Chengdu Hotpot: Four Styles, Real Prices, and Where Locals Actually Eat (2026)

Chengdu hotpot splits into four formats and three spice levels. The classic is tallow-based niu you huo guo, a rolling red broth of beef tallow, dried chilis, and Sichuan peppercorns; budget ¥120 to ¥180 per person at sit-down chains like Shu Da Xia or Xiao Long Kan. Chuanchuan xiang is the skewered cousin: you grab raw stuff yourself, drop the sticks in the pot, and pay by stick weight, usually ¥40 to ¥80 per person at a stall like Ma Lu Bian Bian. Yuan yang guo is the split-pot version, half spicy and half clear bone broth qing tang, ordered when half the table cannot handle heat. The fourth format is the milder option, congee-base zhou di huo guo or a tomato fan qie pot at chains like Man Jiao or Pa Wang. For spice control, ask for wei la light or zhong la medium; the standard tallow broth is enough to numb most foreign palates even at the lowest setting. Cook tripe mao du for 7 seconds, duck intestine ya chang for 3 to 5, beef slices for 8 to 10. Dip in a sesame oil and minced garlic dish to soften the burn. Pay with Alipay or WeChat at any sit-down restaurant; cash works at older alley chuanchuan stalls.