Expedition โ€บ Realm I
Realm I ยท Jul 25 โ€“ 31 ยท 7 days

Realm of Beasts & Beginnings

ๆˆ้ƒฝ ยท Chengdu

Where the quest is summoned by the Monkey King's music โ€” pandas and bamboo, 3,000-year-old bronze giants, a cliff-carved Buddha, and the wild monkeys of a sacred mountain. Pick a path for each day; โ˜… marks the unmissable.

Jump to
Sat25JulDay 01
โš” Trial ยท The Summoning

Day 1 โ€” Concert day, then your call

The recommended opener โ€” ride the high of the show straight into the city.

  • 1:00 Private car to Dong'an Lake Grand Theatre โ€” ~45โ€“60 min east; check your tier's gift bundle (pins, ring, 1/12 Wukong figure).
  • 2:30 Black Myth: Wukong in concert โ€” full orchestra + Chinese instruments + the game's singers; ~2โ€“2ยฝ hrs.
  • Eve Taikoo Li loot + welcome hotpot โ€” scout Gunpla & anime, then a mild-and-spicy split pot.
โ˜… Boss eventLoot unlocked
๐Ÿ BaseThe Temple House
๐Ÿ…Win"Heard the Monkey King"
Sun26JulDay 02
โš” Trial ยท Befriend the Bear-Guai

Day 2 โ€” Pandas, your way

Bears at dawn, culture at night.

  • 7:30 Chengdu Panda Base at opening โ€” pandas feed & tumble 8โ€“10am, then nap through the heat. Book the morning slot.
  • PM Pool & downtime
  • 8:00 Sichuan opera face-changing โ€” masks switch in a blink; fire-spitting; hand-shadow puppets.
PandaCulture
๐Ÿ BaseThe Temple House
๐Ÿ…Win"Panda Scout"
Mon27JulDay 03
โš” Trial ยท The Bronze Sentinels

Day 3 โ€” Ancient mysteries (pick one)

The headliner โ€” relics that look straight out of a video game.

  • 9:00 Drive to Sanxingdui Museum (~1.5 hrs, or 18-min HSR to Guanghan)
  • 10:30 The new museum hall โ€” giant bronze masks with bulging eyes, a 2.6m bronze king, gold staffs โ€” a civilization nobody fully understands.
  • Eve Back to Chengdu; arcade + ramen
Ancient mysteryDay trip
๐Ÿ BaseThe Temple House
๐Ÿ…Win"Woke the Bronze Giant"
Tue28JulDay 04
โš” Trial ยท The Keeper's Oath

Day 4 โ€” Your big panda day (pick one)

The money-no-object highlight โ€” hands-on with pandas (it's a long, worth-it drive).

  • 6:30 Drive into the mountains to Wolong (~2.5โ€“3 hrs)
  • 10:00 Keeper-for-a-day โ€” uniform on, chop bamboo, make "panda cake," feed a panda through the barrier, earn a certificate.
  • Eve Back to Chengdu (or overnight a mountain lodge)
Hands-onโ˜… Splurge
๐Ÿ BaseThe Temple House
๐Ÿ…Win"Sworn Panda Keeper"
Wed29JulDay 05
โš” Trial ยท The Giant in the Cliff

Day 5 โ€” The Leshan Giant Buddha

See the colossus, then sleep on the sacred mountain.

  • 8:00 HSR toward Leshan (~1 hr) + guide
  • 10:00 Leshan Giant Buddha โ€” a 71m Buddha carved in a river cliff; climb the staircase past its toes (or view by boat).
  • PM Transfer to Mt. Emei + hot-spring soak
ColossusOvernight away
โ›ฐ๏ธBaseMt. Emei resort (opt. A)
๐Ÿ…Win"Stood on a Toenail"
Thu30JulDay 06
โš” Trial ยท Monkeys of the Sacred Peak

Day 6 โ€” Mt. Emei & the wild monkeys

Wukong's own kin, above a sea of clouds.

  • 8:30 Cable car to the Golden Summit (3,079m) โ€” a gleaming golden Buddha above the clouds.
  • 11:30 The wild macaque zone โ€” cheeky mountain monkeys (hold onto snacks!). Back to Chengdu by evening.
๐Ÿต Real monkeysCable car
๐Ÿ BaseThe Temple House
๐Ÿ…Win"Kin of the Monkey King"
Fri31JulDay 07
โš” Trial ยท The Tea-House Cipher

Day 7 โ€” Last Chengdu day (pick one)

Cook what you've been eating all week.

  • Kuanzhai Alley + hands-on hotpot masterclass + final loot โ€” build your own broth, rate the spice, pack for Chongqing.
FoodieLast loot
๐Ÿ BaseThe Temple House
๐Ÿ…Win"Spice Master"
๐Ÿงญ

Heads-up: the Dujiangyan panda base is closed for renovation through 2026, so the hands-on keeper day is routed to Wolong (Day 4, option A). The Dujiangyan irrigation works and Mt. Qingcheng (option B) are open as normal.

Where to Eat ยท Chengdu

Feast in hotpot HQ.

โ˜… must-try are the ones not to miss; the rest are your alternatives. The boys can always go mild โ€” ask for shวŽo lร  (less spicy) and a yuฤnyฤng split pot.

Shu Jiu Xiang ่œ€ไน้ฆ™

$$โ€“$$$
Iconic Sichuan hotpot โ˜… must-try
Order โ–ธ
  • Mรกodว” (tripe) โ€” the 7-second swish
  • Yฤchang (duck intestine) โ€” crisp & springy
  • Fresh beef + shrimp paste; yuฤnyฤng pot for the boys
Loud, fun, the real thing. Kid move: clear half + sesame-garlic dip.
๐Ÿ“ Jiuyanqiao riverside๐Ÿ•’ ~11:30amโ€“late๐Ÿ’ด ~ยฅ150โ€“250pp ยท Book: walk-in / concierge

Chen Mapo Tofu ้™ˆ้บปๅฉ†่ฑ†่…

$$
The original mapo tofu, 1862 โ˜… must-try
Order โ–ธ
  • Mรกpรณ dรฒufu โ€” the reference version, over rice
  • Fลซqฤซ fรจipiร n โ€” cold beef in chili oil
  • Steamed rice + clear soup to balance (ask ๅฐ‘่พฃ)
Historic, casual, fast โ€” plenty of non-spicy braises for the boys.
๐Ÿ“ Qingyang (+ branches)๐Ÿ•’ ~11amโ€“9pm๐Ÿ’ด ~ยฅ80โ€“120pp ยท Book: walk-in

Huangcheng Laoma ็š‡ๅŸŽ่€ๅฆˆ

$$$
Upscale hotpot + face-changing show
Order โ–ธ
  • Signature marinated beef; goose intestine
  • Shrimp & meatballs (kid-mild); herbal split pot
  • Some nights add a ๅ˜่„ธ opera show
"Money-no-object but civilized" โ€” private rooms, dinner-and-show in one.
๐Ÿ“ central (Jinli/Wuhou)๐Ÿ•’ ~11amโ€“10pm๐Ÿ’ด ~ยฅ200+pp ยท Book: reserve ahead

Long Chao Shou ้พ™ๆŠ„ๆ‰‹

$โ€“$$
Classic snack sampler kid-friendly
Order โ–ธ
  • Wontons + Zhong dumplings
  • Sweet-water noodles โ€” kids love these
  • Lai tangyuan (sesame balls) for dessert
A combo set lets everyone graze โ€” lots of non-spicy picks.
๐Ÿ“ No. 68 South Chunxi Rd๐Ÿ•’ ~10amโ€“10pm๐Ÿ’ด sets from ~ยฅ48 ยท Book: walk-in

Ma's Kitchen ้ฉฌๆ—บๅญ

$$$
โ˜… Michelin Sichuan ยท by Taikoo Li
Order โ–ธ
  • Water-boiled fish; Leshan sweet-skin roast duck
  • Kung pao shrimp (order a few ๅฐ‘่พฃ)
Refined but approachable, walkable from the hotel. Ultimate splurge: Yu Zhi Lan โ˜…โ˜… (book weeks ahead).
๐Ÿ“ by Sino-Ocean Taikoo Li๐Ÿ•’ lunch & dinner๐Ÿ’ด ~ยฅ150โ€“250pp ยท Book: concierge/queue

Mi Xun Teahouse ่ฐงๅฏป่Œถๅฎค

$$$
โ˜… Michelin vegetarian low-spice
Order โ–ธ
  • Seasonal vegetarian tasting; dim-sum plates & teas
  • Gentle, not spicy โ€” English menu & staff
Inside The Temple House โ€” the easy high-end meal when the kids need a chili break.
๐Ÿ“ The Temple House๐Ÿ•’ lunch & dinner๐Ÿ’ด $$$ ยท Book: concierge
Loot ยท Chengdu

The warm-up haul.

๐Ÿ“ Mecha & anime

Wuhou ยท Jinjiang
  • The Gundam Base (Bandai official) โ€” Joy City (ๅคงๆ‚ฆๅŸŽ), 2F, Wuhou: China-exclusive Gunpla + build stations.
  • animate Chengdu โ€” manga, figures, character goods.
  • Sino-Ocean Taikoo Li & Chunxi Road โ€” flagships & ACG pop-ups, right by The Temple House.
  • Concert gift bundle โ€” pins, ring, tee, 1/12 Wukong figure (top tiers only).