A Slow Travelogue of Chengdu

Chengdu is located in the central part of Sichuan Province, western Sichuan Basin. Of course, what attracts people most to Chengdu is its cuisine and the allure of various scenic spots. I had always wanted to visit Chengdu, stroll through its alleys, eat hot pot, and sip some tea. Recently, having nothing much to do at home and with flight tickets getting cheaper, I decided to take the opportunity to travel to Chengdu with a friend and fulfill my dream~

Opting for an economical trip, I cleverly booked a late-night flight arriving at Chengdu Shuangliu Airport around 11 PM. So I chose to stay at the Greentree Inn Chengdu Shuangliu District Airport Road Zhujiang Road Express Hotel, which is close to Shuangliu Airport. I booked a great-value room in advance on the Greentree official website, and it took less than 15 minutes by taxi to get there. If arriving early, you can take Metro Line 10.

I booked the room in advance on the official website and enjoyed the special rate of 99.8 RMB. Upon entering the room, the surprise far exceeded my expectations; it is very suitable as a transit hotel near the airport. The room was clean and had some decorative details. Since the hotel is near a university town, my friend and I decided to first visit Sichuan University the next day to fulfill another dream.

P1 Sichuan University

Sichuan University's Big Red Gate is an absolute online-famous spot. It is said that the original school gate was a mix of cream white and natural wood colors. Later, it was destroyed for historical reasons. In 2011, due to the 5.12 earthquake, when Sichuan University was repairing damaged buildings, it decided to also restore the school gate. The designers at that time referred to people's memories of the old gate for the design and restoration. Since the new gate is mainly bright red, it gained the new nickname "Big Red Gate."

Sichuan University's clock tower has a strong sense of design. It is said there is a clock tower consistent with the architectural style of the Big Red Gate, but I didn't find it that day.

P2 Wuhou Shrine — Jinli

After visiting Sichuan University, we decided to check into the new hotel first before continuing our sightseeing. Since the attractions and shopping areas we wanted to visit were all concentrated in one area, we chose to stay in a hotel located in the middle of these spots. I chose to stay at the Ruisite Yizhi Chengdu Jinsha Hotel. Through the official website and partner channels, I booked a hotel for the "Summer Fun" promotion, paying 119 RMB. The room configuration and hotel decoration were very satisfying. The hotel is located at No. 84, West Second Ring Road, Qingyang District, Chengdu, Sichuan Province. It is only an 8-minute walk from Exit C of Shuhan Road East Station on Metro Line 2.

After leaving our luggage at the front desk in advance, I headed to Wuhou Shrine. Wuhou Shrine is located in Wuhou District, Chengdu, Sichuan Province. It is a national key cultural relic protection unit, a 4A-level tourist attraction, and also the most influential Three Kingdoms historic site museum in China. Particularly, it is the only temple in China where a ruler and his ministers are jointly worshipped.

Since Jinli is part of Chengdu Wuhou Shrine and adjacent to it, it is said to have been a commercial street formed during the Three Kingdoms period. Perhaps you are intersecting with ancient people in the same space but different times. So our second stop was Jinli. We deliberately chose to go at night for a better experience. Chengdu is still very hot at night, but that didn't hinder our desire to eat and drink. Jinli is perfect for eating while strolling.

Hot pot, skewers, boboji (cold skewers), buckwheat noodles, san da pao (three hits), beef crispy cake, yellow fermented rice, sugar-coated fruit, sweet water noodles, cold noodles. At night, there are even more places to eat. Overall, the snacks on Jinli Street are authentic. When you come to Jinli, don't forget to taste... various food experiences await you in Jinli. The red lanterns paired with the antique drum-tower architecture make you feel like you are experiencing a grand gathering in an ancient market. (PS: The snacks are a bit pricey)

P1 Panda Base + Kuanzhai Alley

The next morning, we headed straight to the Panda Base. A special reminder: the Panda Base is usually very crowded. You need to queue to see pandas at every spot. In summer, it's best to bring sun protection and heatstroke prevention gear. Try to go when it's not too hot; if it's too hot, pandas will sleep and rest indoors.

After leaving the base, we went directly to Kuanzhai Alley. Kuanzhai Alley is somewhat similar to Jinli. Some things that my stomach couldn't hold last night at Jinli could also be found here today. San da pao, chang fen (vermicelli), hot pot skewers—continuing yesterday's snack journey, eating and eating. There's a panda souvenir shop selling panda merchandise, and I successfully bought a cute little panda waist bag.

P2 Chunxi Road — Jiuyan Bridge — Bar/Clubbing (to be decided)

When traveling in Chengdu, you must bring several stomachs! Chunxi Road also has a lot of good food, but my friend and I really couldn't eat anymore. We first strolled around Chunxi Road to digest, and then there was one place not to miss: Long Chao Shou (dumplings)! It absolutely opens a new world.

Afterwards, we followed the crowd to Jiuyan Bridge to see the nightscape. But the nightclub wasn't open this time, so we could only obediently return to the hotel with my friend to rest.

Mount Qingcheng — Dujiangyan

According to information, Mount Qingcheng is one of the four famous Taoist mountains in China and one of the birthplaces of Chinese Taoism. It is the 5th Grotto among the top ten Taoist grottoes in China and a national AAAAA-level tourist attraction.

It is located southwest of Dujiangyan City, 68 km east of downtown Chengdu. It is known as "Qingcheng's tranquility is unmatched under heaven" and is divided into the front mountain and the back mountain.

Since I knew in advance that climbing Mount Qingcheng would take a long time, I arranged a driver locally in advance. We set off early the next morning for Mount Qingcheng. Two lazy fish who don't like exercise chose the relatively easier front mountain, but we still ended up kneeling halfway up the mountain.

At noon, we came down from Mount Qingcheng and negotiated a price with a driver outside the scenic area to go to Dujiangyan. The two attractions are close to each other, suitable for a one-day route. Our main goal was to see the Dujiangyan we studied in textbooks. But my friend and I didn't have in-depth knowledge of water conservancy facilities, so we just took photos on the bridge as a souvenir. Note that the park requires real-name online reservation for electronic tickets; free-ticket elderly visitors can enter by scanning their ID card after successful reservation; other discounted ticket visitors need to activate their ID card at the comprehensive service window after reservation and then scan their ID card to enter.

On the last day, we chose to stay at the Geya Chengdu Global Center Jincheng Lake Metro Station Hotel. The hotel is located at Floor 6, Building 3, Qingfeng Times Commercial, No. 716, Section 2, Jiannan Avenue, High-tech Zone, Chengdu, Sichuan Province. I booked a room for the "Summer Fun" promotion on the official website for 295 RMB. The exterior of the hotel is definitely a style I like and am satisfied with.

The design of the lobby exceeded expectations, fully built to a five-star standard. The rooms were spacious and bright with a simple style, and every design point appealed to my aesthetic. It is absolutely suitable for a trip and to experience a touch of luxury during the journey.