Chennai to Chengdu (Jianyang) (MAA–TFU) — Airlines, Schedules & Connections

Indian passport holders need a visa to enter mainland China. Apply at the Chinese Embassy in New Delhi or consulates in Mumbai, Kolkata, and Chennai, or through the Chinese Visa Application Service Centre (CVASC). A single-entry tourist visa (L visa) costs INR 4,500 and takes 4 working days to process. Express service (2 to 3 days) costs INR 6,000, and rush service (1 day) costs INR 7,500. Double-entry is INR 6,750. A 6-month multiple-entry is INR 9,000. China periodically offers transit visa exemptions (24, 72, or 144 hours) at select airports for passengers with confirmed onward tickets to a third country.

Required documents include a passport valid for at least 6 months with two blank pages, completed Form V.2013 (downloadable from the CVASC website), one recent passport photo (48x33mm, white background), confirmed round-trip flight booking, hotel reservations for each night of the stay (or an invitation letter from a Chinese host with their ID copy), and proof of sufficient funds. Business visas (M visa) need an invitation from a Chinese company. The application must be submitted in person or through an authorized agent.

Direct flights from Delhi to Beijing and Shanghai run 5 to 6 hours. Air India, Air China, and IndiGo serve these routes. Mumbai to Shanghai is about 6 hours 30 minutes. China uses the Chinese yuan (CNY/RMB), trading at roughly 7.3 CNY per $1. China runs on mobile payments (WeChat Pay and Alipay), and cash is increasingly difficult to use. Foreign visitors can now link international cards to Alipay for payments. No mandatory vaccinations. China blocks Google, WhatsApp, and most Western social media, so install a VPN before arrival.

Follow signs to the Metro Line 18 station inside the terminal. The express service reaches Chengdu South Railway Station in 35 minutes (CNY 10), where you can transfer to Lines 1, 7, or 18 local stops for the rest of the city. To reach Tianfu Square, transfer at Century City and take Line 1 north (total about CNY 30, 55-65 minutes).

Airport buses depart from the ground transport center outside arrivals. Line 1 to Chunxi Road takes 60-80 minutes (CNY 15 daytime, CNY 25 after 23:30). Taxis queue at the designated rank and use meters; budget CNY 180-260 to central Chengdu. DiDi pickup is on the east side of arrivals and runs cheaper than taxis at CNY 90-130 to city center destinations.

Chengdu sits in the Sichuan Basin with a humid subtropical climate. Summers (June-September) hit 22-29 degrees C with heavy monsoon rain. Half the annual 1000mm of rainfall lands in these four months, arriving as afternoon thunderstorms. Winters (December-February) average 3-8 degrees C and stay overcast. Frost is rare but the persistent cloud cover and dampness make it feel colder than the numbers suggest.

Chengdu is one of the cloudiest cities in China with roughly 200 overcast days per year and only 1000 hours of annual sunshine. Spring warms unevenly with cold snaps into April. Autumn (late September-November) is the most comfortable stretch with clear-ish skies and mild temperatures. Pack layers and rain gear regardless of season; an umbrella earns its place year-round here.