Chengdu
might look like a typically gray Chinese metropolis of skyscrapers and
chaotic traffic, but beneath the concrete exterior is one of China’s
most inviting, charming cities. Life moves just a little more slowly
here. The teahouses fill up quickly on weekends with locals practicing
calligraphy and cracking sunflower seeds, and at the Chengdu panda
research center, the city’s most famous residents seem content lazing
about in trees most of the time. Recently, though, this unpretentious
city has seen its economy boom as one of China’s new high-tech hubs,
luring young entrepreneurs to found creative start-ups and innovative
architects to transform the skyline. There’s definitely a buzz about
the place, though it’s hard to notice over the clacking of tiles
during a rousing game of mah-jongg in the park.
1. Poetic Inspiration | 3 p.m.
Slip
into the laid-back Chengdu lifestyle at Wangjiang Pavilion Park, a
quiet green space dedicated to a famous poetess from the Tang dynasty,
Xue Tao. Xue loved bamboo — and it’s everywhere, some with stalks as
wide as small trees towering 50 feet overhead. Wander through the
graceful, century-old pagodas and pavilions — some of the oldest
architecture left in Chengdu — and then settle in at the atmospheric
teahouse next to the river where locals while away the hours sipping
green tea (20 renminbi per glass, or $3.40, at 6 renminbi to the
dollar), chatting and playing cards. For the brave-hearted, a gentle ear
scrub is also on offer from the roving ear cleaners clanging their
metal instruments as they stroll by.
2. Artistic Revival | 6 p.m.
A
historic district restored by the government several years ago, the
Wide and Narrow Alleys offer a glimpse of the city’s long-forgotten
imperial-era architecture combined with the commercial excess of
modern-day China. While most of the overpriced silver and trinket shops
can be bypassed, Fingertip Art (24 Kuan Xiangzi) is worth a stop for its
brightly embroidered bags, shawls and pillows, all made by women from
the Qiang minority, whose villages were devastated in the 7.9-magnitude
earthquake that struck Sichuan Province in 2008. The company has trained
hundreds of women how to improve their traditional embroidery to appeal
to well-heeled tourists and returns a share of the profits to their
slowly rebuilding communities.
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36 Hours in Chengdu
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3. Haute (Not Hot) Cuisine | 8 p.m.
Sichuan
food may be known for its heat, but the cuisine is actually more
complex than that. At Yu Zhi Lan, a tiny restaurant with three private
rooms run by the affable chef Lan Guijun, every course in the
kaiseki-like meal presents a unique balance of flavors, from the
spicy-sour sea cucumber to the delicate sweetness of the bird’s nest
with snow pears, peach tree sap and a bit of sugar candy. Lan’s goal
is to elevate Sichuan cooking by combining a Japanese-style precision
with fresh, locally sourced ingredients: He makes noodles with duck eggs
from a free-range farm, for example, and slices them thread-thin by
hand with a giant cleaver. Even the pottery used to serve each course
was handmade by the chef. The set menu for two, with 10 cold appetizers
and nine mains, starts at 600 renminbi per person.
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Saturday
4. A Monk’s Life | 11 a.m.
With
a history of some 1,400 years, Wenshu Monastery is one of China’s
most significant Buddhist centers — and certainly one of its most
active. On the weekends, locals flock to the sprawling complex of
gray-tiled temples and gingko-filled courtyards to light incense from
caldrons, rub copper dragons for good fortune and march in circles
around a slender iron pagoda, hands clasped in prayer. The monastery has
some of the best-preserved ancient Buddha statues in the country, along
with paintings and calligraphy dating back hundreds of years, but the
highlight may be the monastery garden, a shady spot of koi ponds,
pagodas and sculpted rocks where the silver-haired crowd goes to enjoy a
little peace and quiet.
5. Cheap Eats | 12:30 p.m.
Although
the city’s street food vendors are dwindling, Chengdu’s tastiest
snacks can still be had for pocket change in hole-in-the-wall
restaurants, such as the noodle shop directly across from the monastery,
Zhang Liang Fen. At lunchtime, a line of customers snakes out the door
for the shop’s specialty, tian shui mian (sweet water noodles), a bowl
of thick, hand-pulled noodles topped with mouth-numbing ground Sichuan
peppercorns, chile oil, sesame paste and a spoonful of sugar (6
renminbi). Around the corner, join the queue at Yan Tai Po for another
local must-try: guo kui, a crispy, baked bread pocket stuffed
with pork and a spicy mix of shredded carrots, cucumbers and bean
sprouts (7 renminbi). Menus in Pinyin and English make ordering simple.
6. Tea and a Show | 2 p.m.
With
its earsplitting falsettos and crashing percussion instruments, Chinese
opera is not for everyone. But for a taste of one of Chengdu’s most
famous and enduring art forms — without the commitment of a pricey,
hours-long performance at a theater — drop in to Yuelai Teahouse to
watch for a bit in a more informal setting. Once a week, troupes from
the Chengdu Sichuan Opera Theater perform on the small, lantern-lined
stage at the century-old teahouse, one of the oldest in Chengdu, for a
tea-sipping crowd of retirees (a ticket, with tea, is just 20 renminbi).
There are no English subtitles, but the elaborate costumes and
acrobatic, sleeve-twirling dancing can be entertaining enough without
our necessarily following the plot.
Credit
Marcel Lam for The New York Times
7. Taste of Tibet | 4 p.m.
Known
as Little Lhasa, Chengdu’s colorful Tibetan quarter is as close as
one can get to Tibet without traveling to the remote Sichuan countryside
or crossing the border to Tibet itself. Wander down Wuhouci Heng Jie,
directly opposite Wuhou Temple, and take in the sights: monks wrapped in
maroon robes counting beads behind their backs, vendors selling yak
butter on the street, and shop after shop of Tibetan Buddhist religious
icons, prayer flags and wheels, tapestries, incense, wildly patterned
leather boots, and beads of every hue, size and price. Don’t pay the
asking price in any shop; bargaining is a must.
8. Searing Stew | 7 p.m.
The
quintessential Chengdu dining experience is crowding around a furiously
boiling pot of broth and dunking in every manner of sliced meat, balled
seafood and leafy greens while throwing back copious bottles of Snow
beer. While there are hot pot restaurants on practically every corner,
Lao Ma Tou is one of Chengdu’s most famous, as much for the noisy,
convivial atmosphere as for the throat-burning spiciness of the hot
pots. (The pots can be divided into spicy and nonspicy broths for those
wary of too much heat; prices start at 78 renminbi for broth, other
ingredients vary by plate.) Servers in crisp white shirts prepare the
dipping sauce — sesame oil mixed with garlic, sugar, vinegar, soy
sauce and a little MSG — and supervise the cooking process for hot pot
neophytes.
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9. A Little Night Music | 9 p.m.
When
it comes to live music, few Chinese cities are as rocking as Chengdu.
The pioneer of the local scene is Little Bar, which opened nearly 20
years ago and became a hub for the city’s underground artists and
musicians. (The longtime owner, Tang Lei, is known by regulars as Sister
Tang.) These days, the bar has a second, larger location (New Little
Bar) with Belgian beers on the menu and a rotating schedule of national
touring acts and local indie musicians. The crowd skews young —
bespectacled 20-somethings with ripped jeans and Converse shoes who
raise cellphones overhead during shows instead of lighters.
Credit
Marcel Lam for The New York Times
Sunday
10. Panda Overload | 7:30 a.m.
After
coming all this way to see the pandas, a visit to the Chengdu Research
Base of Giant Panda Breeding requires a little strategizing to maximize
alone time with the cuddly bears (more than 135 in all). Skip the hotel
breakfast to be there for the 7:30 a.m. opening when the park is silent
and the cubs in the Sunshine Nursery are just waking up (admission, 58
renminbi). Feeding time for the adolescent giant pandas happens next at
the adjacent open-air enclosure — this is when the pandas are most
active, stripping stalks of bamboo, lying back and eating their weight
in leaves. After the 8:30 a.m. tour buses roll in, escape the crowds for
a leisurely stroll through the beautifully manicured grounds to see the
red panda enclosure. By midmorning, the pandas are ready for their
siesta and the show’s over. Just another lazy day in mellow Chengdu.
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