Chunxi Road Chengdu
Name in Chinese: 春熙路 Chūn Xī Lù [tsun ʃi lu:]
Duration of Tour: Two Hours
Location: Jinjiang District, Chengdu, Sichuan Province
Highlights: Shopping in Free Time
Reputation: the Most Famous CBD in Southwestern China
Chunxi Road lies in downtown Chengdu. It covers an area of 20 hectares(49 acres). There are a large number of shopping malls in the street. Chunxi Road is the third largest and busiest shopping center in China, behind Causeway Bay in Hong Kong and Nanjing Road in Shanghai. Both domestic and overseas brands can be found in the street. Chunxi Road is also known as the world’s kitchen. People may content themselves with a variety of flavors. Various restaurants and cafes are run in the street, like local Hot Pot restaurants, Sichuan Kitchens, Conton restaurants, vegetarian restaurants, Italian cafes, Halal restaurants, Thai food restaurants, Indian restaurants, Japanese restaurants, Korean restaurants, European and American restaurants.
Chunxi Road was built in 1924. It used to be the place where the local court was located during the Qing Dynasty(1644-1911). After the Qing Dynasty was overthrown, the compound of the court was demolished and replaced with a street. It was originally named after General Yang Sen. He was one of the warlords of Sichuan in 1920s. In 1925, Yang Sen was kicked out from Chengdu. The local governor renamed the street as Chunxi Road. Chunxi means that crowds of people poured into the street while a light breeze is blowing and brings the warmth of spring.
Doctor Sun Yat-sen’s Bronze Statue
A bronze statue has been placed in the street since 1928. The figure is Sun Yat-sen(1866-1925). He was the founder of both the KMT and the Republic of China(1922-1949). Sun Yat-sen is known as the National Father of Chinese. He was standing at the middle of the street from 1928 to 1943. Yu Zhongying served as the ninth Mayor of Chengdu in 1940s. He thought that the standing figure looked quite different from Sun Yat-sen’s life. He also supposed that the National Father might feel tired and need to take a chair. The present bronze statue was set in 1943. Doctor Sun Yat-sen sits on a chair.
Chengdu International Financial Square(CDIFS)
Invested by the Wharf(Holdings) Limited, the CDIFS was built in 2014. The project started by the end of 2008. It is the second largest shopping mall in Chengdu. The main building is 248 meters(814 feet) in height and covers an area of 5.5 hectares(13.5 acres). Many famous international brands can be found in the shopping mall, like Chanel, Dior, Dolce & Gabbana, Fendi and Giorgio Armani.
Sino-Ocean Taikoo Li Chengdu
Invested by the Sino-Ocean Group and the Swire Properties, Chengdu Taikoo Li was opened to the public in 2014. Unlike the CDIFS, Taikoo Li showcases the local traditional architecture. A large number of stores are run in Taikoo-Li. The stores sell a range of top-class luxuries, such as GUCCI, Cartier and Hermès.
Daci Monastery
Daci Monastery could be dated back to the Jin Dynasty(266-420). It boasts a 1,600-year history. The present compound was rebuilt in 1867. It lies nearby Taikoo Li. The monastery is well-known in China. Master Xuan Zang was the most celebrated Buddhist monk in Chinese history. He travelled to Indian for his pilgrimage and translated a large number of Buddhist Scriptures into Chinese. The world famous novel Journey to the West is a mythological account of his adventure to India. In the year of 618, Master Xuan Zang moved to Chengdu due to the chaos. He stayed in Daci Monastery for five years. During his stay in the monastery, the master accomplished his course on Buddhism and earned his qualification to be a bhisku. Bhisku is a Sanskrit word. It means qualified monk in English. Daci Monastery opens from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m..
Travel Tips:
How to get to Chunxi Road
Chunxi Road lies nearby the hub of downtown Chengdu. It is the intersection where Metro Line No.2 and Metro Line N0.3 cross.
Opening Hours:
9:00 A.M.------10:00 P.M
Related Articles:
Jinli Street
Chengdu Travel Guide
Author: Tina Luo
Update:
