A Feast of Exquisite Cuisine: Chengdu Reigns Supreme

Fingertip: The only things in life not to be let down are beautiful scenery and delicious food.

Some say that when we think of Chengdu, we don't think of the city's name but of countless delicious foods. 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 highly developed catering industry in Chengdu. Almost every out-of-town tourist who comes to Chengdu is interested in Chengdu's hotpot, Sichuan cuisine, snacks, and spicy hot pot. If you come to Chengdu and don't eat the local delicacies, you'll feel like you've gone to a treasure mountain and returned empty-handed.

A city has its own history and culture, as well as its own characteristic districts. To understand the history and culture of a city, you should step into its characteristic districts, learn about the cultural origins and stories of famous figures it carries, touch the lingering warmth of its history up close, and feel the atmosphere of bustling commerce and worldly pleasures that have persisted through the changes of the times.

With rare leisure time and family accompanying us, we decided to wander around Jinli, savoring the sights 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 a few fireworks blooming outside the mirror of time.

Entering Jinli, the tempting aroma of delicious food hits you. Shops are wide open, mainly selling food and drinks. Fresh fruits and delicacies, carefully arranged, appear faintly in the light mist. Gazing at their beautiful shapes, discerning their fresh colors, and smelling their fragrant scents, one can't help but salivate secretly, unable to resist.

Beside the shops, there are Sichuan opera performers in makeup greeting guests. They mimic the movements from opera, suddenly retracting their necks and thrusting their heads forward, their white faces turning red, startling you. Before you can even feel surprised or annoyed, they pull you into a funny face, making you burst into laughter. This teasing and joy instantly lift your spirits.

When we first arrived, the sky was clear. Strolling through Jinli with fewer tourists, there was a hazy, classical charm. Jinli's streets are not wide, but ancient buildings on both sides face each other, with strings of red lanterns hanging high and low—some under the upturned eaves, some on tree branches—flickering in the hazy rain, full of unique charm.

Walking through the ancient street feels like walking through a poetic scene with harmonious rhythms. Carved and latticed windows, ancient walls draped with trailing vines, and winding corridors create a poetic backdrop, contrasting elegance with a sense of vicissitude and vitality.

Jinli is an ancient street suitable 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 amidst the fast-paced city.

After finishing our stroll in Jinli, we felt hungry. It seems that the allure of food is quite strong. We decided to take our family to the Gua Chuan Chuan (Melon Skewers) restaurant on Jinfangyuan East Road, which we heard was quite good. When we arrived, we found the environment of this Gua Chuan Chuan was really nice.

The overall decoration features green bricks and green tiles, with red walls full of festive cheer. The space is spacious with clear functional divisions. The retro Chinese style adds a unique charm to this restaurant, making it truly antique.

Although we thought it was still early, once inside, we found it was a different world—there were a lot of people. The entire hall was full, and the chatter was endless, but it didn't dampen the enthusiasm of the foodies lining up outside. Indeed, good taste is the most important thing; this is the true nature of Chengdu foodies.

Pot base: The soup base is prepared in authentic Chengdu style, resulting in a spicy and satisfying cold pot of skewers. The ultra-rich soup base is freshly boiled every day, with red oil covering the secret stock pot base, full of ingredients simmering from early morning until opening at noon. It's fragrant without being numbing, spicy without being dry. This flavor simply cannot be imitated; only the recipe passed down from the older generation can be called the old Chengdu taste.

70+ kinds of skewers to choose from: Six large freezers offer a dizzying array of choices, ensuring five-star cold chain protection for the ingredients. Fresh ingredients are carefully selected every day, marinated with care, and threaded onto skewers. You can choose any meat or vegetable—after eating, the skewers are weighed by the catty. Whatever you want to eat, just take it, and instantly start the crazy skewer-eating mode!

Handmade special dipping sauces: How fragrant is the dry dip? The combination of crushed peanuts and chili powder easily takes the crown. Roll gently, and you'll taste the peanut aroma. The manual process of making it ensures its uniqueness. The oil dip, made with sesame oil, minced garlic, and chopped green onions, is also a great helper for reducing spiciness and adding fragrance.

Beef skewers are versatile: Give me a slice of beef, and I can wrap up a world—five-spice, spicy, cilantro, pickled pepper, scallion. The beef is marinated in a secret sauce for two to three hours. Plump pickled peppers paired with tender beef, with a touch of green standing out among the red beef, burst in the mouth with an intense flavor upon eating. The thick beef pieces wrap around pickled peppers ready to burst with juice. Your mouth may say no, but your body is honest, sending one skewer after another to your lips.

Small sausages: Small sausages are a specialty of Chengdu. Round and plump, they are a mix of fat and lean, cut into bite-sized pieces. The slightly sweet taste is very Cantonese style. The sweet and spicy dual flavor is fascinating, and while reducing the spiciness, the satisfaction doubles! You won't regret coming to this restaurant; it's so delicious you can't stop.

Two | Part One: The "Boss" of Bars, Finding Your Own Intoxication

Hearing the name "Wuhou," anyone who has read the Three Kingdoms will surely feel familiar. That's right, this is the alias of the famous Zhuge Liang—"Zhuge Wuhou." If your favorite kingdom in "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" is Shu, then the famous scenic spot in Chengdu—Wuhou Temple—is a place you must visit. It will definitely 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 together and fulfill our Three Kingdoms dream.

Legend has it that Wuhou Temple was first built in 223 AD. Initially built as a mausoleum for Liu Bei, later generations merged Liu Bei's mausoleum with Zhuge Liang's shrine, forming the current Wuhou Temple, which enshrines both the ruler and his minister. It is the only such temple in China.

The heroes of the ever-changing Shu Kingdom have turned to dust here. Their great achievements are buried and rest here. All historical stories have settled and fermented here, giving rise to the heavy Wuhou Temple of today, a place to commemorate the heroes of Shu Han.

From Sanyi Temple to Wuhou Temple, from the Oath of the Peach Garden to Three Visits to the Thatched Cottage, we arrived at the main hall of Zhuge Liang's temple. In the center of the hall hangs a horizontal plaque reading "Fame Endures in the Universe," which is undoubtedly the highest praise for Mr. Zhuge. The upper couplet reads: "If you can win hearts, opposition naturally disappears; since ancient times, those skilled in warfare are not fond of war." The lower couplet reads: "If you do not assess the situation, leniency or strictness will both be wrong; later rulers of Shu must think deeply."

These two lines highly summarize Zhuge Liang's lifelong loyalty and ambition to serve the Shu Kingdom with utmost dedication until his death. He devoted his entire life to repay the kindness of the three visits to his thatched cottage and the favor of being recognized. Wuhou Temple is not large; being in a bustling city, it occupies little space. It can be toured in about an hour. Yet Wuhou Temple is also vast, because it carries not just a scenic spot, but the history of a dynasty, a tribute and remembrance of that era.

We walked and paused, turning into quiet corners, admiring bonsai, viewing flowers and plants, smelling subtle fragrances. We looked at ancient trees with intertwined roots, admired the delicate arch bridges and their water reflections, and sighed at the ruined Han palace pillars. With reverence for the Shu Kingdom, we slowly walked out.

In Chengdu, a city known for its leisure, there are many bars of all sizes. But this one, Bie Yuan Li (Other Courtyard), is the only one in Chengdu surrounded by greenery, lit by neon lights, and filled with various drinks and snacks. To give customers a better in-store experience, they specially invited a lighting design company to design the lighting effects.

We couldn't waste the evening time; we wanted to have a good time. We planned to take our family to Bie Yuan Li to enjoy the leisurely evening.

Entering the store, as the lights turned on, the entire bar became a colorful neon world. Amidst the interplay of light and shadow, colorful lights resembled stars in the sky, shining brightly in the bar, instantly elevating the entertainment and leisure atmosphere.

The selection of drinks in the store is as rich as their lighting. Foreign liquor, Chinese-style cocktails, cocktails, and pure imported beer—everything is available! Basically, whatever you want to drink can be found here!

Night Suit Mask Kiss: This rose wine, with its captivating appearance and refreshing rose fragrance, is enough to win the favor of ladies. Because the alcohol content is low, it can be chosen for gatherings of girlfriends or for leisurely moments. The rose flavor is not strong at first, but the taste of the wine becomes clearer as you go, making it enchanting.

Ancient Qiang Wheat Straw Sip Wine: A blue-and-white porcelain wine bottle with a strong martial arts atmosphere! Wheat straws serve as straws, and sipping the wine amidst laughter and joy offers a unique experience.

Barbecue Platter: Fine wine and grilled skewers have always been an inseparable pair. Eating barbecue without wine feels like betraying the gathering! Small sausages, shrimp, corn kernels, tofu skin, green beans, and many other items—spicy, numbing, fresh, and fragrant—can satisfy different people's appetites.

Lemongrass Grilled Fish: Besides barbecue, this grilled fish is a must-order dish. Although the fish is not big, its aroma has already caught my attention. Because the fish is grilled with lemongrass, the fragrance is even fresher! After frying, the fish is crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, delicious and very satisfying. Sitting and playing in such a music bar is the best way to enjoy comfort and relaxation.

Part Two: The Tip-of-the-Tongue Taste of Sichuan Cuisine, Unforgettable Yuan Gong

People talk about Chengdu's leisurely life—it's not about the office buildings in the High-tech Zone, not about the crowded Kuanzhai Alley, and not about the street snapshots on Chunxi Road. Come to People's Park; this is the place Chengdu people most look forward to living.

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, with Heming being the most famous. It was first built in the 1920s, almost a hundred years ago, almost as old as People's Park. Hence it is called Century-Old Heming. You must learn to "act first," because Heming is always full. Once someone leaves, immediately grab the seat. After sitting down, a waitress dressed in blue-and-white porcelain style will come to clean the table and let you order tea.

The playground is the place with the highest decibel levels. The noise and laughter of children are incessant. Little train, carousel, roller coaster—every child and big child can find their source of joy.

But the most popular activity in People's Park is still boating. The colorfully mottled small boats bear the childhood imprints of Chengdu people since the last century. The most people come on good weather days, and you need to queue for boating. Young parents often bring their children to row boats here, enjoying the happiness of a harmonious family, and of course, there are couples on dates. Anyway, no matter who is on the boat, everyone is as happy as a child.

After visiting the park, we planned to take our family to Yuan Gong on Chunxi Road. A friend had told me before that this restaurant is an authentic Sichuan cuisine restaurant with Zigong flavor, very popular and bustling, so we specially came to taste it today.

By the time we arrived, many people were already dining! The decoration of this restaurant is quite down-to-earth. The antique environment is very attractive, highlighting the characteristics of old Chengdu. The private rooms, hall, and booth seats all have a sense of design, decorated with flowers, exuding a unique charm.

Many of the customers here are tourists visiting Chengdu. The dishes they order are very characteristic of Chengdu—maoxuewang (blood curd and tripe in chili sauce), sliced chicken, and signature rabbit are the reasons I must visit. It's been a long time since I've tasted such fresh, fragrant, spicy, and numbing dishes. Big thumbs up!

Yuan Gong Sliced Chicken: The chicken slices are tender with a great texture, with scallions and white scallion pieces added, refreshing and tasty. Drizzled with secret red oil seasoning, the spiciness is just right.

Longmen Hanging Meat: It resembles a whole piece of deep-fried crispy meat. The little sister cuts it while saying auspicious words, which adds a nice ritual. The meat is tender, smooth, and delicious. Dipping it in chili powder makes it even better.

Yuan Gong Signature Rabbit: Tender and smooth rabbit meat paired with refreshing and juicy clams instantly elevates the texture. Fragrant and spicy, it's incredibly satisfying to eat.

Yuan Gong Braised Duck: The duck meat is tender and delicious, with a strong braised aroma. Especially the skin part is fragrant, smooth, and tasty, with an excellent texture.

Huoshui Silver Carp: The silver carp is quite large. The back of the fish is cut into several slices to allow the flavors to penetrate better. The fish meat is snow-white and tender. The celery and green pepper sections are particularly delicious—simply my favorite! Such delicious food must not be missed; action speaks louder than heart.

Part Two: Natural Humanities, Exquisite Sentiments | The Unique Charm of Jiaoliao

Jiaoliao—a place whose name alone makes you want to know more. These two characters come from Zhuangzi's "Free and Easy Wandering": "The wren builds its nest in the deep forest, occupying only one branch; the mole drinks from the river, only enough to fill its belly." In this insatiable world, we cannot be too greedy. We should try to be "unmoved by all praise, unaffected by all blame, clear on the distinction between internal and external, discerning the boundary between honor and disgrace." Perhaps such a state is too difficult to achieve, hence the existence of Jiaoliao, allowing us to slow down and let go of the pursuit of a limited world.

The Jiaoliao Hotel is a strong branch among these countless deep forests, pursuing only freedom, unwilling to drag its tail in the mud. It absorbs the nourishment of old Chengdu culture, seeking a "slow life" in the busy city and returning to a natural state of living.

Pushing open the door, the corridor comes into view. At the end of the corridor hangs a plaque inscribed with "Ride on things to roam with the heart," from Zhuangzi's "The Human World." Understanding its meaning, I couldn't help but admire the great wisdom of the old master Zhuangzi.

Entering the hotel, we looked around all four floors. The design and decoration of this hotel are really good, giving a comfortable and soothing feeling. During the tour, we found that every room has its own unique name, such as Yanqian (shallow words), Youwei (subtlety), Shìwěi (worldly hypocrisy), and so on. We planned to stay in Yanqian because the moment we saw this name, my friend and I felt we liked it, as if these two words held deep meaning, leaving us with endless imagination.

The security of this hotel is also very good. Guests need to swipe a card or have the butler open the door to enter the guest rooms. After confirming our stay, the hotel butler gave us a key card shaped like a wren, cute and charming! Looking closely, we saw a butler service window outside the door. Opening it, we found it was connected inside and out. When we called, the butler would put what we needed inside, and we could just take it. This thoughtful design is both convenient and non-intrusive.

Although from the outside, Jiaoliao looks simple and elegant, the items used inside are all consistent with five-star hotels. Mattresses, linens, bathroom fixtures, and automatic toilets—all hardware facilities are superb. Various decorations are complete and neatly arranged, everything feeling comfortable and cozy. The branded equipment subtly reflects the hotel's high-end quality, making us love it! My friend kept saying that this place is even more cozy than home.

After entering, we found that each room has a loving wren on the headboard, gazing deeply, as if lost in thought or listening. The wrens in each room have different expressions and poses. My friend and I treated it as our listener, trying to talk to it. The unspeakable troubles can all be poured out to this little creature that is beyond words. After expressing all the unhappiness, I felt much better inside.

On the TV wall, a large hand-embroidered Shu embroidery peony blooms, and there are brocade carp leaping on Shu brocade. Touching them, we couldn't help but marvel at the ancestors' mature craftsmanship and long-standing culture. Overall, the rooms are full of traditional Sichuan cultural elements. While staying, we also felt the cultural熏陶. My friends and I often travel and have stayed in some good hotels, but a hotel with such thoughtful service is truly rare. We definitely made the right choice this time.

The room also provides four types of top-grade tea from Mengding Mountain. Usually, we drink too many carbonated drinks, which can be burdensome. When we settled down, we brewed a cup of tea, savoring nature's gift, and immediately felt refreshed and invigorated.

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, and handle any issues encountered in the hotel. Even our breakfast every morning can be customized—according to our taste and schedule, delivered to the room. The lunch is provided at Zifu, the first restaurant in Kuanzhai Alley themed around Zhuangzi's culture. It integrates culture, Sichuan cuisine, drinking games, and performances in the form of a set meal, taking you into a dynasty of pavilions, ancient qin, and opera songs. Waking up in the morning and pushing open the wooden window, breathing in the first breeze and first rays of sunlight in Kuanzhai Alley, so fresh and pleasant. After washing up, we enjoyed the hotel's customized breakfast, our hearts filled with gratitude.

After breakfast, we stood in the small garden, breathing fresh air, admiring the clear night sky, brewing a cup of hot tea, and exploring the stories of time in this ancient alley up close.

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

In the busy and noisy city, there is always a leisurely, cozy place where you can release your body and mind.