Chengdu Travel, An Easy-going City
By Daniel Reed, Mon Dec 26th

Located in the west Sichuan Basin of Southwestern China, Chengduwas once cited by a magazine as the most stress-free city inChina. Bestowed with rich rainfall, fertile land, and a low costof living, Chengdu is imbued with an atmosphere of ease andcomfort, evident in its residents' leisurely manner. Theparticularity of the region is also perceivable in the localdishes, teahouses and, most of all, in the women of Chengdu.Visitors to Chengdu therefore like to amble around the city,enjoying the exuberant and inexpensive life style, rather thanrushing around the scenic spots.

Chengdu is well known for its Sichuan cuisine. Compared withGuangdong dishes, those of Sichuan are equally delicious, butmore homely, and the gastronomic pleasure they bring neverpalls. In China, twice-cooked pork (huiguorou) and diced porkwith peanuts in hot spicy sauce (gongbaorouding) are availablein most restaurants, and are among the most frequently ordereddishes.

People in different cities have diverse tastes in food: Beijingpeople enjoy elaborate banquets to bolster their self-esteem;for Shanghainese, the environment and atmosphere of a restauranttake priority over the food, as dining is only a means throughwhich to flaunt their refined taste. People from Guangdong, onthe other hand, are solely concerned about the stuff of therepast. As for the people of Chengdu, flavor is of utmostimportance. Chengdu people love to try food that is new and invogue. They will travel the length of the city just to taste anewly devised dish in an out-of-the-way eatery, and localrestaurants are adept at coming up with an endless supply ofexotic dishes to entice new customers. Once a dish comes intovogue, diners swarm to try it, and it is soon available inalmost every restaurant in the city.

Chengdu food is hot, spicy, succulent, and crisp. On WangpingStreet, Meiling Road and Yangxixian Street, are numerousrestaurants serving hot-pot and original Chengdu dishes. Amongthem, the three run by scholars are most distinctive. ChuandongLaojia (Eastern Sichuan Hometown) was founded by Er Mao, a poetof the Miao ethnic minority. Having inherited his mother'scooking skills, he developed a series of new dishes that blendthe flavor of Sichuan and Miao ethnic food. The Xiangjichu,which was established by another poet, Li Yawei, enjoys briskbusiness for its savory dishes and rustic-style service, and HeNong, a man of letters, is an exponent of home cooking, and hascreated

the trademark of new-style Sichuan dishes --- Baguo Buyi(Sichuan Commoner).

One very popular leisure pursuit in China is tea drinking, andthe teahouse is an indispensable feature in the life of Chengdupeople. As cafes and bars supersede teahouses in other Chinesecities advancing towards modern metropolis status, most of thetraditional teahouses still do a good trade in Chengdu, the mostcelebrated being the one inside the Great Mercy Temple.

It is said that the Great Mercy Temple was the first place thatDu Fu, eminent poet of the Tang Dynasty, visited after arrivingin Chengdu, and that he ate the free porridge given to thehomeless there. In the dynasties following, the temple served asboth a Buddhist sanctum and a place of recreation for bothofficials and the populace. It is only in Chengdu that Buddhismand human society blend harmoniously. Today a Chengdu Museum andteahouse have been built inside the Great Mercy Temple. Afterordering a pot of jasmine tea at a nominal five yuan charge, thecustomer may spend the whole day in the traditional-styleteahouse, with its winding corridors, carved beams, paintedpillars, and broad fanlight. Waiters serve tea in a particularlyskillful manner, from a distance with a long-spouted brassteapot, from which a narrow arc of hot water pours directly intothe cup without spilling a drop. Besides tea, breakfast, lunchand dinner, a full range of Sichuan dishes is also served at theGreat Mercy Teahouse. Casting a glance around the parlor, youmay see young lovers billing and cooing, middle-aged men readingthe newspaper, and elders tending their pet birds.

The teahouses in Chengdu reveal a particular attitude towardslife: that of acquiring the best service at the least cost.Social demarcation within the social strata is blurred in theteahouse. Sipping tea at the same table, people from differentregions become friends.

The carefree life in Chengdu greatly benefits local women, whoare generally of a sweet and charming nature. A Chengdu-basedwriter has portrayed Chengdu girls in this way: "Chengdu girlssound delectable and tender, even when they are squabbling. Manyof my friends are true Chengdu women. Despite having differentdispositions and interests, they all radiate feminine charm."

About the author:Daniel Reed is the author of "Chengdu Travel, an Easy-going City". Visithis web site: http://www.travellodge.info for moretraveling informaton about China.