Hot spicy food, beautiful women and a carefree lifestyle combine to make the capital city of Sichuan an exciting destination.
Text & Photos: Pete Wong
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| Jinli old town. |
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| Traditional ear cleaning service at Jinli old town. |
Within the city itself, there is the famous Jinli Street near Wuhou Temple. Start with a visit to the temple, which is a memorial to Zhuge Liang, a hero immortalised in the classic "Romance of the Three Kingdoms." The temple closes around 5pm and that’s the best time to stroll across to the old streets of Jinli. In the evening, the place comes alive with many people visiting the tea houses, cafes, restaurants and shops along the cobbled walkways. As Jinli is a tourist spot, prices tend to be more expensive than elsewhere. A less crowded alternative would be the Wenshu Fang old quarter beside the Wenshu Temple.
If you have more time, an hour's journey outside the city will take you to Luodai, also known as Hakka Ancient Town, so-called because about 90 per cent of the residents here are of Hakka origin. Luodai’s history dates back to the Han Dynasty and the houses, courtyards and streets are styled after Qing Dynasty architecture. Even further, about 90km west, you can find Pingle (locals call it ping-lo), an old village trapped in time.
For peace and solitude, head towards the ancient Taoist Qingyang Temple (Qingyang gong) where you can chill out over Sichuan tea with monks chanting in the background.
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| The giant pandas, indigenous to Sichuan, are regarded as China's national treasure. |
Sichuan is home to the giant pandas and no trip to this part of China is complete without a snapshot of these cuddly animals. The best place for panda sightings is the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, located about 10 km from downtown. A good tour guide should be able to lead you through the meandering paths and directly to the panda enclosures. For bragging rights to having cuddled a giant panda and a photo to show for it, the damage is a whopping ¥1,000 (US$170). Otherwise the entrance fee is just ¥58 (US$10) and the taxi from downtown about ¥30 (US$5).
3. EAT OUT LIKE A LOCAL
While you may not have time to set up a mahjong session with the locals, you could join them for another popular pastime – the traditional "numb and spicy" hot pot (ma la huo guo) dinner, a potent mix thanks to the addition of a local spice called "flower pepper" (hua jiao). Other local favourites include gongbao chicken (gongbao jiding), mapo doufu and dan dan noodles. Famous restaurants for Sichuan hot pot include Huang Cheng Lao Ma (www.hclm.net), Shizilou (2 Wannian Road) and Tanyutou (227 Qingyang Zhengjie, Qingyang District). Grandma Chen’s mapo doufu (Chen Ma Po Doufu, 19 Qinghua Lu) is also legendary.
Your initiation into Chengdu lifestyle is not quite complete without a visit to one of the local teahouses (cha lou) for the famous Sichuan green tea (chuan cha). There is one at every corner but the more popular ones are at People’s Park (ren min gong yuan), River View Bamboo Park (wang jiang lou gong yuan) near Sichuan University, Yuelai (2 Yinhe Beijie, beside Jinjiang Theatre) and Shunxing (3rd floor, Chengdu International Exhibition Center, 258 Shawan Road). Both Yuelai and Shunxing have Sichuan opera performances.
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| Enjoying spring weather at a flower village. |
There is a sense of joyful exuberance and air of festivity when spring comes around, especially among the younger folks. Many would head outdoors to enjoy the cool weather and sunshine. Some would be playing mahjong, a local obsession, under the peach blossoms while families and friends would gather for lunch or picnics.
A popular getaway, and only about 15km south-east of the city, is Sansheng Flower Village (san sheng xiang). Locals go there not just for the wide array of flowers but also for a breathe of fresh air. Some even put up the weekend at some of the local guest houses. You won’t find this information on the tourist map so just hop onto a taxi to head out there. The 30-minute taxi ride should not cost more than ¥40 (US$7).
Other flower villages east of the city are Longquan and the Hakka Xinghua Village (ke jia xinghua cun) in Qingbaijiang district, where they hold the annual Apricot Flower Festival which lasts for around two weeks starting from end-March.
5. SOAK UP THE NIGHTLIFE
Chunxi Road is the main shopping strip popular among the young as the place to meet and dine, especially after hours and on weekends. It is no secret that Chunxi is also the best place for people-watching. Directly across the road from Shangri-La Hotel, Chengdu, is Bar Street (jiu ba jie) where all the watering holes are lined up. Walk even further towards Disco Bar Street (di ba jie) and you will discover more of the same.
Along Tian Xian Qiao Road, just around the corner from Shangri-La Hotel, you can find the brand new and more upscale Lan Kwai Fong (lan gui fang) entertainment complex which houses several upscale bars, cafes and restaurants. At night, the river alongside the complex is beautifully lit up with colourful lights.
WHEN TO GO
If you're an outdoors person, spring season between March and April is the best time to visit when the flowers are in full bloom. July to August are the warmest months while December to January are the coldest. At the peak of winter, it might snow but only for a few days at most. If you hate crowds, avoid the Chinese “golden week” holidays during Lunar New Year and China’s National Day (October 1 to 7).
WHERE TO STAY
Shangri-La Hotel, Chengdu (www.shangri-la.com) is possibly the best five-star hotel in town. Service is above average, location is ideal and best of all, their CHI spa brings wellness to a whole new level with Tibetan-inspired treatments. Here’s a tip: if you like a good choice of western, Japanese and local dishes, head to Cafe Z, one of their restaurants. On weekends, even locals make a beeline for their buffet spread.
At the other end of the scale, Mix Hostel (www.mixhostel.com) near Wenshu Temple, leads the pack with friendly service and cosy ambience that’s hard to find anywhere else. The owner, Mix She, speaks perfect English and is an avid traveller and photographer himself so he knows what travellers want. With dorm beds starting from ¥30 (US$5) and rooms from ¥70 (US$12), you would be tempted to stay longer than planned. They have since opened another hostel called Lazybones near Xin Nan Men bus terminal but their first one is still the best.
GETTING THERE & AROUND
SilkAir flies direct from Singapore to Chengdu. Other airlines include Air China, China Southern and Cathay Pacific Airways. AirAsia offers a cheap alternative with a transit in Kuala Lumpur. From the Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport, it's a 30-minute taxi ride to the city. If you care to bargain, the fare should be around ¥50 (US$8).
Within the city, taxis are relatively cheap but you have to literally fight for one as queuing is rare. It’s more fun to see the sights on public buses. At a flat rate of ¥2 (US30 cents), you simply double back if you take the wrong bus. Chengdu is not a very big city and a good map with a compass should be enough to get you exploring every nook and cranny. The Chengdu Metro (underground train) service just started last October but for now, it’s just a single line cutting across the city from north to south.
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| Bar Steet (jiuba jie) is a popular watering hole for late-night revellers. |
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| Jinli old town comes alive at night with trendy bars and restaurants. |
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| View of Jinjiang river which surrounds the city. |
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| Hot and spicy Sichuan hotpot. |
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| Chengdu is famous for beautiful young ladies. |
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| Antique memorabilia in Luodai old town. |
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| Posing in rental costume at Luodai old town. |
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| Plenty of restaurants in Chengdu. |
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| Posing in rental costume at Luodai old town. |
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| Posing in rental costume at Luodai old town. |
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| Luodai old town. |
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| Giant pandas. |
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| Hotpot restaurants are crowded at dinner time. |
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| Anshunlang (aka Marco Polo) bridge with Shangri-La Chengdu in the background. |
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| Anshunlang (aka Marco Polo) bridge with Shangri-La Chengdu in the background. |
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| Peach blossoms in spring. |
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| Enjoying a game of mahjong under the peach blossoms. |
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| Wenshuyuan old town. |
*The actual words are 到了北京嫌官小，到了广州嫌钱少，到了成都嫌结婚太早 (dao le Beijing xian guan xiao, dao le Guangzhou xian qian shao, dao le Chengdu xian jie hun tai zao) which literally means: "When you reach Beijing, your status will be small; when you reach Guangzhou, your money will be short; and when you reach Chengdu, your early marriage will be regrettable."
All rights reserved © Pete Wong
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