Jinli Ancient Street

Jinli, an “ancient” pedestrian street with dozens of food and gift vendors along the ever-expanding network of alleys, is one of the most well-known and trafficked tourist areas in Chengdu. And it’s located right next to the Wuhou Temple and just in the street of Chengdu’s Tibetan Quarter. Lightened by traditional Chinese lanterns, it is a beautiful place to visit after dusk as the area is endowed with a romantic atmosphere to wooden buildings which go across every alley in Jinli.

Jinli is larger than ever before because of the reconstruction in recent years. And it can be visited by large crowds with great freedom of movement on weekends. There’s a bridge that passes over a pond with thousands of goldfish as well as a Sichuan opera theatre that has daily performances. The best time to visit Jinli is dusk for most people. By the way, don’t forget to bring your camera.

One more famous thing in Jinli is the traditional Sichuanese snacks in it. You will see dozens of vendors preparing and displaying an impressive variety of noodles and finger food to snack on in an area where dedicated just to snacks. Many traditional Chinese arts like shadow puppet performances are making an appearance. And this tends to be an excellent place to buy local gifts.

There is a remarkable archway with 'Jinli Street' carved on it at one end of Jinli Street. The lane is paved with green flagstones that go through for a length of 350 meters (382.8 yards). The buildings such as tea houses, stores and hotels on both sides are modeled on the architectural style of a traditional old town in western Sichuan Province from the Qing (1644-1911) Dynasty by combining the culture of the Three Kingdoms Period with the folk customs of Sichuan. The wooden steles and the brick walls exhibit an ancient charm.

Attractions nearby Jinli Street