Finally I found the time to complete the posts about our trip to China and Tibet. After our visit to Tibet we flew to Chengdu, the capital of the Sichuan province. Sichuan is of course famous for its delicious and spicy kitchen. Within 30 minutes after our arrival we had a taste of the wonderful food.
The first full day in Chengdu started with the main attraction of this relaxed city: the Chengdu Panda Base.
The Panda center is a green and spacious environment with lots of Panda to see and photograph. This was one of the highlights of our trip.
In the afternoon we went to the small town of Luodai, which is not that well known but has some nice examples of ancient Chinese architecture. Nowadays though it feels more like a big country fair. Lots of people and lots of things to buy which you don’t need.
Of course the spicy Sichuan kitchen is always visible, where else can you buy chili peppers in this quantity.
In the evening we went to see the traditional Sichuan Opera, which is a combination of music, theatre, puppets and dance.
And afterwards we also visited the shopping center of Chengdu. An urban jungle of neon and video.
The next day we left Chengdu and drove to Leshan to visit the temples and the Grand Buddha. First we had to take a boat.
Visit to one of the buddhist temples, with burning candles everywhere.
And finally a view of the Grand Buddha of Leshan. Look at all the people on the stairs to appreciate the size of this giant statue.
On our last day in Chengdu we visited the Sanxingdui Ruins, outside the city. We had a nice drive through the ricefields to get there. This museum is really interesting if you’re interested in archeology.
And of course our last afternoon in China had to be spent on last-minute shopping 😉
