Day 5: Chengdu

This morning we woke up to the sounds and smells of Cuisine Alley, a street of restaurants right outside our window. We spent some time watching the area come to life before heading out to explore Chengdu.

The view from our hotel room window


We would have had breakfast out here if not for the nice one provided by the hotel


Hotel interior

We set off by foot and walked in a southwesterly direction toward Chengdu’s city center. On the way, we must have passed through the city’s designated “athletics” zone, featuring the city’s Olympic-sized stadium, several health clubs, and store after store filled with sports clothing and gear for the city’s most popular sports (basketball, running, ping pong, etc.). It would be like Chicago declaring that Sports Authority, Dick’s Sporting Goods and the Nike Store could only build next to each other in Wrigleyville.

China's basketball icons: Kobe Bryant, Kanye West and Bruce Willis?


Street card game..."Look, my joker beats your two. I win!"


Walking around Chengdu single-file

Eventually, after making a pit stop at a Hilton to get a better map, we navigated our way south and west to Renmin Park, one of Chengdu’s biggest and most beautiful parks. Along the way, we passed through Tianfu Square, the center of downtown Chengdu and once the site of the Imperial Palace.  Overlooked by an enormous statue of Mao,  it features an elaborate music and water show twice a day (which we missed, unfortunately).

Tianfu Square

Renmin Park, or People’s Park as it is also known, was gorgeous, filled with ponds, lakes, terraces, and flowering trees.  We met an English-speaking tour guide who told us that the park was very popular with senior citizens, who spent the days there dancing, playing dominoes, drinking tea, and socializing.

Path through Renmin Park


Ladies performing choreographed dances to music -- anyone could join in

We walked around for a while before stopping at one of the many teahouses; over cups of delicious jasmine tea, we watched hundreds of people gathered around small tables, playing mahjong, a domino-type game.

Water calligraphy


Time for some tea!


We were the only ones in the teahouse NOT playing this tile game


Figuring out where to eat dinner

The park was a great way to see a slice of life in Chengdu; it seemed as though half the city was gathered in this beautiful oasis in the middle of downtown.

Pretty blossoming tree


A little too chilly for a boat ride around one of the ponds


Large crowds gathered to watch the various performances around the park

We wanted to buy tickets for a performance of Sichuan opera, so armed with only a brochure, an address, and the Hilton’s slightly-better than mediocre map, we once again returned to the busy streets of Chengdu. A few laps around the downtown shopping area and a couple conversations with policemen (none of whom offered much help), we finally found the theater.

Downtown Chengdu


The sidewalks are one big scooter/bicycle parking lot


We have a match!

The Sichuan province is famous for its hotpot, where diners cook an array of meats, vegetables, dumplings, and noodles in boiling oil flavored with Sichuan peppers and other chilies.  In addition to the hotness of the various chilies, the Sichuan peppers cause a tingly, numbing sensation on your tongue, and the whole effect only intensifies as they continue to steep in the oil.  Not thrilled with the prospect of a mouth-numbing meal, we nonetheless figured we couldn’t come to Chengdu without trying its famous dish, so we headed for Longsenyuan Hot Pot.  Thanks to the helpful staff, we ordered a half-spicy (oil with the peppers), half non-spicy (broth flavored with ginger, garlic, coriander, and green onions) hotpot, along with beef tenderloin, bamboo shoots, pea sprouts, mushrooms, and pork dumplings to cook in it.

A fun and tasty dining experience

Verdict: excellent! Spicy, yes, but not to the point of profuse sweating.  Our server stood near our table during the entire meal; at first we thought it was just because we were clearly novices, but then we realized every table had a similar “chaperone” – we figured it was in case of an oil emergency (?).  We absolutely loved this meal.

Back near the hotel, we stopped for ice cream and wandered a little more around the “folk cultural zone”.  For having had no real plans when we set out this morning, we ended up having a pretty lovely day in Chengdu.

5 Comments on “Day 5: Chengdu”

  1. Oh my…what a beautiful hotel and area…and such interesting scenes you have captured! Seems like you two are having a great time and really enjoying the area and food offerings – without all the touristy type stuff! So…have you learned many Chinese phrases yet?!!!! Hope you have continued decent weather and wonderful adventures!! Am anxious to hear if you got to see an opera! xo, mom

  2. Wow! It’s so much fun reading your comments and seeing the pictures. It doesn’t seem like you’re so far away! We were disappointed that we didn’t see Matt dancing in the park! The food looks incredible (again). Make sure to take pictures of any ancient soldiers and weapons (for Drew). Looks like the weather is good for you and hope it stays that way. Looking forward to tomorrow’s adventures!!

    Love ya!!

    • It might be easier if you asked us to find a rare antique from the Ming Dynasty in one of the street markets… 🙂

  3. Wow – these pictures are absolutely amazing! My favorites are still of the food (they always look so delicious and makes me want Chinese food everytime) and the beautiful parks! But I’m pretty sure I saw like 3-4 cars in one lane in that picture of downtown Chengdu…yikes! And I thought some of the drivers around here were bad! lol Hope you guys are having a wonderful time! 🙂

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