart and caddie fees are included. The usual gratuity for caddie is about RMB$100–150

Learn
The following universities accept foreign students with the proper visa:
 * Chengdu University (成都大学)
 * University of Electronic Science and Technology of China  (电子科技大学)
 * Southwest Jiaotong University SWJTU has 10 recipients of the National Science Foundation for Distinguished Young Scholars, 47 award winners selected by Program for New Century Excellent Talents in University.
 * Sichuan University (四川大学)
 * Southwestern University of Finance and Economics
 * Sichuan Normal University (四川师范大学)
 * Southwest University for Nationalities
 * Sichuan Higher Institute of Cuisine . This institute's three-year training program has 2,500 enrolled Chinese students. The school also offers short term courses to foreigners with English translation.
 * Southwest Petroleum University

Language school

 * Chengdu Mandarin Club. A language school offers different types of Mandarin Chinese courses with flexible schedules. Students year-round for a one-on-one class or a group class with 5 students. All the teachers are master's degree holders in TCFL (teaching Chinese as a foreign language). They also offer various kinds of Chinese culture activities.
 * Hutong School Chengdu. A Chinese language school offering a range of Chinese courses to suit different levels and aims. Students can choose between private and group classes focused on preparing for the HSK, learning business Chinese or basic phrases. All teachers have at least 2 years professional teaching experience and a teaching related degree. Students can also join in with regular cultural activities and networking events organised by the school.

Tutoring
Private Chinese language lessons are available for ¥40-85 per hour. Ask for a referral at one of the universities, or from another student. Textbooks for learning Chinese are available at many local bookshops.

Bear in mind that the Mandarin spoken by the locals amongst themselves is South-Western Mandarin. This is substantially different from Putonghua or Beijing Mandarin, Taiwan Mandarin or Singapore Mandarin that foreigners and overseas Chinese typically learn. However most locals will speak Putonghua with you if you speak it.

Martial arts, Kungfu

 * Kungfu Family. A Chinese martial arts / kung fu school that focuses on teaching authentic traditional Kungfu to students from all over the world. Teaching takes place in English language. Located in the southeastern part of Chengdu in San Sheng Flower Village.

Work
Job postings for English teaching are located in many guest houses, at Western bars and restaurants, anywhere foreigners congregate. Also worth to check are GoChengdoo and their Chengdoo Magazine of which you can grab a copy from many places throughout the city.

The Peace Corps has its China headquarters in Chengdu, (Sichuan University Campus), and places highly selected and qualified U.S. Citizen volunteers in 2 year assignments throughout provinces in West China teaching English.

Buy

Supermarkets are located throughout the city, although the selection of imported foods is limited.

Cooked food

You will find no shortage of delicious Sichuan food in Chengdu. Most of the food is spicy, but not necessarily as hot as you expect. If you are obviously foreign and don't specify whenever you order (i.e. non-spicy (不要辣 búyàolà), a little spicy (微辣 wēilà) or 'old' (very) spicy (老辣 lǎolà)), the staff will assume that you can't take the heat. At best they will ask you whether you want chili (你想要辣椒?; Nǐ xiǎng yào làjiāo?), at worst they give you a severely toned down version of the food! If you want it how the locals have it, reassure the staff with "I like chili" (我喜欢辣椒 wǒ xǐhuan làjiāo), followed with "I like all the chili" (我都喜欢辣椒 Wǒ dū xǐhuan làjiāo) to really reassure the staff that it's OK.

If you are not accustomed to it yet, a bottle of sweetened soy, almond, peanut, or cow milk, or something else sweet will work much better than water to quell the fire. If you are used to the hottest of authentic Indian or Thai food, the level of spiciness in Sichuan food should be no problem at all.

Sichuan food also makes heavy use of Sichuan peppercorn (花椒 huājiāo), which looks like but is not a true peppercorn, and causes your mouth to water and to be somewhat numb (málà)––the effects are unique and very dissimilar to capsaicin. Sichuan peppercorn is added in most spicy dishes. If you can eat spicy food but do not like Sichuan pepper, you need to order so (不要花椒 bú yào huājiāo). However, Sichuan peppercorn (in addition to causing numbing) has an important citrus taste that it adds to foods. Sichuan cuisine banks on the interplay between the flavours of both Sichuan peppercorn and chili peppers, and it is strongly recommend you try the authentic versions with the Sichuan peppercorn.

The spiciest food in Chengdu is hotpot (also called steampot or steamboat), although the tradition originated in Chongqing, so it is not really Chengdu food. Sichuan hotpots are basically a big pot of soup and spices simmering in a hole in the middle of your table. Patrons choose from a large selection of meats, vegetables and other add-ins. Most popular include: lamb, mushrooms, beef, tofu, quail eggs, potatoes and various others (pork, green vegetables, fish balls, carrots, and even pig's brain!) You can choose spicy pot or non spicy pot. With spicy hot pots, unlike eastern hot pots, the soup is NOT for drinking; instead, fish out your cooked items with chopsticks (do not fish the liquid out with a spoon, it is too spicy even for locals to drink; the fished out vegetables will be spicy enough), dip them in the small bowl of oil provided to each person, and enjoy.

You may also find the local food too oily or too salty for your taste, and may want to advise your server accordingly.

There are also a lot of weird local snack type of food, such as spicy dragon prawns (look like very small crayfish; 麻辣龙虾), spicy snails (香辣田螺), Chongqing duck neck (久久鸭脖子), Bangbang chicken (棒棒鸡), spicy rabbit meat (二姐兔丁). These ones are so delicious and you must try them. But you need to ask a local to take you to the right place. Quite often you will find that the small restaurants and shops offer the most delicious and cheapest food. If you want to find even cheaper food options, street vendors are the way to go (though the Chengdu police have been doing their best to extinguish this long tradition and you may have trouble finding them these days). Serving everything from barbeque (烧烤) to steamed breadrolls (馒头), they are a cheap and offer a great option for a quick bite to eat.

If you are less adventurous but still like Chinese food, or just tired of Sichuan food, there are a number of Cantonese and Hong Kong restaurants, including Lei Garden near Shangri-la Hotel. There are a number of stalls and hole in the wall type places all over town. Food here is dirt cheap, expect to pay no more than ¥8 for a meal, and the quality is good. Things to be on the lookout for are spicy bowls of breakfast noodles, (担担面 dandanmian), double cooked pork (回锅肉 húigūoròu), and dozens of dishes coated in "málà" the Sichuan chili spice famous the world over.

 * Hai Di Lao Hot Pot Food.jpg
 * Hai Di Lao Hot Pot Food.jpg

Mid-range

 * Mingting Restaurant (明婷饭店), Waicaojia Alley No. 26, Jinniu District (成都市金牛区外曹家巷26号附14) A very popular Sichuan restaurant with outdoor seating. Typically ¥60-80 per person. Expect to wait 10–20 minutes at peak hours. Try the 呛香鱼 or 麻婆豆腐!
 * Mingting Restaurant (明婷饭店), Waicaojia Alley No. 26, Jinniu District (成都市金牛区外曹家巷26号附14) A very popular Sichuan restaurant with outdoor seating. Typically ¥60-80 per person. Expect to wait 10–20 minutes at peak hours. Try the 呛香鱼 or 麻婆豆腐!
 * Mingting Restaurant (明婷饭店), Waicaojia Alley No. 26, Jinniu District (成都市金牛区外曹家巷26号附14) A very popular Sichuan restaurant with outdoor seating. Typically ¥60-80 per person. Expect to wait 10–20 minutes at peak hours. Try the 呛香鱼 or 麻婆豆腐!
 * Mingting Restaurant (明婷饭店), Waicaojia Alley No. 26, Jinniu District (成都市金牛区外曹家巷26号附14) A very popular Sichuan restaurant with outdoor seating. Typically ¥60-80 per person. Expect to wait 10–20 minutes at peak hours. Try the 呛香鱼 or 麻婆豆腐!
 * Mingting Restaurant (明婷饭店), Waicaojia Alley No. 26, Jinniu District (成都市金牛区外曹家巷26号附14) A very popular Sichuan restaurant with outdoor seating. Typically ¥60-80 per person. Expect to wait 10–20 minutes at peak hours. Try the 呛香鱼 or 麻婆豆腐!
 * Mingting Restaurant (明婷饭店), Waicaojia Alley No. 26, Jinniu District (成都市金牛区外曹家巷26号附14) A very popular Sichuan restaurant with outdoor seating. Typically ¥60-80 per person. Expect to wait 10–20 minutes at peak hours. Try the 呛香鱼 or 麻婆豆腐!

Western
Chengdu has a few local Western restaurants. Service is always friendly, although you should expect occasional mistakes, such as appetizers served at the same time as your meal. Chengdu is just starting to get accustomed to Western tastes.

 * All of the hotels in the "Splurge" category have Western restaurants or buffets. Call ahead for more information.
 * All of the hotels in the "Splurge" category have Western restaurants or buffets. Call ahead for more information.
 * All of the hotels in the "Splurge" category have Western restaurants or buffets. Call ahead for more information.
 * All of the hotels in the "Splurge" category have Western restaurants or buffets. Call ahead for more information.
 * All of the hotels in the "Splurge" category have Western restaurants or buffets. Call ahead for more information.

Drink

A popular district of bars, also known as the bar street, is located by the southern shore of Jin River next to Anshun Bridge. The well known Lan Kwai Fong from Hong Kong started its business in the mainland of China in 2010 and the first city is Chengdu. The area is located a little north-west from Anshun Bridge.

Also, on the southern bank of Jinjiang there is a row of bars between Renmin South Road and Xin South Road. Beers will cost ¥10-20 per bottle, but buying bulk cans will save you a good bit of money with special deals. There will also be street vendors selling various snacks. This makes for a good night with the clubs Babi II, Ta & Ta, and Soho just around the bend.

Budget

 * Xishan Youth Hostel (栖山青年旅舍), 34 Yinghuasi Rd, Qingyang District (青羊区莹华寺街34) (7 minute walk southwest from the 红星桥 subway stop). Has laundry, rooftop drying, arcade cabinet, and bar. Receptionist didn't speak English and very few foreigners stay here. Very friendly staff that showed off some local restaurants and food stalls. Dorms ¥40-50.
 * Xishan Youth Hostel (栖山青年旅舍), 34 Yinghuasi Rd, Qingyang District (青羊区莹华寺街34) (7 minute walk southwest from the 红星桥 subway stop). Has laundry, rooftop drying, arcade cabinet, and bar. Receptionist didn't speak English and very few foreigners stay here. Very friendly staff that showed off some local restaurants and food stalls. Dorms ¥40-50.
 * Xishan Youth Hostel (栖山青年旅舍), 34 Yinghuasi Rd, Qingyang District (青羊区莹华寺街34) (7 minute walk southwest from the 红星桥 subway stop). Has laundry, rooftop drying, arcade cabinet, and bar. Receptionist didn't speak English and very few foreigners stay here. Very friendly staff that showed off some local restaurants and food stalls. Dorms ¥40-50.
 * Xishan Youth Hostel (栖山青年旅舍), 34 Yinghuasi Rd, Qingyang District (青羊区莹华寺街34) (7 minute walk southwest from the 红星桥 subway stop). Has laundry, rooftop drying, arcade cabinet, and bar. Receptionist didn't speak English and very few foreigners stay here. Very friendly staff that showed off some local restaurants and food stalls. Dorms ¥40-50.
 * Xishan Youth Hostel (栖山青年旅舍), 34 Yinghuasi Rd, Qingyang District (青羊区莹华寺街34) (7 minute walk southwest from the 红星桥 subway stop). Has laundry, rooftop drying, arcade cabinet, and bar. Receptionist didn't speak English and very few foreigners stay here. Very friendly staff that showed off some local restaurants and food stalls. Dorms ¥40-50.
 * Xishan Youth Hostel (栖山青年旅舍), 34 Yinghuasi Rd, Qingyang District (青羊区莹华寺街34) (7 minute walk southwest from the 红星桥 subway stop). Has laundry, rooftop drying, arcade cabinet, and bar. Receptionist didn't speak English and very few foreigners stay here. Very friendly staff that showed off some local restaurants and food stalls. Dorms ¥40-50.
 * Xishan Youth Hostel (栖山青年旅舍), 34 Yinghuasi Rd, Qingyang District (青羊区莹华寺街34) (7 minute walk southwest from the 红星桥 subway stop). Has laundry, rooftop drying, arcade cabinet, and bar. Receptionist didn't speak English and very few foreigners stay here. Very friendly staff that showed off some local restaurants and food stalls. Dorms ¥40-50.
 * Xishan Youth Hostel (栖山青年旅舍), 34 Yinghuasi Rd, Qingyang District (青羊区莹华寺街34) (7 minute walk southwest from the 红星桥 subway stop). Has laundry, rooftop drying, arcade cabinet, and bar. Receptionist didn't speak English and very few foreigners stay here. Very friendly staff that showed off some local restaurants and food stalls. Dorms ¥40-50.
 * Xishan Youth Hostel (栖山青年旅舍), 34 Yinghuasi Rd, Qingyang District (青羊区莹华寺街34) (7 minute walk southwest from the 红星桥 subway stop). Has laundry, rooftop drying, arcade cabinet, and bar. Receptionist didn't speak English and very few foreigners stay here. Very friendly staff that showed off some local restaurants and food stalls. Dorms ¥40-50.

Mid-range
The vast majority of Chengdu's mid-range hotels are not affiliated with a national or international brand and generally charge ¥300-700. The hotels in this category can generally put up the facade of the more luxurious hotels, but often suffer noticeably from deferred maintenance or haphazard customer service. Many are geared mostly towards Chinese and Asian tour groups. The hotels listed below are the best of the bunch with lobby staff who speak at least a basic level of English and usually offer a free Chinese breakfast.

Splurge
Chengdu's luxury hotels provide world class service at very reasonable prices. Business and leisure travelers can expect, at a minimum, to find fluent English speaking staff, Western and Chinese restaurants, full conference facilities, business center, sauna and concierge service at all of these hotels. Room rates are US$115–200 per night for a standard or deluxe room. The Kempinski and the Jin Jiang Hotel are generally the lowest price within this category.

Phone
China's country code is 86. Chengdu's area code is 28. Coin-operated pay phones are located throughout Chengdu, and calling cards can be purchased from many vendors. Local landline phone numbers are eight digits long; cellular phone numbers in Sichuan are eleven digits long and start with 13, 15, or 18.

Internet
Internet access can be found in most guesthouses and through cheap internet cafes all over town. Look out for Web-character 网 and the Bar-character 吧 in the Chinese name for internet bar: 网吧.

A large Internet cafe is on the second floor of the Xinnanmen Bus Station (新南门汽车站), 100 meters from the Traffic Hotel (交通饭店). The connection is fast and access is ¥2/hour.

Note that foreigners are usually not able to use the public internet cafés because one must register using one's Chinese ID card (身份证), which foreigners do not possess. This is not a problem at hotels and guesthouses.

Stay safe
Thieves are prevalent around certain areas of Chengdu. Be careful around the Yanshikou markets, crowded buses, on bicycles and especially around the North train station.

Traffic can appear hectic and motorists as well as cyclists drive with every driver assuming they have right of way/priority. Reassuringly, due to the volume of traffic in cities, it never travels fast enough to cause any damage. Walk with confidence and be aware of your surroundings when crossing streets; even when the WALK sign is green, traffic will cross your path. See Driving in China for more information.

Cope
For such a big city, there's surprisingly little Western influence in Chengdu but certainly more than regional "rival" Chongqing. It's definitely not Beijing or Shanghai but this is changing fast with the arrival of more and more foreign students, teachers, and business people. This may be trying initially, as the level of English spoken is noticeably lower than other places, but it's also a blessing; carry a phrasebook and enjoy the authentic Chinese urban experience. The Western quarter, if there is one, seems to be around Kehua North Road.

Consulates

 * 🇩🇪 Germany
 * 🇰🇷 South Korea
 * 🇵🇰 Pakistan
 * 🇸🇬 Singapore
 * 🇹🇭 Thailand

Police
If you need to make a visa extension, You can visit Chengdu Public Security Bureau but be warn of the 7 days delay. Most people in a hurry will try to do their renew in Leshan or Songpan where it seems delay is about 1h to 1d, if the (only) officer is here.

Go next
Families and those short of time might consider hiring a car with driver (¥300-900 per day, depending upon type of car and experience of driver, with cars booked at the luxury hotels the most expensive and highest quality).

 * The Giant Buddha in Leshan is probably the most popular nearby destination. A day trip to this ancient man-made wonder should be about ¥100-150. Two day tours are available which combine the Buddha with a visit to the nearby Buddhist holy mountain Emei Shan.
 * Mount Qingcheng (青城山) and Dujiangyan (都江堰) are fascinating sites about 40 km from Chengdu. You can do both sites in one long day, or better yet, plan to spend a day at each. Qingcheng is a beautiful mountain with an extensive and well kept network of steps and pathways; it includes many pagodas, a small lake, and a chair-lift for those who don't want to walk.  Qingcheng is an important site in the Taoist religion.  Dujiangyan has a fascinating history and a marvelous swinging pedestrian bridge.  Both trips involve lots of walking.
 * Bi Feng Xia - a large ecological park in the mountains about a 2½ hour drive from Chengdu. It centers around a huge gorge with waterfalls. One can hike down into the gorge on well marked paths and take an elevator back up.  The park also has special panda habitats, as well as a more traditional "zoo".  The main reason to go here is for the walks and hikes into the gorge.  The zoo, although filled with animals such as tigers, lions, bears, monkeys, and even a drive-through section, has woefully inadequate and sometimes smelly enclosures.  (The enormous bird aviary is one exception). Admission is about ¥80, with additional charges for bus rides between different sections of the park.  There is an expensive hotel and basic restaurants on site. Direct buses to the park (via Ya'an) leave from Xinnanmen station every 30mins.
 * Huang Long Xi  (黄龙溪, "Yellow Dragon Creek ancient town") is worth a day trip. Buses start from Xinnanmen station (新南门车站) and take two hours. The little town features a few original dwellings, and old temples but mainly recreated buildings from various periods. It does contain a street or two of authentic buildings and nice river view. Perfect biking destination in the countryside.
 * Jinlong (Little) Great Wall: This (replica) Great Wall is situated not far from Luodai Ancient Town. Buses from Luodai bus station or minivans (from eastern city gate) take you there or in about 20 minutes (¥2–10). Upon arrival, you can climb this local Great Wall, but be warned: although the wall is only a few kilometres long, it's a steep climb which is best not undertaken in hot weather (i.e. summer). Going all the way up will probably take seasoned hikers 1-1.5 hours.
 * You can also trek out to the Tibetan areas of Sichuan. Buses leave everyday for Moxi and other towns. These long bus trips from Xinnanmen-bus station (it's about seven hours to Moxi, and the heating systems on buses in the winter are painfully inadequate) pass through incredibly steep mountain valleys wandering through the Gongga Mountain range. This all terminates at the Hailuogo Glacier, a massive park nearly nine hours from Chengdu. A good two or three day trip.
 * Jiuzhaigou (九寨沟) Valley to the north of Chengdu is famous for its stunning nature and the cyan water terraces. The morning bus from Chengdu leaves at 09:00, and takes roughly 9–10 hours, providing that the weather is good.
 * Mianyang City (绵阳市), two hours to the north, is Sichuan's second-biggest city. As a large city, it has plenty to do and could serve as a day or multi-day trip. Nearby Xianhai (仙海) resort town is a lovely countryside getaway, easily accessible from the city center. The Holy Water Temple (圣水寺) in the northern suburbs is also very attractive. Mianyang is a 2-hour train ride from North Train Station (¥20).
 * Siguniangshan National Park (四姑娘) - these mountains northwest of Chengdu are sometimes called "China Alps", but are also known as the "four girls" or "four maidens", as their perennial snow makes them look like four beautiful white figures standing in the hills. Take a bus from Chadianzi (茶店子) tourism bus station at 06:40 that takes up to 12 hours.  Catch the bus to Xiaojin (小金) and let the driver know your destination is Rilong village (日隆镇).
 * Xi'an - home to the Terracotta Army.

title: Chengdu


text:
Chengyang

Chengyang (程阳 Chéngyáng) is a group of villages 18km from Sanjiang, in the Guangxi province of China.

Understand
Chengyang village is located at the northern part of Sanjiang County. Chengyang is made up of eight small villages called Ma'an, Pingtan, Pingzhan, Yanzhai, Dazhai, Dongzai, Jichang and Pingpu. There are eight Drum towers and wind-and-rain bridges in this area. The most famous one is the Chengyang wind-and-rain bridge.

Chengyang refers, in fact, to the famous wooden wind-and-rain bridge built about 100 years ago. Although there are many in this area, this is the most renowned and visited. The area is extremely peaceful and quiet, people are very friendly and welcoming - generally speaking, it's a great place to relax for a few days, take in Dong culture and simply enjoy the scenery. Though the village is not much visited by Western tourists, it is a famous spot for Chinese tourists. On weekends and holidays it can be crowded. Just walk a bit further away from the three main villages to escape the crowds.

Landscape
A river flows through the villages, and to either side are paddy fields. The slopes in this area are not as steep as Longji, for example, and a wander off the track will reveal all sorts of agriculture, such as aquaculture in ponds in between the valley sides, and small tea and timber plantations. It is very green and lush.

Climate
The best time to come here is early Autumn, when the fields are covered with yellow and the weather is extremely friendly.

Get in
The high speed rail line can whisk you to Sanjiang within 30 minutes from Guilin or several hours from Guangzhou or Guiyang.

From Guilin take the high-speed train to Sanjiang South (¥26, 35 minutes)

From Kaili take a bus to Duyun train station from there you can take a high-speed train to Sanjiang south.

From Sanjiang south there are public buses to Guyi, there you have to chance the Bus. Tell the driver you want to go to Chengyang, than he will drop you off at the right point. In Guyi you have to walk over the bridge to the bus stop He Xi on the other side.

From Guyi there is the bus stop He Xi at the right corner after you crossed the bridge, it is am small blue sight which says 程阳.Buses run frequently every half an hour and goes to Linxi. (-:00/-:30) The bus will drop you off at the Park entrance, from were you have to walk 1.5 km to the Wind and Rain Bridge, maybe there are tuk-tuks and offer you a ride (¥5/person).

There is also a daily 08:30 bus from Guilin Qintan bus terminal to Sanjiang, however there are several more buses during the day. Frequent buses depart from the Sanjiang West (He Xi) bus terminal and cost ¥6. If you arrive from Guilin, you will arrive at He Dong bus terminal, and you will need to walk 10 minutes or so to He Xi bus terminal across the river. In order to do this, walk out of He Dong bus terminal and turn right, continue walking for about 5 minutes and then turn right onto the large bridge, keep walking across the bridge then straight across the intersection and the bus station is a little way up the hill on the right. Look for buses to Linxi, pay on board and get out at Chengyang. From the vicinity of the same He Dong bus terminal you can catch frequent minivans that cost ¥10 and departure when full (useful after 17:00, when the last public bus leaves). The journey will be much faster but, being so, it is a bit risky since the road is narrow and the drivers have very bad driving habits.

Fees and permits
The entrance fee is ¥60, student card can get a discount price of ¥30. It is arguable whether the local villagers are benefitting from the revenues, which are officially used for maintaining the bridge.

If you ask for Chengyang on the bus, or get a taxi, the driver will drop you at the ticket office to pay. Hostel managers also have to take guests passports to register with the police. Dodging the entrance fee, it seems, is becoming increasingly difficult.

Get around
The best, if not the only, way to get around is simply walking between the villages, which are all very close to each other. Some hotels offer bikes for rent, but unless you're planning some really of-the-track bike trips, these are not necessary. The community is quite small, no larger than a large city park.

See
Walk around the villages, see the nature, the houses, the children, the people at work, in general - just relax! Chengyang is an extremely quiet place and is also very dark, so it is good advice to take something with you to use as a light (or torch) if you are eating in the village and walking to the guesthouse.

The drum towers are places for social and religious gatherings, and resemble a pagoda of some kind. See this together with stages, bridges and Dong houses in each village and hamlet. They all tend to have unique details. The stage is in the middle of the community near the bridges. The drum tower is in the community east of the entrance. The drum tower is interesting somewhat on the outside, but is very plain inside. If a foreigner goes in there, they should throw in a few coins. This does go to the village.

From the ticket office, take a walk up to the two pavilions on the crest of the large hill overlooking the village, and take in the views over the valley of settlements. Or if you want to take the chance at not paying the entrance fee, drive further about half a kilometre, walk the bridge over the small creek and through the rice field into the town. If you get caught, there is no worry, just pay the fee.

Do
If you travel with somebody who speaks Chinese, take some time to talk to the locals. Most of the residents belong to Dong minority, and though officially not discriminated against, they are comparatively marginalized. Locals are usually friendly and peaceful.

You can go for a small tracking. If you want to escape from the mass, just go a to Ji Chang Village (1 hour). From there you can make a small hike to the mountains through tea plantations and rice terraces (1½ hours). From the main square in Ji Chang just go strait up the hill on the right site and follow the upper trail into the valley. The trail will continue for some km until its end in very small trails into the forest, so you have to back track.

Buy
All the usual souvenirs are available to buy in many places. During the performances in Ma An (马安) village there are around 10 elderly women who will try to sell you stuff. If you're not interested just make it clear and they should leave you alone after a while.

Eat
There are different restaurants, from cheapest local to a bit more pricey and visitor orientated. Some claim to have Western food, but don't count on it. The restaurant on the path left of Yang's guesthouse on top of the hill serves good food and has internet access. If someone is on a special diet or dislikes Chinese food, it might be prudent to bring your own food.

Drink
The local rice wine is on sale. You will also have a mug of oil tea included in your entrance ticket. Local beer and Western liquors are available in Yang's and "the other place" left of Yang's up the hill.

Sleep

The area is a collection of 8 villages, and the whole place is now full of hostels and guesthouses, with many more on the way judging by the current amount of construction. They are all likely to charge the same price ¥60 per room) and provide the same kind of accommodation. Don't expect the people working at any of these places to speak English though.

Camping
If you really want, you can ask for local advice. But what for?

Backcountry
From Chengyang, there are many smaller villages to travel to, further up the road and in the vicinity. Some of them have market days, check Yang's Guesthouse for more information or ask the locals. There is an information board at the entrance gate with a brief description on the noteworthy villages in Sanjiang county.

Stay safe
Chengyang is generally very safe in any time. Drink only bottled water and wash carefully everything you intend to eat fresh, and that's about it.

Go next
A bus back to Sanjiang is necessary for most onward transport. Make certain to check the times the day before, as departures to more obscure places may be infrequent. Two daily buses leave to Liping, one at 06:30 and the next at 11:30, and this bus can drop you at Zhaoxing.

title: Chengyang