Sleep in the Wilderness of Mount Qingcheng, Enjoy a Hot Spring and Gourmet Food in the Cold Winter, Spend a Weekend at Wanda Vista Dujiangyan

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In Dujiangyan, a city known for its "canal waters and half mountain scenery," countless visitors come every autumn and winter to "seek Tao in Mount Qingcheng and pay homage to water in Dujiangyan." It is often said that Dujiangyan is the backyard garden of Chengdu people. The mountain boasts three major natural wonders and four unique attractions: sunrise, sea of clouds, sacred lamps, as well as cave-made milk wine, bitter tea, Taoist tea, and stewed chicken with white fruit. Besides escaping the summer heat, in autumn and winter you can also admire ginkgo trees and enjoy snow views. Every single thing is enchanting. And it only takes half an hour to get there!!!

I have always had an infinite longing for the traditional dwellings of western Sichuan, especially the green tiles, wooden through-tenon joints, sloping roofs, and thin eaves. By cleverly combining them with modern architecture, stepping into such places always gives me a sense of elegant and comfortable Bashu life.

Coming down from Mount Qingcheng, we arrived at the luxurious villa-style hotel by the bamboo groves and riverside near the Dujiangyan city center—Wanda Vista Chengdu Dujiangyan. Nestled between the Min River and Mount Qingcheng, it is very quiet. Passing through the noisy crowds of the city, we walked along a winding path and came upon a building that recreates the simple beauty of a classical Chinese courtyard.

A corridor with birdcage-shaped lanterns welcomes every visitor, and the hotel lobby suddenly appears bright and clear.

Inspired by the ancient Chengdu building "Du Fu Thatched Cottage," the lobby covers an area of 500 square meters with a ceiling height of 24 meters, reflecting the grandeur of Shu Han and the steady style of Mount Qingcheng.

The check-in process is both private and surprising. Two exquisite wood-carved panels on the left and right of the lobby depict ["Paying Homage to Water in Dujiangyan, Seeking Tao in Mount Qingcheng"]. The craftsmanship is very fine, and their placement perfectly integrates Dujiangyan's culture with the hotel's culture. Outside the lobby, facing Mount Zhao Gong, it is said that where there is a mountain, there should be water. So during construction, the hotel created an artificial lake in the middle, which truly captures the essence of Dujiangyan as I imagined it.

Since this is a villa-style hotel, like others, we had to take a golf cart to our room. Each room is a large villa. The entire hotel has 86 villas in the style of western Sichuan dwellings. Their appearance is exceptionally quaint and elegant, giving me a sense of time travel.

But the moment I pushed the door open, I was pulled back to reality. Because it really feels like a "home." Next to the spacious and bright living room is a mahjong table—an indispensable item for Sichuan people.

If traveling with family, you can immediately set up a game here.

Compared to the comfortable and clean rooms, I prefer the courtyard with its private hot spring just beyond the door. The frost-reddened maple leaves resemble chicken feet, giving both a traditional Chinese feel and a rustic Japanese vibe. So it doesn't matter if you can't go to Kyoto; here you can experience the same joy.

The misty steam drifts about, enticing our weary bodies to soak thoroughly. No matter how cold it is outside, soaking in the hot spring pool is the best time for two people to be alone together.

One floor below the hotel lobby, there is an elegant and mysterious place: the "birdcage design" Western restaurant, echoing the lobby corridor. The relaxed atmosphere and aroma of alcohol in the restaurant make it hard not to have a drink. Where there is wine, there must be barbecue. Considering the cooling weather, lamb is a must. A mouthful of beer and a bite of lamb skewer—this feeling is understood by every Sichuan native.

The appetizer's highlight is the deep-sea roe. Plump and full-bodied, each bite bursts in your mouth. Paired with some bread, it is just right.

The main course is a seafood feast plus charcoal-grilled lamb chops. Fresh and delicious Spanish langoustines with wasabi soy sauce have a slight sweetness. I dare say you won't find such a taste anywhere else in Chengdu.

The charcoal-grilled rosemary lamb chops have a slightly crispy exterior but tender meat inside, each bite cooked to a perfect medium-rare. Two chops are already quite filling.

At the end, the panda paw-shaped popsicle dessert was loved by both me and Er Miao. The layered colors made me reluctant to take a bite. The sweetness of chocolate blurs the line between popsicle and dessert.

If you're afraid of eating too much, you can choose to exercise in the heated indoor swimming pool or fitness center. It not only improves health but also helps you make friends who love sports.

On a chilly Mount Qingcheng morning, you don't want to go out for breakfast. When we woke up naturally, the most pleasant sound was the room service delivering breakfast. The most comfortable part of a French breakfast is having a slice of baguette with butter before the meal. The warm baguette makes the butter soft and smooth. Paired with brunch soufflé and orange juice, this is how a couple's cozy life should be—slow and delightful, lingering.

After breakfast, directly across from the hotel are Sunac Mall, Sunac Land, Sunac Water Park, and Sunac Snow World. It takes about a 6-minute walk from the hotel. As long as it's not a weekend, you can stroll around easily. Let me tell you: the recently super popular Zhongshuge Bookstore is hidden on the second floor of Sunac Mall. When we went, it looked incredibly beautiful, truly like a world between reflections and reality.

// Eat well before going home //

At Wanda's Pinzhen Chinese Restaurant, the first thing that impressed me was the names of each private room. These names—once those of residential projects I had seen—all appeared before my eyes. But eating inside them now felt different. The biggest feature of the Chinese restaurant was the lake-view rooms: the lake in front, the mountains in the distance.

After the temperature dropped, Dujiangyan urgently needed hot dishes to warm up. Since there were only two of us, the chef specially prepared a pot of [Fish Head and Lamb Soup] according to the weather. Sichuan people love lamb mostly in winter. The lamb bones and fish head are pan-fried until golden on both sides, then simmered with mountain spring water until the broth becomes rich, thick, and pure white.

As soon as the lid was lifted, waves of fragrance wafted over. What good soup would be complete without the first handful of pea shoots in winter? When I ate the first bite of pea shoots, the distant Mount Zhao Gong also unveiled its mysterious veil. Everything was just perfect.

Winter for Chengdu people is actually simple: a handful of blanched pea shoots, a table of mahjong with four players. And at Wanda Vista Dujiangyan, all of this is available.

I must say, couples now have more options for their weekends. Besides staying home and watching movies, we can also treat ourselves: soak in hot springs, eat delicious food, and enjoy quiet time together in a place with no disturbances. I don't remember who said: investing in life is the best way to enjoy life—I have always believed that.