Chengdu becoming top China attraction

China is home to many top travel destinations such as Shanghai and Beijing - and you can now add Chengdu to that list.

The city, which is the capital of Sichuan Province, is quickly growing in popularity with tourists from both home and abroad thanks to the awe-inspiring creatures which call it home.

Latest figures from the China Tourism Academy show Chengdu attracted around 122 million visitors during 2012, a large proportion of which came to see one of China's most well-known residents - the world-famous giant panda.

Sichuan is home to around 80% of all pandas left in the world, with a breeding centre just to the north of the capital attracting thousands of visitors a week.

People with a keen sense of adventure might even want to pay a visit to the Sichuan Wolong Giant Panda Nature Reserve. Located roughly 160km from downtown Chengdu, it is reachable in a day.

But pandas are not the sole attraction of Chengdu, which is also famed for its modern architecture and being one of the best places to sample the famously spicy Sichuan cuisine.