Chengdu's Night Skewers and the Fragrant Apples of Xiaojin
Recently, the southwestern region has been rainy and dreary, as if autumn hadn't ended and winter was about to begin.
The sunset glow after the afterglow
Passing through Chengdu, I finally caught a nice day. It felt like it had been an N-th power of many hours since I last saw such a sunset. I hope life always holds surprises, and that feelings are reciprocated.
Together with a friend from Chengdu, we came to Dongmen Bridge and strolled along the Fu River after the sunset. The night slowly unfolded its quiet, mesmerizing blue and warm lights. The bridge, banks, trees, houses, water... everything was draped in charming night colors. The river was clear, reflections like a painting. At that moment, the whole world filled with love. My mood became even more cheerful, and I felt my appetite awakening. At my friend's suggestion, we went nearby to try a food skewer restaurant from Leshan: Niuhua Bapo Malatang.
Look how fresh these skewers are, so tempting! Fortunately, we arrived early; by 7 PM, it was already full, otherwise we'd have had to queue. This Niuhua Bapo Malatang is the Chunxi Road branch. The entire dining area is spacious and bright, with a red theme. There are private rooms for gatherings. On the walls, there are many dialect phrases from Leshan and other parts of Sichuan, adding local character. The diners were in high spirits, creating a great atmosphere for dipping skewers in hot pot. From the manager to the waitstaff, everyone was warm and attentive, except for the girl at the cash register who was a bit aloof—probably because handling money requires a cool head, hehe! The food and seasoning area is separated into independent sections, neatly organized and arranged. The skewer labels are clear, and there are tags like 'Last Month's Top Dish Recommendations', which are very thoughtful. Thumbs up!
Leshan Sweet Skin Duck (photo/text by Qingliugan)
First, a signature side dish from the restaurant: Leshan Sweet Skin Duck. It looks good and tastes great. The skin is crispy and sweet, the meat inside is tender and flavorful.
Fried Skewers (photo/text by Qingliugan)
Fried skewers: meat skewers are 10 yuan per bunch, vegetable skewers are 7 yuan per bunch. The marination, seasoning, and heat control are all well done. I particularly like the pork belly (fatty but not greasy), chicken cartilage (crispy and refreshing), and corn (slightly sweet and crispy). The dipping sauce is pre-prepared for diners; just pour the custom sesame oil over it (guests can also DIY their own seasoning). I recommend the red oil chicken feet bowl and the gizzard bowl, which have crunchy bean sprouts at the base. The chicken feet and gizzard are finely cut and marinated, then topped with red oil. They are mildly spicy, crispy, and fragrant—a great cold appetizer to go with drinks.
Red Oil Gizzard Bowl (photo/text by Qingliugan)
We ordered the heavy red oil spicy pot. All the ingredients were very fresh. We also had a few specialty dishes, fried skewers, and desserts. Alright, the food is all served, let's start! First, a check-in photo, haha, now we can eat.
Hot pot skewers: a wide variety, fresh, with thin skewers that don't water down. Highly recommended: secret recipe beef, wild pepper beef, duck tongue, chicken cartilage. They are perfect in color, aroma, and taste—every one is a classic without fail. Also, for dipping, you can order a plate of duck intestines, crispy and tender, so good that you'll order another plate.
Caramel Tofu Pudding (photo/text by Qingliugan)
For dessert, I recommend the caramel tofu pudding: the caramel is sweet, the tofu is smooth and silky, with an ice cream-like texture. It relieves spiciness and cuts the grease. Also, try the jasmine ice jelly, which girls really like.
When we finished and came out, there were still many people queuing at the door, so if you want to go, remember to get there early. Anyway, after all this talk, when you're in Chengdu, don't miss Niuhua Bapo Malatang. It's a chain, so you can try the nearest branch.
[Tips]
Chunxi Road branch address: No. 43, Tianxianqiao South Road. Transportation: Take Metro Line 2 to Dongmen Bridge Station, exit A, walk back about 200 meters.
I slept until broad daylight. It had rained during the night. We drove from Dujiangyan through misty clouds to Xiaojin in Aba, western Sichuan. Along the way, there were many mountain curves, and some areas are prone to landslides, so careful driving is needed. After a bumpy 4-hour ride, we arrived safely in Xiaojin, at an altitude of about 3,200 meters. Although the cloud layer was thick and we couldn't see the silhouette of Mount Siguniang from the observation deck, it was sunny, so we were still quite happy. We chose a Tibetan courtyard and enjoyed an authentic Tibetan meal. All the fatigue and tension from the journey melted away.
Tibetan cuisine (photo/text by Qingliugan)
Over afternoon tea, looking at a hand-drawn map, we decided to first visit Shuangqiao Valley, the most convenient of the three valleys in Siguniangshan because it has a scenic shuttle bus. That way, we could cover it in about four hours in the afternoon.
Hand-drawn map (photo/text by Qingliugan)
Accommodation here is not expensive; you can choose freely. The weather on the plateau changes quickly. After we entered the scenic area and transferred to the eco-shuttle bus, it started raining heavily just before we reached the highest point, but luckily it stopped when we got off, making it easy to take photos. Shuangqiao Valley is 34.8 kilometers long. The sightseeing bus stops at the highest point at 3,800 meters, and along the way down, there are multiple scenic spot stations where you can board. In Shuangqiao Valley, you can see majestic and peculiar peaks, superbly crafted landforms, babbling streams, and rich unique vegetation, forming wonderful dynamic three-dimensional natural paintings. Under the snow mountain, laughing heartily with my beloved, running for dreams—how could there be altitude sickness?! Blue sky, white clouds, majestic peaks competing in beauty, flowing water like woven strands, clouds and mist around, lush grass and trees interwoven—one becomes intoxicated... During the Autumn Equinox season, Shuangqiao Valley is a harvest season: redwood forest, Sigunatso, Ginseng Fruit Meadow, etc., each showing its charm, like a fairyland! I believe that by mid-to-late October, the layers will be richer, the colors more vibrant, and it will be an even more fascinating late autumn.
[Tips]
Address: Shuangqiao Valley within Siguniang Mountain Scenic Area, Siguniangshan Town, Xiaojin County, Aba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture. Ticket + sightseeing bus: 159 yuan.
After dinner, we had the opportunity to preview at the Xiaojin Rongzhong Erjia Performing Arts Center the largest 3D indoor live-action song and dance drama in the country, which was about to officially premiere. The show was directed by Rongzhong Erjia himself, titled "Sigula". The entire drama tells the story of the hero Amurang going on an expedition. The large-scale live stage song and dance performance immediately draws you into the storyline. The order of the performance: 1. Prologue: Legend of the Clan; 2. Chapter 1: Youth Love - A: Coming-of-Age Ceremony (Stage 3 to Stage 2), B: Climbing the Wall, C: Group Dance of Boys and Girls; 3. Chapter 2: Soul of the Warrior - A: Setting Out, B: Defending the Homeland, C: Braid Soul; 4. Chapter 3: Harvest Song - A: Threshing Barley, B: Ala Jiangse; 5. Epilogue: Blessings of Sigula. I believe this will soon become a must-visit place for those heading to Mount Siguniang and Sigula Cultural City. Good night, see you tomorrow.
In the morning, when I woke up, the trees outside the window were full of apples, and the garden was in full bloom with Gesang flowers. Under the blue sky, clouds and mist drifted over the mountains. What kind of fairyland is this? This is the Xiaojin Apple Shared Farm Stay where we stayed, located in Group 2, Mulan Village, Wori Town, Xiaojin County. They are all detached houses, equipped with standard rooms, double beds, and kitchen lights. There is also a leisure garden with apple trees.
[Tips]
You can eat apples here for free, but you cannot take them away—there are surveillance cameras. If you like them, they can pick them fresh and pack them for you to buy, which is very affordable.
That day was September 22, 2020, with clear autumn skies and a bountiful fragrance. The opening ceremony of the third China Farmers' Harvest Festival and the fifth Xiaojin Apple 🍎 Picking Festival was held at 10 a.m. at the Shared Farm in Mulan Village, Wori Town, Xiaojin County. It was a feast for both the eyes and the taste buds! This year's apple festival theme is 'Share the Joy of Harvest, Meet at the Apple Farm', and the event will last until October 8, with a rich variety of activities. At the opening ceremony, local residents performed artistic shows they had written and directed themselves, including 'Harvest Dance', 'Pure Xiaojin', 'Jubilant Aba', 'Zanla Girl', and other programs that vividly demonstrated Xiaojin's local folk culture and the joy of the people over the harvest. There was also the annual Xiaojin Apple 'King' competition and a rural mini cross-country run, which were fun and interesting. This year, the total apple output of Xiaojin County is nearly 45,000 tons, with a planting area of 30,000 mu (about 2,000 hectares). Currently, the best Golden Crown apples in Xiaojin are ripe, welcoming tourists from all directions to pick and play. In the harvest season, picking is sweet and happy. Red apples 🍎 and green apples 🍏 hang heavily from the branches, and smiles are deeply etched on the happy faces of the villagers. Enough photos—let's share the joy of harvest and meet at the apple farm. Let's also experience the fun of harvest picking together!
Xiaojin is such a charming place: not only beautiful mountains and rivers, but also blooming flowers and pretty girls. Not only fragrant butter tea, but also tempting roast whole lamb and lively Guozhuang dance. There are so many things to do, see, taste, and participate in in Xiaojin. Limited by time and space, I'll conclude today amidst the fireworks and revelry at the Tusi Official Village's Scripture Tower and Watchtower in Wori Town. Next time, I'll chat with netizens about the beautiful Changping Valley and Haizi Valley of Mount Siguniang, and unveil the mysterious veil of the Four Girls!
