Banks and exchange The main Bank of China is a tall, new tower with burnished bronze doors and special counters for corporate account holders on Renmin Zhong Lu (foreign exchange and credit card transactions Mon-Fri 9-11.30am & 2-5.30pm); accommodation, and the more convenient BOC branch on Renmin Dong Lu, also change travellers' cheques.

Bike rental Bikes can be rented from the courtyard of the Jiaotong Hotel (A?10 per day plus A?400 deposit).

Bookshops The Sichuan Foreign Language bookstore, on Dongfeng Lu, and the Southwest Book Centre, at the corner of Shandong Jie and Chunxi Lu, both have a small range of Victorian potboilers, along with translations of Chinese classics and a few pulp paperbacks.

Consulates US: 4 Lingshiguan Lu, Section 4, Renmin Nan Lu, about 1km south of the Provincial Museum on the same side of the road (tel 5583992, fax 5583520).

English Corner Wednesday and Friday evenings at 7.30pm on the corner of Renmin Nan Lu and Binjiang Lu, by the Jinjiang bridge. Worth dropping in on for the mix of young local students, who may offer to act as guides in return for English conversation.

Hospitals People's No.1 Hospital and Chengdu Municipal Chinese Medicine Research Institute, Chunxi Lu (tel 6667223); Sichuan Hospital, Yihuan Xi Lu (tel 5551312 or 5551255).

Internet Try cafA©s (around A?12 an hour) or Floor 2 at the Telecom Business Centre, one block south from the PSB on Yusha Lu (10am-11.30pm; A?20 an hour).

Left luggage The train and bus stations all have left-luggage facilities if you can produce an onward ticket. Some hotels can also look after excess gear while you're off in the wilds.

Massage Some hotels have masseurs for around A?80 an hour; cheaper operators set up outside the Minshan Hotel in the evenings, or cruise the tourist restaurants along the Jin River.

PSB Foreigners after visas or reporting problems are directed to the compound opposite the police headquarters on Wenwu Lu.

Post and telecommunications There are two main post offices: an unmistakeable colonial-style grey brick building on the corner of Xinglong Jie, and a newer place on the northwestern outskirts at the corner of Yihuan Lu and Shawan Lu (both daily 8am-6pm). Poste restante will probably end up at the latter, in a cardboard box kept at the EMS counter. Note that the Jinjiang Hotel also has a very helpful postal counter. The telecommunications office is on Renmin Dong Lu, just east of Mao's statue, open daily 8am-6pm for IDD calls.

Shopping Fruit and vegetable stalls abound throughout the city centre and back streets. Three interesting markets are a Sunday pet market (mostly kittens and puppies) across from Baihuatan Park on Yihuan Lu; the small bird market about a kilometre north over Shier Qiao Lu on Wednesday and Sunday; and the Sunday antiques market opposite Du Fu Caoting. The Friendship Plaza, cnr Dong Dajie and Chunxi Lu, is one of Chengdu's biggest, best-equipped shopping centres, selling everything from toothpaste to home gym kits. More interesting, however, is the bustle down at the old, four-storey Chengdu Department Store (cnr Renmin Nan Lu and Dongyu Jie), which sells food, cameras, chess sets, teapots and everyday items - you can hardly get in here over the bicycles parked outside. For antiques and souvenirs try the Chuantic Antique Store, cnr Dongchenggen Lu and Renmin Xi Lu (9am-5pm). Prices are fairly high, but items here are genuine, certified with a wax seal if more than a century old: chops from A?100 (name carving A?20 extra), snuff bottles, jewellery, antique birdcages, wooden screens and porcelain. Stamp and coin collectors also set up daily outside the post office along Xinglong Jie. You'll also find several competing army-surplus stores at the Xinnanmen bus station. For camera supplies and reasonable-quality, one-hour print processing, try the stores on Chunxi Lu.

Travel agents CITS, near the Minshan Hotel on Renmin Nan Lu (tel 6650888, fax 6650999), are able to book train and plane tickets, and organise very expensive guided tours to Jiuzhai Gou, Emei Shan, Hailuo Gou and elsewhere. Independent travel agents at hotels and cafA©s are much cheaper and more flexible for all bookings, and also arrange PICC travel insurance for Western Sichuan, and local interest tours to the see the Panda Breeding Base, the Sichuan Opera, and Traditional Chinese Medicine College. There's a huge number inside and around the Jiaotong Hotel; otherwise, the best are Sam Yue at Sam's Backpacker Guesthouse (tel 7772593, fax 4476823); Mr. Chen, who you'll find at Paul's Oasis or in the first army shop at Xinnanmen bus station (tel 5578706); the highly recommended George Zhong of George of the Jungle (tel 5551017, tel & fax 5531285), out front at the Jiaotong Hotel; and Tray Lee (fax 5564952), often at the Highfly CafA©.