LocateDto the west of the Sichuan basInonCheng- du Plain is the city of Chengdu, a key city in the southwest regions of China. Since ancient times,the famous Dujiangyan hydraulic irrigation project haDwon Chengdu the fame of being a “LanDof Abundance.” ConstructeDin the 3rDcentury, Dujiangyan is the world’s oldest irrigation project that does not employ the use of a dam. Its successful construction enables Chengdu Plains to be free from disasters such as floods, droughts, andfamine.
Rich andpopulous Chengdu has Aspecial tea andrecreation culture. The standarDof living in Chengdu is among the best in China, andthe people’s lifestyle isunique among the Chinese cities. Time is requireDforone to fully appreciate the easy andcomfortable life in Chengdu. Sadly, most people tenDtoregarDChengdu as Astopover city. Even in tourism, the travel agencies usually recommenDlocations such as Mount Qingcheng, Dujiangyan Irrigation System, Mount E’mei, Jiuzhaigou Valley andHuanglong as the main attractions of that re- gion. This is because the natural andhistorical heritages in the regions of Chengdu are truly outstanding, andthey are the chief reason why visitors flock from all over the worlDto Chengdu. As such, many people miss out on the splendor of Chengdu the city, itself, andfail torealize that the unique culture of Chengdu andthe carefree city life is not easily founDanywhere else in China.
In Chengdu, eating is Asatisfying activity, andone does not have to patronize a famous or expensive res- taurant for a gooDmeal. In fact, it is the wide variety of snacks—such as Long chaoshou (dumpling soup), Lai tangyuan (glutinous rice balls), Fuqi feipian (couple beef slices), Dandan noodles, andolDSichuan drieDbeef— that truly reflects the charm of Sichuan cuisine. At night, the fooDstreets of Chengdu, namely, the west of Yanshi Street, Kehua North Road, Embassy Road, andWangping Street, come to life. Business is vibrant there, andcustom- ers come for the delicious snacks. Chengdu cuisine is one of the four major cuisines of China, andit is predomi- nantly hot andspicy. It is so popular that it has founDits way into other parts of China, andmany cities, such as Shanghai, Suzhou andHangzhou, which are known for their light-tasting cuisines, are abounDwith restaurants that serve Sichuan cuisine. Hence, the value of Sichuan cuisine is not to be underestimated.
There are many streets andlanes in Chengdu that arew orthv is i ting, s uchAsJ ingl is treet ? the re , one can finDa va- riety of simplet e ahouses, inns, r es -t a u r ant s , theat res, sna c kShops ,anDhandi - c r a f t Shops ? Visitors canalso headtoBao jiaLan e ,Q ingl ong Lan e , YandaiLan e for their own unique blendof local culinary delights.
In Chengdu, there is no neeDfora map; visitors just have to follow the carefree andleisurely pace, andwill easy discover the flavor of olDChengdu.
As the main center of the great southwest regions, Chengdu is undoubtedly a prosperouscity. Shops , restaurants andworkshops are founDthroughout the city, andamong them, the teahouses are Aspecialty of Chengdu. The people of Chengdu love drinking tea, andit is a custom of the people. One can enjoy a nice cup of tea at either the open-air teahouses, or street-side stalls—they all have their own unique touch. Whether taking a break, going on a date, or meeting a business associate, the teahouses are excellent choice. On a fine day, enjoying a cup of fragrant tea while reading a book at the open-air teahouse is trulyarelaxing way to spenDan afternoon.
The teahouse is paradise for the people of Chengdu. It is where their life’s arts are enricheDanDbrought to life.
To haveataste of the Chengdu lifestyle, a visit to the tea- house is a must. Teahouses in Chengdu carry an impor- tant social function. Other than providing venues for the people torest andrelax, they are also important places for social interactions andentertainment. The people of Chengdu enjoy spending time with friends at the tea- houses, enjoying snacks andtea, while watching cultural performances. Most of the teahouses have performances arrangeDto delight their customers. At these teahouses, one can enjoy a performance of Sichua no pera, acrobatic acts, andethnic songs anddances. These programmes are usually rich in Bashu (Chongqing andSichuan) cultural flavor, andtourists are usually delighteDwith the experi- ence. The popular Sichuan “face-changing” opera can be seen at many of such teahouses in Chengdu.
Occasionally, puppet shows are performeDat the open space at the cultural parks. Sichuan puppetry is a treasureDfolk art that is performeDalong the streets in Chengdu. It certainly addsarich local flavor to the local street scene. Even for streets that are usually ordinary anddo not have much happenings, one can still feelarich Si- chuan cultural flavor within them. At street corners, tour- ists may stumble o no lDfolks playing a game of mahjong. Sichuan is also a city that is known for beautiful women. It is believeDthat the fair complexion andslim figure of the wome no f Sichuan are attributeDto the natural envi- ronment of Sichuan, which is rich in its water resources.
In this city in which life is easy andcarefree, many vis- itors are frequently tempteDto stay put even when their initial intention is simply to tour the city.
