Wen Shu Fang

Chengdu's Wenshufang, located at No. 66 Wenshuyuan Street in Qingyang District, is a national AAAA-level open-air historical and cultural district built around the ancient Wenshuyuan Temple. Admission is free and the area is open 24 hours a day, though it's recommended to plan a three- to four-hour visit. The district's architectural style is inspired by traditional western Sichuan courtyards, with blue tiles, white walls, and carved eaves. This creates a unique "courtyard-style commercial street" feel, earning it the nickname "Chengdu's Double Embroidery"—the sound of Buddhist chants echoes within the red walls, while the bustling market life unfolds beyond. Wenshufang's core identity can be summarized as "Zen culture combined with traditional Chengdu folk customs." Within the district, there's a temple every 100 steps and a pagoda every 1,000 steps. In addition to Wenshuyuan Temple (built in the Sui Dynasty and inscribed by Emperor Kangxi), the district also preserves the remains of the "Nine Palaces and Eighteen Temples," including the Five Mountains Palace, Lengjia Nunnery, and Aido Hall. This area boasts the most concentrated religious and cultural heritage in Chengdu's old city. Building on this foundation, the neighborhood has incorporated elements such as the "Empty Forest Zen Road" market for Zen-inspired goods, the "Manjusri Blessed Land" cluster of protected courtyards, the "Folk Old Street" offering intangible cultural heritage crafts, the "Chengdu Salon" teahouse featuring antiques, calligraphy, and paintings, as well as the "Old Chengdu Food Court" and "Tianzi Food Hall." This all-in-one experience combines incense worship, Hanfu travel photography, gaiwan tea, Sichuan Opera face-changing, and century-old snacks (such as dragon wontons, Zhong dumplings, and Lai glutinous rice balls). The atmosphere is enhanced by the lighting of lanterns at night. Wenshufang is a free historical district offering the most concentrated and convenient experience of old Chengdu: burning incense, enjoying vegetarian food, drinking tea, watching opera, strolling the ancient streets, enjoying snacks, shopping for cultural products, and photographing Hanfu costumes. For a quick experience of slow living and the essence of Zen, simply add this area to your half-day itinerary.

Enjoy an authentic Sichuan opera performance at the Liyuan Guildhall while sipping large bowls of tea. The show consists of nine performances, and the finale, the face-changing, was the most memorable. The 70-minute performance was packed with action and highly recommended.

I have always been curious about Sichuan, but when I came to the Sichuan Museum, I was more shocked. The young lady gave a steady and pleasant explanation for more than three hours. She also had a good grasp of the rhythm. I saw the national treasure stone scriptures. I always thought it was a barbarian land, with no human traffic with the Qinsai. The three hours ended with a feeling of not having enough, but there was no display after the Song Dynasty. The knowledge in the textbooks collided with reality, and I slowly digested it myself. Suddenly I understood a sentence: learning alone without friends will lead to ignorance. There are some things in my mind that I haven't grasped yet.

A very comfortable place that can meet the needs of different groups of people, such as worshipping Buddha, drinking tea and watching plays, dining, shopping, taking photos and making films, etc. The price-performance ratio is very high, the prices are normal, and there are no high-cost places during the tour (it varies from person to person). The cultural atmosphere is strong, with the characteristics of western Sichuan, and the surrounding area is full of fireworks. A great place, a must-visit in Chengdu!

Wenshufang is located at No. 66 Wenshuyuan Street, Qingyang District, Chengdu City, Sichuan Province. It is bounded by Beida Street and Caoshi Street in the east, Baijiatang Street and Tongshunqiao Street in the south, Renmin Middle Road in the west, and Da'an West Road in the north. It is a national AAAA-level tourist attraction. The following is a detailed introduction for you: History and Culture • Historical Origin: The area where Wenshufang is located was a famous scenic spot in Chengdu during the Tang and Song Dynasties, and was known as the "First Forest in Western Sichuan". During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, a street block with Buddhist culture as the theme gradually formed here. • Cultural Features: Wenshufang is themed on Zen culture and folk culture, fully demonstrating the essence of the humanities and history of old Chengdu. It brings together many temples and Taoist temples such as the thousand-year-old Wenshuyuan, Baiyun Temple, Wuyue Palace, Lengjia Temple, and Aidaotang. There is almost a temple every 100 steps and a temple every 1,000 steps, so there was once a saying of "Nine Palaces and Eighteen Temples". Architectural Style The architectural style of Wenshufang is a typical residential architectural style in western Sichuan. The entire block is composed of many traditional residential courtyards in western Sichuan. Most of these courtyards have blue tiles and white walls, carved window lattices, and flying eaves and brackets, which have strong local characteristics. In terms of architectural layout, Wenshufang adopts the traditional quadrangle form, and the courtyards are interconnected to form an organic whole. Main attractions • Wenshu Temple: It is one of the core attractions of Wenshufang and the first of the four major Zen temples in the upper and lower reaches of the Yangtze River in China. It was first built during the Daye period of the Sui Dynasty. It was named Xinxiang Temple during the Tang and Song Dynasties. It was destroyed by war in the Ming Dynasty and rebuilt during the Kangxi period of the Qing Dynasty. There are many Buddha statues and cultural relics enshrined in the courtyard, among which the most famous are the iron gods cast in the Song Dynasty and the bronze Buddha in the Qing Dynasty. • Wuyue Palace: It is a Taoist temple that was first built in the Ming Dynasty. The existing buildings were rebuilt in the Qing Dynasty. Taoist statues such as the Five Great Emperors are enshrined in the palace. The architectural style is simple and elegant, with high artistic value. • Aido Hall: It is a nunnery that was first built in the Ming Dynasty. The existing buildings were rebuilt in the Qing Dynasty. There are statues of Guanyin Bodhisattva and other Buddhas in the hall. The architectural style is small and exquisite, with a unique charm. Food Recommendation • Long Chao Shou: It is a traditional famous snack in Chengdu, famous for its thin skin, large fillings and delicious soup. In Wenshufang, there are many Long Chao Shou shops where you can taste the authentic Chengdu Long Chao Shou. • Zhong Dumplings: It is also one of the traditional famous snacks in Chengdu. It is loved by people for its unique red oil seasoning and delicious fillings. In Wenshufang, there are many Zhong Dumplings shops where you can taste the authentic Chengdu Zhong Dumplings. • Dandan Noodles: It is one of the traditional noodles in Chengdu, famous for its thin noodles and delicious soup. In Wenshufang, there are many Dandan Noodles shops where you can taste the authentic Chengdu Dandan Noodles.

Wenshufang is one of the four major historical and cultural blocks in Chengdu. It is the intersection of two axes and one river. The Da'anmen Gate on the east side is the northern gateway of the traditional city axis. It is the starting point of the "Jinniu Road" and "Chidao" in the pre-Qin period and the Southern Silk Road. It witnessed the history of Chengdu's civilization migration and capital construction. There are more than 20 historical streets and alleys in the district, where the market and the street are integrated, and the shops are integrated. It is the starting point of the earliest life of Chengdu people. Wenshu Temple, Niangniang Temple, Jinsha Temple, Aidao Hall and many protected courtyards are still telling the grand occasion of the nine palaces and eighteen temples in those days. They are the most typical representatives of Chengdu's historical buildings and cultural heritage.

I personally think Wenshufang is more worth visiting than Kuanzhai Alley and Jinli. First, there are not so many people, and second, the cultural atmosphere is stronger. And the planning is good, the streets are wider, and there are many intangible cultural heritage skills.

"Meet a story of your own in Wenshufang" There is an old saying among the old Chengdu people: the south is rich, the west is noble, the north is bandit, and the east is poor. As the name suggests, Wenshufang, located in the north of Chengdu, was once a street of funeral items. Most people are reluctant to go there, always thinking that it is related to death and has an ominous and gloomy horror. When you mention the current Wenshufang, what do you think of? Is it the ancient temple Wenshuyuan? Or the crispy and delicious palace cakes? Wenshufang is located in the Wenshuyuan Historical and Cultural Protection Area of ​​Chengdu, separated from the thousand-year-old Wenshuyuan by a wall. It is a silhouette of the humanities and folk customs of old Chengdu; it is known as the three major historical blocks of Chengdu together with Jinli and Kuanzhai Alley; it takes Zen culture and folk culture as the theme, and takes the streets and courtyard buildings of western Sichuan as the main body, fully showing the essence of the humanities and history of old Chengdu. After visiting Wenshuyuan, we came to Wenshufang, where the entire layout is a typical western Sichuan residential architectural style. Perhaps you are used to seeing the high-rise buildings in Chengdu, but when you come here, the retro streets will make you shine. At present, Wenshufang is still being revitalized, and many old buildings are being restored, so the flow of people is still relatively quiet. Walking in the streets of Wenshufang, you can see the blue tiles and white walls, carved window lattices, flying eaves and arches, painted ridges, garden courtyards, mahogany corridors, exquisitely carved face beams and linked beads, horse piles, and drum stones everywhere. There are door dragons, door gods, various forms of carved doors and windows, and ridge decorations, which tell the rich history of Chengdu at all times. Tranquility and prosperity, simplicity and fashion, the contradiction of double-sided life are fully reflected in Wenshufang. It has the memory of old Chengdu and the imagination of new Chengdu. There is history and stories here. Find some time to walk here and take a look, and encounter a story of your own! Travel tips: Wenshufang Address: No. 66, Wenshuyuan Street, Qingyang District, Chengdu City, Sichuan Province; Transportation: The fastest Chengdu Metro Line 1 [Wenshuyuan] Station Exit K walk along Wenshu Street; Travel tips: The historical and cultural protection area here is the largest and most concentrated Zen temple leisure area in Chinese cities. It gathers the thousand-year-old temples Wenshuyuan, Baiyun Temple, Wuyue Palace, Lengjia Temple, Aidaotang, Zaojun Temple, Zhunti Temple, Jinma Temple, Fanyin Temple, Jinsha Temple, Huoshen Temple, Xinkai Temple, Wensheng Temple, Wusheng Temple... There is almost a temple every 100 steps and a view every 1,000 steps, so there was once a saying of "Nine Palaces and Eighteen Temples", so you might as well take time to visit it slowly. Wenshufang is also a good place for travel photography. There are many handsome men and beautiful women taking photos of Internet celebrities, Hanfu photos, and ancient costume photos here. No matter how you take the scene, you can take pictures with the taste of ancient style. You only need to wear clothes suitable for the scene here to easily get a satisfactory film. Food Guide: Wenshufang is not just about retro old buildings. The reason why tourists can stay here is naturally the delicious food that captures people's hearts, such as Long Chao Shou, Zhong Dumplings, Lai Tang Yuan, etc. Chengdu's century-old shops are gathered here. Another example is the PK field of various snacks, such as Dongzikou Zhang Laoer Liangfen, Qiu Erge Guokui, Yan Taipo Guokui... The Palace Pastry Shop and Wensuyuan are even more impressive. These two shops have a large flow of people and are always in PK.