Chengdu Is Not Just Spicy Hot Pot — A 10,000-Mile Journey on the Western Loop (2)

Mian County is 450 kilometers from Chengdu. Arrived in the afternoon, checked into the Super 8 Hotel near Qingyang Palace. After a short rest, visited Kuanzhai Alley. It's not far away, so we walked.

Chengdu 1 Chengdu 2

Kuanzhai Alley

Kuanzhai Alley is located in Qingyang District. It is an ancient street left over from the Qing Dynasty and is hailed as one of the 'Top Ten Most Beautiful Streets in Sichuan.'

Kuanzhai Alley 1

During the Kangxi reign, after quelling the Dzungar rebellion, troops were stationed in Chengdu, and a 'Manchu City' was built for the banner people to live in. As the Qing Dynasty declined, the 'Manchu City' was no longer off-limits. Notable figures such as Yu Youren, Yang Sen, and Liu Wenhui, as well as some ordinary people, once settled here. At that time, the wider alley was called 'Xingren Hutong,' and the narrower alley was called 'Taiping Hutong.'

Kuanzhai Alley 2 Kuanzhai Alley 3

In the early years of the Republic of China, 'Hutong' was renamed 'Alley.' During a city survey, the surveyors casually marked the wider alley as 'Wide Alley' and the narrower one as 'Narrow Alley,' thus giving rise to the name 'Kuanzhai Alley.'

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Beginning in the 1980s, Kuanzhai Alley was transformed into a commercial street focused on tourism and leisure, featuring regional characteristics and the culture of the Bashu region.

Kuanzhai Alley 6 Kuanzhai Alley 7

Wide Alley features many buildings from the late Qing and early Republic of China, as well as some Western-style architecture, showcasing the living environment of old Chengdu.

Kuanzhai Alley 8

Narrow Alley is characterized by bars, restaurants, art and leisure-themed shops, etc., displaying the 'slow life' of old Chengdu.

Kuanzhai Alley 9 Kuanzhai Alley 10

There are many tourists, mostly young people, and likely very few locals. For us old travel enthusiasts, it's purely about joining the crowd.

July 10, morning: Visited Wuhou Shrine and Du Fu Thatched Cottage. The Chengdu bus 'Jincheng Sightseeing Line' is a circular route connecting the city's major attractions. Route 1 goes clockwise, Route 2 goes counterclockwise, fare is 2 yuan. It solves the problem of parking difficulties for self-driving in the city and is very convenient.

We arrived early, and Wuhou Shrine was not yet open, so we first took a look around the surrounding area.

Jinli Jinli 1

In recent years, Chengdu has created a new ancient street 'Jinli' on the east side of Wuhou Shrine, and incorporated 'Nanjiao Park' on the west side, expanding the scenic area and adding new attractions.

Jinli 2 Jinli 3

Jinli, located on the east side of Wuhou Shrine, is said to have been the oldest and most commercial street in the history of the Western Shu Kingdom. Whether true or not, it now relies on Wuhou Shrine, based on the architectural style of late Qing and early Republic of China Sichuan residences, with the culture of the Three Kingdoms and traditional Sichuan folklore as its connotation, and integrates dining, accommodation, transportation, sightseeing, shopping, and entertainment. It is antique and well-imitated.

Jinli 4 Jinli 5

Nanjiao Park

Nanjiao Park is located on the west side of Wuhou Shrine. It was originally the cemetery of Liu Xiang, the chairman of Sichuan Province and commander of the 7th War Zone during the Republic of China period. It is the only northern-style mausoleum architecture complex in the southwest. Originally an independent park, it has now been merged into the garden area of Wuhou Shrine.

Liu Xiang's Tomb 1 (Tumulus)

From the south gate of Jinli, we circled to the exit outside the northwest corner of Wuhou Shrine, directly opposite Liu Xiang's tomb. However, the viewing direction taken this way was reversed: tomb — sacrificial hall — stele pavilion — watchtower gate — main gate.

Liu Xiang's Tomb 2 (Square)

It is said that it was Liu Xiang's dying wish to be buried next to Liu Bei's tomb. Because he considered himself a descendant of Liu Bei with dragon genes, to be buried together after death is also a form of returning to the ancestral lineage.

Liu Xiang's Tomb 3 (Stele Pavilion)

In fact, Liu Xiang was just a warlord who spent most of his life fighting civil wars within Sichuan and did not contribute much to the 'Party and State.' Later, he led 300,000 Sichuan troops out of Sichuan to resist the Japanese, which was commendable in determination, but before much fighting occurred, he died of illness in Wuhan. The Nationalist government gave him a 'state funeral' and posthumously promoted him to 'First-Class General,' and built this tomb in the style of Qing imperial mausoleums. During the Anti-Japanese War, the Sichuan troops who left Sichuan participated in all major battles, fought bravely, and sacrificed more than 260,000 people, the highest among all provinces in the country. However, all this occurred after Liu Xiang's death.

Liu Xiang's Tomb 4 (Watchtower Gate)

Wuhou Shrine

Wuhou Shrine is located in Wuhou District. It is a temple commemorating Zhuge Liang, named because Zhuge Liang was enfeoffed as 'Marquis Wu' during his lifetime and posthumously honored as 'Zhongwu Marquis.' It is a 4A scenic spot.

Wuhou Shrine 1 (Main Gate)

In fact, this was originally Liu Bei's territory — Huiling (Liu Bei's tomb). A temple named 'Han Zhaolie Temple' was built next to the tomb to worship Liu Bei. After Zhuge Liang died, another Wuhou Shrine was built next to Liu Bei's temple. In the Ming Dynasty, the two temples were merged into one, becoming the only temple in China jointly worshipping a ruler and his subject. Perhaps Zhuge Liang's fame overshadowed the ruler; no one knows when people started calling 'Han Zhaolie Temple' as 'Wuhou Shrine.' Fortunately, Zhuge Liang was already dead, and the Shu Han had fallen, so no one would pursue Zhuge Liang for the crime of usurping authority.

Wuhou Shrine 2 (Second Gate)

The temple faces south, with the main buildings arranged along a central axis. In order: main gate, second gate, Han Zhaolie Temple, passage hall, Wuhou Shrine, and behind it, the relocated Sanyi Temple and the newly built Jieyi Tower, among other structures.

Wuhou Shrine 3

The second gate is in front of Liu Bei's Hall, with a plaque reading 'Mingliang Qian'gu,' meaning 'Enlightened ruler and virtuous minister, exemplar through the ages.' The character 'ming' (明) has '目' on the left instead of '日' because the plaque writer was from the Qing Dynasty. If the character 'ming' were equated with the Ming Dynasty and 'exemplar through the ages,' the writer's head would probably not be safe. A wrong character could save one's entire family from execution.

Wuhou Shrine 4 (Liu Bei's Hall)

Liu Bei's Hall is located inside the second gate, grand and imposing. In the center is a gilded statue of Liu Bei, and on his left is a statue of his grandson Liu Chen. On the right was originally a statue of his son Liu Shan, but because of his incompetence and loss of power, it was removed by people in the Song Dynasty. On the side halls, east side has statues of Guan Yu and his son and Zhou Cang, west side has statues of Zhang Fei and his three generations of descendants.

Wuhou Shrine 5

The passage hall is between Liu Bei's Hall and Zhuge Liang's Hall, with a plaque reading 'Wuhou Shrine,' which should be equivalent to the main gate of Zhuge Liang's temple.

Wuhou Shrine 6 (Passage Hall) Wuhou Shrine 7 (Zhuge Liang's Hall)

Zhuge Liang's Hall has a plaque reading 'Mingchui Yuzhou' (Famous throughout the universe). The main hall enshrines statues of Zhuge Liang and his three generations.

Wuhou Shrine 8

On the main beam of the hall are inscribed famous lines from Zhuge Liang's 'Admonitions to His Son': 'Without indifference, one cannot make clear one's aspirations; without tranquility, one cannot reach far-reaching goals.' All the plaques and couplets are words of praise and flattery.

Wuhou Shrine 9 (Civil Officials' Corridor)

Civil and martial corridors: aside from Liu Bei, Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, and Zhuge Liang, who have dedicated halls, the other important figures of the Shu Kingdom have statues in the civil and martial corridors on both sides of Liu Bei's Hall. The east side is the civil officials' corridor, and the west side is the martial officials' corridor, each with fourteen civil and military officials.

Wuhou Shrine 10 (Sanyi Temple)

Sanyi Temple is located behind Zhuge Liang's Hall, grand in scale, originally built in the early Kangxi reign of the Qing Dynasty. Its original site was on Tidujie Street, and it was moved to Wuhou Shrine in 1998.

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Huiling is located on the west side of Wuhou Shrine, connected by a red-walled corridor. It is the auspicious site personally chosen by Zhuge Liang for Liu Bei. The tomb contains Liu Bei and his two wives, Lady Gan and Lady Wu. It was closed due to internal renovations.

Wuhou Shrine 13 (Liu Bei's Tomb)

There are many calligraphy works and couplets in Wuhou Shrine, including some world-famous masterpieces.

Du Fu Thatched Cottage

Du Fu Thatched Cottage is located in Qingyang District. It is the former residence of the Tang Dynasty poet Du Fu. It is a 4A scenic spot.

Du Fu Thatched Cottage 1

To escape the 'An Lushan Rebellion,' Du Fu brought his family to Shu and built a thatched house in Chengdu, calling it 'Chengdu Thatched Cottage.' Du Fu lived here for nearly four years, composing over 240 poems that have been passed down to this day. Among them, 'On Hearing the Recovery of Henan and Hebei by the Imperial Army' has become a required text for students. The thatched cottage is regarded as a 'holy land' in literary history.

Du Fu Thatched Cottage 2

The current layout of Du Fu Thatched Cottage was rebuilt during the Jiaqing reign of the Qing Dynasty, covering an area of nearly 300 mu. The three main memorial buildings on the central axis are the Grand Hall, the Hall of Poetry History, and the Ministry of Works Shrine.

Du Fu Thatched Cottage 3 (Grand Hall)

The 'Grand Hall' is a hall commemorating Du Fu's political career. 'Hall' is a type of open-style building, a kind of office space for ancient officials.

In fact, Du Fu had an unlucky official career and had little political experience. His coming to Chengdu was merely to avoid the turmoil of war.

Du Fu Thatched Cottage 4 (Hall of Poetry History)

The 'Hall of Poetry History' is a hall dedicated to displaying and commemorating Du Fu's poetry. Because Du Fu's poems reflect the rise and fall of the Tang Dynasty, they are known as 'poetry history,' and the building is named accordingly.

Du Fu Thatched Cottage 5 (Ministry of Works Shrine)

The 'Ministry of Works Shrine' is a temple for worshipping Du Fu. Du Fu was once appointed as 'Left Reminder' by Emperor Suzong of Tang, so he was commonly called 'Du Reminder.' Later, he also served as 'Acting Secretary of the Ministry of Works,' so later generations also called him 'Du of the Ministry of Works.'

Du Fu Thatched Cottage 6

The buildings in the thatched cottage are simple and elegant, grand in scale. Between the halls and shrines, winding corridors surround, creating a deep and tranquil atmosphere.

In the garden, ancient pines block the sky, green bamboos shade the sun. To the east, there are flower paths; to the west, waterside railings. Pavilions, terraces, ponds, and towers are scattered among them, full of poetic sentiment and picturesque beauty. It is a classical garden combining excellent cultural landscape and natural scenery.

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Qingyang Palace

Qingyang Palace is located in the city center, between Kuanzhai Alley and Du Fu Thatched Cottage, across the street from the hotel we stayed at. It is known as the 'Number One Taoist Temple in Western Sichuan.'

Qingyang Palace 1

Since the Han Dynasty, the area around today's Qingyang Palace was a market where black (qing means black) goats were traded — the Qingyang Market.

Qingyang Palace 2

In the early Tang Dynasty, a Taoist temple called Xuanzhong Temple was built here.

Qingyang Palace 3 Qingyang Palace 4

At the end of the Tang Dynasty, when Huang Chao's rebel army attacked Chang'an, Emperor Xizong of Tang, Li Xuan, fled to Chengdu and lived in Xuanzhong Temple for four years. After returning to Chang'an, he remembered his days in the temple and donated two million silver taels for its expansion. Because the emperor had stayed there, the temple was upgraded from 'temple' to 'palace' and named 'Qingyang Palace.'

Qingyang Palace 5 Qingyang Palace 6

Most of the existing structures were renovated or rebuilt in the Qing Dynasty.

Qingyang Palace 7 Qingyang Palace 8

Qingyang Palace is quite large, with magnificent hall buildings. The main six halls are on a central axis, including the Mountain Gate, Hunyuan Hall, Bagua Pavilion, Sanqing Hall, Doumu Hall, Zijin Terrace, Jiangsheng Terrace, and Shuofa Terrace, among others.

Qingyang Palace 9 Qingyang Palace 10

Next to Qingyang Palace is a Cultural Park, which is a leisure venue for citizens.

Cultural Park 1 Cultural Park 2 Cultural Park 3 Cultural Park 4

July 11, morning: Left Chengdu for Ma'erkang. En route, visited Dujiangyan and the Yingxiu Earthquake Ruins.

Dujiangyan

Dujiangyan is 70 kilometers from Chengdu, located on the Minjiang River west of Dujiangyan City. It is the world's oldest existing dam-free water diversion project, built over 2,200 years ago by Li Bing, the Governor of Shu Commandery, and his son. It is listed as a World Cultural Heritage site and is a 5A scenic spot.

Dujiangyan 1 Dujiangyan 2

Dujiangyan Scenic Area has developed many attractions, but due to time constraints, we only visited the water conservancy project part this time.

Dujiangyan 3

The Dujiangyan water conservancy project mainly consists of three parts: the Fish Mouth water-dividing dike, the Flying Sand Weir, and the Bottle-Neck Channel.

Dujiangyan 4

The Fish Mouth is at the front of the water-dividing dike, named for its shape like a fish head. It divides the river into two streams: the western stream, called the Outer River, flows along the Minjiang River channel; the eastern stream, called the Inner River, flows through the Bottle-Neck Channel into the Chengdu Plain.

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The Outer River's riverbed is wide and high, while the Inner River's is narrow and low. During the dry season, 60% of the river water flows into the Inner River, ensuring water supply for the Chengdu Plain; during floods, most of the water flows away through the wider Outer River, preventing floods on the Chengdu Plain. This automatic water distribution design is called '60-40 water division.'

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The Bottle-Neck Channel is the outlet for the Inner River water to flow into the Chengdu Plain. Before the invention of gunpowder, Li Bing and his son used the method of burning rocks to chisel a channel 20 meters wide, 40 meters high, and 80 meters long in Mount Yulei on the east bank of the Inner River. Because its shape resembles a bottle, it was named 'Bottle-Neck Channel.'

Dujiangyan 10

The Flying Sand Weir is a spillway weir built near the Bottle-Neck Channel. The channel upstream of the weir is curved, creating a circular vortex. The huge centrifugal force carries riverbed silt over the weir and into the Outer River, reducing siltation of the Bottle-Neck Channel, hence the name 'Flying Sand Weir.' A bridge has now been built in front of the current Flying Sand Weir location.

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The Flying Sand Weir also serves to regulate water volume. When the Inner River water level is too high, floodwater overflows the weir into the Outer River; when the Inner River water level is low, the weir blocks the water from discharging, allowing all water to flow into the Bottle-Neck Channel, ensuring water supply for the irrigation area and protection from floods.

Dujiangyan 12

Our tour route this time: Enter from Lidui Gate, cross the Flying Sand Weir, walk along the east bank of the Outer River to the Fish Mouth, then return along the west bank of the Inner River, cross the Anlan Bridge, visit Erwang Temple, walk along the Songmao Ancient Path, pass through the pedestrian street, cross the South Bridge, and return to the gate of Lidui Scenic Area.

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Sichuan is not short of rivers and streams, but due to mountain barriers, the Chengdu Plain was once a drought-prone water-deficient area. After Li Bing and his son organized the construction of Dujiangyan, it has been playing the role of flood control and irrigation for over two thousand years, turning the Chengdu Plain into a 'Land of Abundance' with fertile fields stretching a thousand li.

Dujiangyan 18

The irrigation area of Dujiangyan still covers tens of millions of mu today, benefiting more than 30 counties and cities.

Dujiangyan 19

Wenchuan Earthquake Ruins

Yingxiu Town in Wenchuan County is 30 kilometers northwest of Dujiangyan, located at the junction of National Highway G213 and G350, where the Yuzi Stream flows into the Minjiang River. With its advantageous location, it was a very prosperous large town.

Yingxiu 1

The epicenter of the 2008 'Wenchuan Earthquake' was in Yingxiu, with a magnitude of 8.0. A total of more than 230 counties were affected, with over 69,000 people killed, over 18,000 missing, over 375,000 injured, and a total affected population of over 46 million. In Yingxiu, over 5,400 people died.

Yingxiu 2

Xuankou Middle School is located in Yingxiu Town. At the time of the earthquake, over 1,500 students were in class; 45 students and 10 staff members died. The earthquake ruins have been relatively well preserved. The casualty rate at Xuankou Middle School was not the highest; at Yingxiu Primary School, half of the over 400 students died.

Yingxiu 3

Entering the gate of the ruins, one sees collapsed walls and broken tiles.

Yingxiu 4

The main teaching building has collapsed, and the stone clock on the steps in front of the building is frozen at 14:28 on May 12, 2008.

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The five-story stepped classroom building has been compressed to only one story in height, and the five-story student dormitory building has also completely collapsed. It is said that the remains of more than twenty teachers and students are still buried under the rubble and have not been recovered.

Yingxiu 7

The scene of devastation shows tourists the miserable sight of the picturesque Yingxiu being instantly destroyed.

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More than 20 years later, Yingxiu Town has regained its prosperity. The government-built residences are even more beautiful. The earthquake ruins have become a must-visit spot for tourists heading north from Chengdu. Many families in the town have set up guesthouses and restaurants. The fortunate Yingxiu people who survived the catastrophe are living even more fortunate lives.

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(To be continued)