Chengdu

[khiemtran]

Chengdu is a city of 12 million people and the capital of Sichuan province. It is famous within China for many things, including its fiery cuisine; its famous poets; and its teahouses. Yet, it is also a city that many people outside of China have never heard of. More on this later. Suffice to say, this is a city full of surprises and superlatives.


As you can see, most of the city looks like most of industrialized China (with the added touch that you can often smell the distinctive fragrance of hua jiao or Sichuan pepper wafting out from the eating houses).



It has vibrant new-style shopping areas, full of local and imported brand stores.



But there are still plenty of historic (and recreated historic) areas to visit. These shops are actually around a monastery (the Wenshu Monastery) where some of Xuanzang's skull bones are kept.







Even in the newer areas, there are always surprises in store.



If you do come to Chengdu, why not take in some of the famous Sichuanese opera? It's actually more like a cabaret with acrobats, shadow puppets and quick-changing masks. You can see it here, in a western-style theatre, or, maybe even better, with the locals in a Chengdu teahouse where you can eat and talk as the performances take place.



If you do come to Chengdu, take care on the streets. Whether walking here...



Or here...



You don't want to end up like this...

Comments

[mnfaure.livejournal.com]

LOL to the last series of photos. :P

And I, sadly, fall into the category of people who have never heard of Chengdu. Thanks for erasing little bits of my ignorance, post by post. :P

[khiemtran.livejournal.com]

Crossing the road in Chengdu does require a bit of nerve. I didn't have a problem with confidence (I've crossed the road in Saigon before - after that nothing else worries you), but I did have two near misses with mopeds.

[88greenthumb.livejournal.com]

Thanks for "putting a face/faces" to Chengdu. I have encountered the name several times, but never got the chance to look it up.

[khiemtran.livejournal.com]

Thanks! I just got back yesterday and I'll be putting the rest of the photos up over the next few days.

[asakiyume.livejournal.com]

There are always surprises in store

Yeah!

Do you know the story behind/about that interestingly costumed statue?

[khiemtran.livejournal.com]

It was in a newish entertainment precinct called Lan Kwai Fong, no doubt named after the famous nightlife district in Hong Kong (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lan_Kwai_Fong). There were lots of Cantonese-speakers in suits around, so I'm guessing it was linked to Hong Kong-based developers. There were all sort of statues and artwork and they seemed to move them around from day to day. In the background, you can see where they were building some of a completely new development (with an apparently Old Style feel). In the few days I was there, the new buildings shot up at an amazing pace and there seemed to be workers there day and night.

(http://www.flickr.com/photos/28298008@N07/8852529652/)

[khiemtran.livejournal.com]

Of course, I should have said: "Statue? What statue?"

[asakiyume.livejournal.com]

And I would have said, "Wow. The mimes in Chengdu really have that still-as-a-statue thing down pat."

[lethargic-man.livejournal.com]

Oh, that's interesting. I'm one of those who didn't know more about Chengdu than the name, but I've heard of Xuanzang (having read Journey to the West). I'm wondering about some of the bones of his skull, though: make it sound like someone smashed his skull up after he died!

[khiemtran.livejournal.com]

Yes, it looks like, if you are famous enough, pieces of you get to go everywhere....

[lethargic-man.livejournal.com]

Like the place, I forget where (but can look it up if necessary), that has two skulls of Christopher Columbus, one from when he was young, and one from when he was an adult!

[khiemtran.livejournal.com]

Those time-travelling relic hunters are a complete scourge on causality.

[lethargic-man.livejournal.com]

:o)