What will you find along Jinli Ancient Street?
Jinli Ancient Street is a 550-meter pedestrian lane adjacent to the Wuhou Shrine, recreating the bustling commercial atmosphere of a Shu Kingdom marketplace from the Three Kingdoms period (220-280 CE). While the current buildings were constructed in 2004, they faithfully reproduce Qing-dynasty architectural styles with dark timber frames, curved tile roofs, and latticed windows that transport visitors to an older Chengdu. The street's real magic lies in what fills those structures: shadow puppet theaters, sugar-blowing artisans who shape molten candy into intricate animals, face-changing opera performers who swap painted masks at superhuman speed, and dozens of food stalls serving Sichuan specialties you won't find anywhere else. Jinli is at its most enchanting after sunset, when hundreds of red lanterns cast a warm glow over the crowd and the scent of grilled skewers mingles with sweet osmanthus. The street connects naturally to a visit to the Panda Research Base in the morning and makes an ideal evening complement before or after a day trip to the Leshan Giant Buddha. For the full picture, see our Chengdu guide.