[A 2-Day, 1-Night Culinary Adventure] / A Feast of Exquisite Cuisine, Chengdu Dazzles the World!

Fingertips: The only loves in life are beautiful scenery and delicious food, which should not be let down.

Some say that when we mention Chengdu, what comes to mind isn't the city name but its myriad of delicacies. Because Chengdu is a city filled with food. In every alley and every street of this city, you can encounter many delicious foods and interesting snacks anytime, anywhere.

And the enthusiasm of Chengdu people for eating has also led to the high development of Chengdu's catering industry. Almost every out-of-town tourist who comes to Chengdu is full of interest in Chengdu's hotpot, Sichuan cuisine, snacks, and spicy hot pot. Arriving in Chengdu without tasting its food always feels like entering a treasure mountain and returning empty-handed.

One: Taiziling Ski Resort → Melon Skewers (Jinli) Two: Bieyuanli Bar (Wuhou Temple) Three: Yuangong (People's Park) → Jiaoliao Hotel

One | Part 1: Everyone Has a Skiing Dream in Their Heart

It is said that Chengdu people have three winter treasures: eating hotpot, soaking in hot springs, and going skiing. In this chilly season, nothing is more comfortable than these three things.

And the place where you can most feel the world of ice and snow, besides Xiling Snow Mountain, is the Taiziling Ski Resort at Jiuding Mountain, a three-and-a-half-hour drive from Chengdu. Friends who love skiing might want to join us and experience the passion of winter.

"Among the many immortal mountains in Shu, Jiuding is acclaimed as unique." The Taiziling Ski Resort in Maoxian County's Jiuding Mountain is the professional top choice for Sichuan's winter skiing market. It provides tourists with a scenic area combining skiing and sightseeing, making it a great winter destination for outdoor sports enthusiasts.

Arriving at the ski resort, you'll find not only three beginner slopes (total length 290m), three intermediate slopes (total length 390m), and three advanced slopes (total length 2630m). There is also a cable car on the advanced slopes leading to the mountaintop. From the top, the scenery is incredibly beautiful—the earth is covered in silver, breathtakingly gorgeous.

The resort also offers multiple activities suitable for children of all ages. You can enjoy the snow, have snowball fights, take photos, and ski. You can also take kids to the children's play area for sledding. No matter your skiing skill, you'll find a suitable slope to enjoy yourself.

Besides activities, food and accommodation are also major concerns. To meet different tourist needs, the ski resort offers various price points for dining and lodging. Supporting facilities include the Hemingzhuang Holiday Hotel with over 70 guest rooms. The rooms are decorated with wooden sauna panels combined with Qiang ethnic style, and have 24-hour heating.

The resort has two restaurants that can accommodate 2000 people at the same time, offering dishes like hotpot chicken and beef offal hotpot—delicious and appetizing at first glance. Also served are Tibetan-Qiang specialties featuring plateau yak meat, mutton, wild vegetables, and alpine wild mushrooms.

The altitude at Taiziling is nearly 3000 meters, and temperatures are quite low. For those not exercising, we recommend dressing warmly. Once the sun comes out and you get moving, it's actually not cold but rather warm. Parents should remember to bring an extra set of clothes for kids, as playing can easily make them sweat. Skiing equipment can be brought or rented; if you don't ski often, renting is more cost-effective. Don't worry if you can't ski—there are instructors to teach you hand in hand.

Relying on the unique natural terrain of Jiuding Mountain Scenic Area, with high altitude and abundant vegetation, the ski resort's air is fresh and rich in negative oxygen ions, giving its snow a powdery quality rare in ordinary ski resorts.

In winter, 80% of the days are sunny, with daytime temperatures even reaching 20°C. Tourists can enjoy skiing in this sunny ski resort while staying away from smog, close to the blue sky, and basking in the sunshine.

| Part 2: A Lifelong Wait Might Be for Melon Skewers

A city has its own history and culture, as well as its characteristic blocks. To understand a city's history and culture, you should step into its distinctive neighborhoods, learn about the cultural origins and famous anecdotes they carry, touch the lingering warmth of history up close, and feel the bustling, glamorous atmosphere that persists through the ages.

With precious leisure time and family accompanying us, we decided to wander near Jinli, savoring the experience step by step. If Kuanzhai Alley is classical and artistic, like a moon reflected in the mirror of time, then Jinli is bustling and worldly, like several fireworks blooming outside that mirror.

Entering Jinli, we are greeted by the tempting allure of delicious food. Shops are wide open, mainly selling food and drinks. Fresh fruits and delicacies, carefully arranged, appear faintly in a light mist. The beautiful shapes, fresh colors, and fragrant smells make our mouths water uncontrollably.

Beside the shops, performers dressed as Sichuan Opera xiaosheng (young male roles) greet customers. They mimic theatrical moves, suddenly retracting their necks and sticking out their heads, turning a white face into a red one, startling you. Before you can feel surprised or annoyed, they pull a funny face and make you burst into laughter. That playful moment instantly lifts your spirits.

When we first arrived, the sky was clear. Strolling through Jinli with fewer tourists gave it a hazy, classical charm. Jinli's streets are not wide, but ancient buildings face each other on both sides. Strings of red lanterns hang high and low, some under flying eaves and upturned corners, some on tree branches, twinkling in the misty rain, full of unique charm.

Wandering through the ancient street feels like walking in a poem with harmonious rhythms. Carved windows, ancient walls covered with creeping vines, winding corridors leading to secluded spots—they all resemble the backdrop of a poem, contrasting elegance with traces of vicissitudes and vitality.

Jinli is an ancient street for nostalgia, a place that appeals to both refined and popular tastes. Here, you can find memories of Chengdu from the Three Kingdoms period, or enjoy a leisurely life amid the fast-paced city.

After touring Jinli, we were hungry—it seems food's temptation is strong. We decided to take the family to the Melon Skewers restaurant at Jinfangyuan East Road, said to be quite good. When we arrived, we found the environment impressive.

The overall décor features green bricks and tiles, with red walls giving a festive feel. The space is spacious with clear functional divisions. The Chinese retro style adds unique charm to the shop, making it truly antique.

Even though we thought it was early, once inside we discovered a different world—there were so many people! The entire hall was full, with voices buzzing, but that didn't dampen the enthusiasm of the foodies waiting in line outside. Indeed, good taste reigns supreme—that's the true nature of Chengdu food lovers.

Hot pot base: Authentic Chengdu method for the broth, a spicy and satisfying cold pot skewer. An ultra-rich broth boiled fresh daily, covered with red oil over a secret high-quality stock. Full of ingredients slowly simmered from early morning until noon opening. It's fragrant without being numbing, spicy without being dry—a flavor impossible to imitate, only passed down from older generations, truly the taste of old Chengdu.

Over 70 types of skewers: Six large freezers will make your eyes dizzy. Ingredients are protected by five-star cold chain logistics, freshly selected and carefully marinated daily, then skewered. Choose from meat and vegetables—pay by weight of the sticks at the end. Take whatever you want and quickly start the crazy skewer-eating mode!

Handmade specialty dual dipping sauces: How fragrant is the dry dip? A combination of crushed peanuts and chili powder easily wins first place. Roll gently in it for a nutty aroma. The meticulous handcrafting process makes it unique. The oil dip, with sesame oil, minced garlic, and scallions, is also a great helper to reduce spiciness and add flavor.

Beef skewers are versatile: Give me a slice of beef, and I can roll up a world. Five-spice, spicy, with cilantro, pickled pepper, or scallion. The beef is marinated for two to three hours in a secret sauce. Plump pickled peppers with tender beef, a hint of green between the red beef, are strikingly visible. When eaten, the heavy flavor explodes on the tongue. The thick beef cubes wrap around pickled peppers ready to burst with juice—your mouth says no, but your body is honest, sending skewer after skewer in.

Little sausages: A Chengdu specialty. Plump little sausages with a balance of fat and lean, cut into bite-sized pieces. The slightly sweet taste is very Cantonese-style. The sweet and spicy dual sensation is enchanting, and while relieving the spiciness, the satisfaction doubles! You won't regret coming to this shop—the taste is irresistible.

Two | Part 1: The "Boss" of Bars, Find Your Own Intoxication

Hearing the name "Wuhou," those who have read the Three Kingdoms will surely be familiar. Yes, it's the alias of the famous Zhuge Liang, "Zhuge Wuhou." If your favorite kingdom in "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" is Shu, then Chengdu's famous attraction—Wuhou Temple—is a must-visit. It will surely satisfy all your desires.

Soon it was afternoon. My family and I planned to visit Wuhou Temple, to experience the legendary stories of the Three Kingdoms and fulfill our Three Kingdoms dream.

Legend has it that Wuhou Temple was built in 223 AD, originally to construct a mausoleum for Liu Bei. Later generations combined Liu Bei's mausoleum with Zhuge Liang's ancestral hall, creating the current temple where emperor and minister are jointly worshipped—the only such temple in China.

The heroes of Shu, with their changing fortunes, have turned to dust here. Their great achievements are buried and rest here. All the historical stories have settled and fermented, giving birth to this weighty Wuhou Temple, a place to commemorate the heroes of Shu Han.

From Sanyi Temple to Wuhou Temple, from the Oath of the Peach Garden to the Three Visits to the Cottage, we arrived at the main hall of Zhuge Liang's shrine. In the center hangs a horizontal plaque reading "Fame Eternally Known Throughout the Universe," likely the highest praise for Master Zhuge. The couplet reads: "If you can win hearts, opposition will naturally dissipate; since ancient times, those who know war are not fond of fighting. If you don't assess the situation, leniency or strictness may both be wrong; later generations ruling Shu must think deeply."

These two lines highly summarize Zhuge Liang's loyalty and ambition to spare no effort in serving Shu until his death. He used his entire life to repay the favor of the three visits to his thatched cottage. Wuhou Temple is not large, occupying a modest space in the bustling city; you can finish visiting in about an hour. Yet it is also huge, because it carries not just a scenic spot, but the history of a dynasty—a tribute and remembrance of that era.

We walked and stopped along the way, turning into quiet corners, admiring bonsai, observing flowers and plants, and catching faint fragrances. We looked at gnarled ancient trees, viewed elegant arched bridges and water reflections, and sighed at the ruined Han palace pillars, full of scars. With reverence for the memory of Shu, we slowly walked out.

In Chengdu, a city known for leisure, there are many bars and taverns of all sizes. But Bieyuanli, surrounded by greenery, lit by neon lights, and filled with a rich variety of drinks and snacks, is unique to Chengdu. To give customers a better in-store experience, they specially invited a lighting design company to create the lighting effects.

We couldn't waste the evening; we planned to have a good time. We decided to take the family to Bieyuanli to enjoy the cozy night.

Upon entering, as the lights came on, the whole bar turned into a colorful neon world. Amid intersecting light and shadow, colorful lights resembled stars in the sky, shining brightly in the bar, instantly lifting the entertainment and leisure atmosphere.

The drinks are as abundant as the lights: Western spirits, Chinese-style cocktails, cocktails, and pure imported beer—they have it all! Basically, whatever you want to drink, you can find it here!

Night Dress Mask Kiss: Just its appearance is enough to captivate ladies—a rose brew with a refreshing rose fragrance. Since its alcohol content is low, it's perfect for small gatherings of girlfriends or leisurely moments. When first sipped, the rose flavor is not strong; gradually, the taste of the wine becomes clearer, intoxicating.

Ancient Qiang Wheat Straw Zha Wine: A blue-and-white porcelain bottle full of Jianghu spirit! Wheat straws serve as straws, making you sip the wine amid laughter—a unique experience.

Barbecue Platter: Fine wine and grilled skewers are an inseparable couple. Eating barbecue without alcohol feels like letting down the party! Little sausages, shrimp, corn kernels, dried tofu, green beans, and other items—spicy, fresh, and delicious—satisfy different appetites.

Lemongrass Grilled Fish: Besides barbecue, this grilled fish is a must-order dish. Though the fish is not big, its aroma already hooked me. The addition of lemongrass makes the fish's fragrance fresher! Fried fish, crispy on the outside and tender inside, is delicious and satisfying. Sitting and having fun in such a music bar is the best way to enjoy leisure and comfort.

| Part 2: The Taste of Sichuan Cuisine, the Unforgettable Yuan Gong

What people call Chengdu's leisurely life is not the office buildings in High-Tech Zone, nor the crowded Kuanzhai Alley, nor the street photography of Chunxi Road. Come to People's Park—this is the life Chengdu people look forward to most.

With a history of 100 years, People's Park serves as a material and spiritual carrier, storing the real old Chengdu life. On weekends, People's Park becomes the liveliest.

The park has two old tea houses: Yongju and Heming. Among them, Heming is the most famous. Built in the 1920s, it's almost a hundred years old, nearly as old as the park itself. Hence it's called Century-old Heming. You must learn to "strike while the iron is hot" because Heming is always full. As soon as someone leaves, grab the seat. Once seated, an auntie dressed in blue-and-white porcelain-style uniform will come to clear the table and let you order tea.

The amusement park is the loudest place. The sounds of children playing and laughing are endless. Trains, carousels, roller coasters—every child and big kid can find their source of joy.

But what People's Park is most famous for is boating. Faded little boats mark the childhood of Chengdu people since the last century. On fine days, there are the most people; boating requires queuing. Young parents often bring their children here to boat, enjoying family happiness. Of course, couples also come for dates. In short, no matter who is on the boat, everyone is as happy as a child.

After the park, we planned to take the family to Yuan Gong on Chunxi Road. A friend had told me that this restaurant is an authentic Zigong-style Sichuan cuisine eatery, quite popular and bustling. So we came specially to taste it.

By the time we arrived, many people were already dining! The restaurant's décor is quite down-to-earth, with an antique environment that is very attractive. The atmosphere emphasizes old Chengdu characteristics; private rooms, main hall, and booth seats all have a sense of design, decorated with flowers and clusters, exuding a unique charm.

Many of the diners are tourists visiting Chengdu. Looking at the dishes they ordered, they are all very Chengdu-style: Maoxuewang (blood curd in spicy broth), sliced chicken, and the signature rabbit are the reasons I must visit. I haven't had such fresh, fragrant, spicy dishes for a long time—big thumbs up!

Yuan Gong Sliced Chicken: The chicken slices are tender and delicious, with a great taste. Added scallions and white scallion slices make it refreshing. Drizzled with secret red oil seasoning, the spiciness is just right.

Longmen Hanging Meat: This dish resembles a whole deep-fried crispy pork. The young lady cuts it while saying auspicious words, giving a nice ceremonial feel. The meat is tender and smooth, even better when dipped in chili powder.

Yuan Gong Signature Rabbit: Tender and smooth rabbit meat paired with juicy clams, instantly elevating the texture. It's both fragrant and spicy, extremely satisfying to eat.

Yuan Gong Braised Duck: The duck is tender and tasty with a rich braising aroma. Especially the skin parts are smooth and delicious, with excellent texture.

Live Water Silver Carp: The silver carp is quite large. The back is sliced a few times with a knife for better flavor absorption. The fish meat is snow-white and tender. Celery and green pepper segments are particularly tasty, simply my favorite. Such delicacies cannot be missed; action speaks louder than heart.

| Part 2: Natural Humanity, Exquisite Sentiment | The Unique Charm of Jiaoliao

Jiaoliao—a place whose name alone makes one want to know more. The name comes from Zhuangzi's "Free and Easy Wandering": "The jiaoliao bird nests in the deep forest, needing only one branch; the yanshu (dormouse) drinks from the river, only enough to fill its belly." In this world of insatiable desires, we shouldn't be too greedy. We should try to be like "when the whole world praises you, you are not more encouraged; when the whole world blames you, you are not more discouraged; you are certain of the boundary between internal and external, and distinguish between honor and disgrace." Perhaps such a state is too difficult, which is why there is Jiaoliao—to let us slow down and put aside the world of pursuit.

Jiaoliao Hotel is a sturdy branch in this vast forest, pursuing freedom and unwilling to drag its tail in the mud. It absorbs the essence of old Chengdu culture, seeking a "slow life" in the busy city and returning to a natural state of living.

Pushing open the door, a corridor comes into view. At the end of the corridor hangs a plaque reading "Riding on Things to Roam the Heart," from Zhuangzi's "The World of Men." Understanding its meaning, one can't help but admire the great wisdom of old Zhuangzi.

After entering the hotel, we took a look at all four floors. The hotel's design and decoration are indeed impressive, giving a comfortable and relaxing feeling. During the tour, we noticed that each room has its own unique name, such as Yanqian, Youwei, Shijia, etc. We decided to stay in Yanqian because when we first saw that name, my friend and I both liked it, as if those two characters contained deep meaning, leaving us endless room for imagination.

The hotel's security is excellent. Guest rooms require a key card or the butler to open the door. After confirming our stay, the butler gave us a door card shaped like a jiaoliao bird, cute and charming! Looking closely, there is a butler service window outside the door. Opening it, we found the inside and outside connected. When we called, the butler would place what we needed inside, and we could just take it. Such thoughtful design is convenient without disturbing guests.

Although Jiaoliao appears simple and elegant from the outside, the items in the room are on par with five-star hotels: mattresses, linens, bathrooms, automatic toilets, etc., all with excellent hardware. Various ornaments are complete and neatly arranged, everything appears comfortable and cozy. Different branded equipment subtly reflects the hotel's high class, making us fall in love with it! My friend kept saying it felt more warm than home.

Upon entering, we found a loving jiaoliao bird at the head of each bed, gazing deeply as if contemplating or listening. The bird's posture and expression differ in each room. We treated it as our listener, trying to talk to it. All the troubles hard to speak of could be poured out to this small creature that can only be understood but not described. After saying all the unhappiness, we felt much more comfortable.

On the TV wall, a large handmade Shu embroidery peony is blooming, along with a koi fish leaping on Shu brocade. Touching them, we couldn't help but admire the skilled craftsmanship and long-standing culture of our ancestors. Overall, the room is full of traditional Sichuan cultural elements, letting us feel cultural edification while staying. My friends and I often travel and have stayed in some good hotels, but one as thoughtful and considerate as this is rare. This stay was definitely the right choice.

The room also provides four top-grade teas from Mending Mountain. Drinking too many carbonated drinks can be burdensome. When we calmed down, we brewed a cup of tea, savoring nature's gift, and instantly felt refreshed and clear-minded.

My friend and I also discovered that the most thoughtful aspect of this hotel is not just the room configuration and decoration, but also the excellent butler service. They can customize travel routes and plans for guests, as well as solve any issues within the hotel. Even our breakfast each morning can be customized, delivered to the room according to our taste and schedule. Lunch is served at Zifei, the first cultural dining place in Kuanzhai Alley themed around Zhuangzi's philosophy. Through a plated meal format, it integrates culture, Sichuan cuisine, drinking games, and performances, taking you into a time of pavilions, lofts, ancient zithers, and opera songs. Waking up early, pushing open the wooden window, breathing the first breeze and sunshine of Kuanzhai Alley, it's so refreshing. After washing up, we enjoyed the hotel's customized breakfast, feeling deeply moved.

After eating, we stood in the small garden breathing fresh air, admiring the clear night sky, sipping hot tea, and closely exploring the stories of time in this ancient alley.

Observing carefully, we saw a spider weaving a web on the opposite roof, and a falling leaf landing on the table... Look, everything is striving to grow!

In the busy and noisy city, there is always a place of leisure and comfort where you can relax both body and mind.