Thieves are prevalent around certain areas of Chengdu. Be careful around the Yanshikou markets and especially around the North train station. There are also many thieves on crowded buses who use razors to cut open pockets and bags. Also watch your bag at all times when riding bicycles around the city, thieves like to run alongside bicycles at traffic lights and reach into bags.
Traffic can be hectic and motorists as well as cyclists have a complete disregard of pedestrians. Beware when crossing streets; even when the WALK sign is green, traffic taking a free right turn might try to run you over.
phone
China's country code is 86. Chengdu's area code is 28. Coin-operated pay phones are located throughout Chengdu, and calling cards can be purchased from many vendors. Local landline phone numbers are eight digits long; cellular phone numbers in Sichuan are eleven digits long and start with 13 or 15.
cope
For such a big city, there's surprisingly little Western influence in Chengdu but certainly more than regional "rival" Chongqing. It's definitely not Beijing or Shanghai but this is changing fast with the arrival of more and more foreign students, teachers, and business people. This may be trying initially, as the level of English spoken is noticeably lower than other places, but it's also a blessing; carry a phrasebook and enjoy the authentic Chinese urban experience. The Western quarter, if there is one, seems to be around Kehua North Road.
internet
Internet access can be found in most guesthouses and through cheap internet cafes all over town. Look out for Web-character ç½ and the Pacman-character å§ in the Chinese name for internet bar: ç½å§.
A large Internet cafe is located on the second floor of the Xinnianmen bus station, just 100 meters from the Jiaotong Fandian hotel. The connection is fast and access is ¥2/hour.