Jinli Ancient Street
4A 景区锦里 · Jǐnlǐ
A lantern-lit recreated old street beside the Wuhou Shrine — Sichuan snacks, teahouses and crafts, best after dark.
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Jinli is a pedestrian street of grey-brick Qing-style buildings, red lanterns and narrow lanes packed with Sichuan street food, teahouses, bars and craft stalls, running alongside the Wuhou Shrine in south-west Chengdu. Though rebuilt for visitors, it channels the atmosphere of old Chengdu and is at its most photogenic in the evening when the lanterns come on. It pairs naturally with the adjacent Wuhou Shrine, dedicated to the heroes of the Three Kingdoms.
History
The name Jinli harks back to Chengdu's ancient reputation as a centre of brocade weaving (锦, jǐn). The present street is a modern recreation opened in the 2000s next to the centuries-old Wuhou Shrine, built to revive the feel of a traditional Sichuan market street.
Culture & religion
Jinli is where visitors graze on Chengdu's famous snack culture and soak up Sichuan's leisurely teahouse life. Beside it, the Wuhou Shrine keeps alive the Three Kingdoms legends — Zhuge Liang and Liu Bei — that loom large in Chinese popular culture.
What to see
Sichuan street snacks
Sample dan dan noodles, 三大炮 (sān dà pào) rice cakes, spicy skewers, rabbit head and more from the food lane.
Lanterns after dark
The street glows with red lanterns in the evening — the best time to visit and photograph.
Wuhou Shrine (武侯祠)
The adjoining Three Kingdoms memorial temple and garden — worth combining.
Teahouses & crafts
Sit for a covered-bowl tea; browse shadow puppets, face-changing masks and local crafts.
Visiting
Come in the late afternoon into the evening for the lanterns and food. It's free to enter and gets busy at weekends. Combine with the Wuhou Shrine next door (ticketed). Allow 1.5–3 hours.
- Tickets
- Jinli street is free; the adjacent Wuhou Shrine is ticketed (around ¥50 — confirm officially).
- Opening hours
- The street is generally open late (roughly until ~22:00–23:00); individual shops vary. Wuhou Shrine keeps daytime hours.
- Suggested route
- Wuhou Shrine (daytime) → into Jinli as the lanterns come on → graze the snack lane → tea and crafts. 2–3 hours.
Suggested routes
1. Shrine + Jinli evening
About 2–3 hours~2 kmWuhou Shrine by day, then Jinli for lanterns and snacks after dark.
Points of interest
- 1
Snack food lane · 小吃街
Sichuan street snacks.
- 2
Wuhou Shrine · 武侯祠
Three Kingdoms memorial next door.
Getting there
Metro Line 3 to Gaoshengqiao (高升桥) or a short taxi/DiDi; central and easy to reach. Evenings are liveliest.