Immersed in Tianfu, Unwilling to Return

Chengdu is a city where delicious food abounds. The people of Chengdu love food, and Chengdu is truly a food capital! The best feelings in life are surely hidden in travel. Some journeys are sweet, some sour, some full of life's flavors, but my journey has only one taste: the aroma of food. So I came to Chengdu, this city overflowing with culinary delights!

As everyone knows, Chengdu is a food capital. When it comes to iconic dishes, chuanchuan (skewered hotpot) definitely deserves a place. Big bunches of bamboo skewers, steaming red broth, numbing and spicy—they make your mouth water uncontrollably.

The variety of skewers in the shop is quite rich, with dozens of types to choose from. There are many vegetarian and meat options—it almost made my eyes dizzy trying to decide.

The ingredients are pre-skewered and placed in refrigerated cases for customers to pick freely. You just choose what you like. Another feature here is that after the chef boils them, they are served directly in a big basin, saving you the trouble of cooking them yourself. For lazy people like me, it couldn't be more convenient.

After a short wait, a steaming pot of skewers arrives at the table. The broth looks oily and spicy, but the heat is moderate. Upon eating, it's numbing, spicy, and fragrant. The shop offers dry dipping powder and oil-based dips for customers to enjoy. The dry dip is their specialty—very tasty, highly recommended.

Besides skewers, there are many hot dishes worth trying, such as numbing-spicy brain, which is smooth and delicate; numbing-spicy duck blood, tender and silky; numbing-spicy duck intestines, crispy and refreshing; and also numbing-spicy luncheon meat, instant noodles, and more, all quite memorable.

In Chengdu, a city known for its leisurely attitude, there are many bars of all sizes. But one like this, surrounded by greenery, lit by neon lights, and rich in various drinks and snacks, is unique—only Bieyuli (別院裡) in Chengdu.

The bar's exclusive Cat Girl adds a touch of mystery to the night, making people look forward to the evening with anticipation.

I heard that to give customers a better experience, the owner hired a company that designed the lighting for the Bird's Nest Stadium to create the lighting effects here. I can only silently exclaim—what a big production! The boss is really generous!

When the lights come on, the whole bar turns into a colorful neon world. Amid the interplay of light and shadow, colored lights twinkle like stars in the sky, dazzling inside the bar. Looking at this scene, I couldn't help but marvel—indeed, the boss's decision was right; the customers' experience is the greatest affirmation.

Since this is a small bar, alcohol is a must. They have an enormous selection: spirits, cocktails, mixed drinks, pure imported beers—everything you can think of, plus many I couldn't name. It's overwhelming. Basically, if you want to drink it, you can probably find it here!

Not only that, but even the containers used for serving food are carefully selected Jingdezhen blue-and-white porcelain, elegant and beautiful, captivating to the eye.

Although there are many alcoholic beverages, what I love isn't the strong, fiery kind. Long Island Iced Tea is as clear and mild as black tea, yet it has the rich, mellow fragrance of alcohol. With lemon juice and cola added, it's sweet, similar to lemon iced tea, so it's always popular with girls. A friend who really knows wine told me this drink is a "wolf in sheep's clothing" in the cocktail world—high in alcohol content, so if you can't handle it, don't overindulge.

There's also a drink called Metropolitan. It's no exaggeration to say it's one of the world's most popular cocktails. To this day, it has been popular for over thirty years. With its low alcohol content, sweet and sour taste, and strong fruity flavor, it won me over and became my favorite.

At Bieyuli, if you happen to order their bartender's special cocktail, congratulations—you'll witness a super pleasing cocktail show. After mixing, the cocktail slowly "breathes" a misty vapor from the rim of the glass, creating a very artistic atmosphere. As you taste it, the deeper the contact between your tongue and the cocktail, the more wonderful the flavor becomes.

I must recommend this Chinese-style cocktail: Ancient Qiang Straw Grain Wine. This is rice wine with a wheat straw as a straw—I've never seen that before. The rice wine is sweet, mellow, and rich, with a soft, smooth texture. Drinking a small bottle in winter makes your whole body feel warm.

Don't think you can only drink here; this place is also a hidden Sichuan restaurant. The taste and portions can rival outside Sichuan restaurants. Dan Dan noodles, Zhong dumplings, and childhood-flavored fermented rice with brown sugar are all available here!

Their specialty grilled fish has always been a popular dish in the shop. The fish is well-seasoned, crispy on the outside and tender on the inside—I guarantee a few bites will win you over.

After seeing so much, if you're curious, go experience it yourself!

From the entrance of Kuanzhai Alley to Jiaoliao (鷦鷯) is only a short two hundred meters, but it can take a full half hour to walk. Rows of snack shops, various gold and silver utensils—if your mind wanders even a little, you could be seduced by the sights and sounds.

Your eyes take in the blue bricks and black tiles, ancient trees and long streets. Your ears are filled with the clinking of copper and silver craftsmen and the calls of shopkeepers outside. Your nose catches the aroma of sugar-oil fruit and egg-baked cakes. It takes a lot of willpower to break away from all this.

Full of the hustle and bustle of the mortal world. Walking back and forth is like doing a somersault in the realm of earthly desires—your eyes, ears, nose, and mind are all completely satisfied.

Right in the middle of Kuanzhai Alley, Jiaoliao stands out as a special case in this centuries-old lane. Its tightly closed double doors and the ever-present copper lock seem to proclaim a philosophy of shutting oneself inside the courtyard.

It truly makes you understand what it means to be "a mountain in the city"! Step out and it's bustling; step in and you quietly guard your heart. Amid prosperity and leisure, a pure land is built, hiding luxury within, full of charm.

And indeed, once the eight-tael copper lock is fastened, it blocks the gazes of passing tourists and seals off the lively world of the alley that has been soaked in three centuries of commotion.

Wind can pass through the courtyard, birds can perch on the eaves. But the noise outside cannot enter even half an inch. This is Jiaoliao, claiming tranquility in the midst of the city.

The entire structure is made of paulownia wood, a meeting of traditional aesthetics and modern techniques—natural yet sturdy. Being immersed in the faint fragrance of wood over time can help you sleep, calm your mind, and soothe your body.

The hotel's architectural style also combines movement and stillness. "Movement" is reflected in the details of the interior decoration. Birds appear from the moment you enter the hotel's corridor, all the way to the bird-shaped decorations in the guest rooms, echoing the hotel's name, Jiaoliao (鷦鷯, a small bird).

"Stillness" is found in the antique quadrangle courtyard with green-black bricks and tiles. Every plant and tree is exquisite, every bamboo and mat is elegant. Each guest room has its own poetic name, as if full of life and vivid!

The rooms are mostly decorated with raw wood, fresh and clean.

Breakfast is also especially warm. Upon check-in, the butler asks about dining time and taste preferences—very thoughtful. You can choose between Chinese and Western meals, and they also include fruits, dried nuts, and various pastries. And it's delivered to your room by the butler! Full of love.

Living here is truly leisurely and comfortable, enjoying this wonderful scenery alone, fully experiencing the joy of carefree leisure!

Du Fu Thatched Cottage—You Are My Unique Memory

Chengdu Du Fu Thatched Cottage is located on the banks of Huanhua Stream outside the west gate of Chengdu. It is a must-visit for tourists coming to Chengdu.

As the name suggests, Du Fu Thatched Cottage is the former residence of Du Fu. Although the thatched cottage site is built on a grand and luxurious scale, Du Fu's actual residence is only a very small part of it—a few small, dilapidated thatched huts. Those large-scale structures were built by later generations to commemorate Du Fu.

After entering the cottage, there are many forks in the road, with signposts guiding visitors to the scenic spots. Going further in, you see an antique alley: the walls on both sides are vermilion, the tiles above are embedded with round bricks carved with animal faces, and the moss on the tiles shows that this alley has been here for some time. The bluestone slabs underfoot have been worn to a dark, blackish color and have developed cracks.

Passing through the alley, a winding stream comes into view, with green bamboos growing on both banks, alongside towering ancient trees—a truly poetic scene.

Before we knew it, we arrived at a place that looked like a thatched cottage. Yes, this is Du Fu's former residence! There are paths on both sides, and a bamboo fence encloses the small garden.

The roof does not incorporate modern building materials, but it is no longer the same one Du Fu lived in. Here, I just want to stand in front of the house and feel the timeless verse: "Could I get a vast mansion covering ten thousand rooms, to shelter all the poor scholars in the world with joyful faces!" I see the earth on the walls crumbling, revealing large frames made of bamboo strips. The wood on the threshold looks as if a single step could break it.

Walking in the thatched cottage, the air is filled with the breath of history and strong poetic flavor, making me sink in and unwilling to leave for a long time...

What I miss is the scenery of Chengdu; what I miss is the food of Chengdu; what I miss is the worldly hustle and bustle of Chengdu...