CHENGDU

      Chengdu, meaning perfect metropolis was an hour and ten minute flight away. Flying over green fields we could see clusters of houses in the middle for as far as the eye could see.

      Our local docent told us, “Sichuan Province is the largest province in China and also has the largest population. Four rivers flow into the city of Chengdu. The city, surrounded by mountains, is located on a plain 1500 feet above sea level. The population of greater Chengdu is 9 million. The city, boasting a 2300-year history, was built in 316 BC. Because of a thriving brocade silk industry the city was often referred to as Brocade City during the Han Dynasty. It is hot and humid here and we feel spicy food gives us energy.”

     The wide streets were lined with trees. A moat surrounded the original walled city. The last of the walls disappeared as late as 1960. The Cultural Revolution destroyed the Viceroy’s Palace and in its place stands the Russian-style Sichuan Exhibition Center. A massive statue of Mao remains, but statues of Marx, Lenin, and Stalin have been removed. Progress and entry into the new century is alive and well in the city. Chnegdu is the transportation hub for southwest China and the jumping off point for Tibet.

      The city is home to the largest Buddha in China, 210 feet tall. Chengdu has suffered no natural disasters, and boasts the oldest irrigation system in the country. There is no heavy industry, but there is a growing tourist and pharmaceutical industry. The city is known for its pretty girls.

     We saw many bicycles fighting for space with the city’s three million automobiles, which are creating a pollution problem. Bikers were riding using cell phones. Merchants were toting baskets of cabbage. Although this is the City of Hibiscus, it was not the season for them to be in bloom.

    Our hotel, built in 1958, was located across from the Jinjiang River. Jin means prosperous----people’s expectation the hotel would experience prosperity like the new China. The hotel was large and it was easy to get lost among it’s several buildings.

      Chengdu has quite a tea house culture. In some tea houses you can get your nails done, shoes cleaned, ears cleaned or have a massage, all while having tea. However, there is a proper sequence to serving tea. Tea is always brewed in a tea pot. Small handle-less mugs are warmed with hot water, then poured out before being filled with tea. The hostess, or the one pouring the tea, fills everyone’s cup first and her own last.

      Walking around the Panda sanctuary we came upon the lesser panda or red panda. Related to the raccoon they are about the size of a fox, 20-24 inches long with a bushy ringed tail. They have a rust colored soft coat with black markings on their face and ears. They look nothing like a panda. Several red pandas live at the sanctuary.

    China has an incredible variety of landscapes and a rich diversity in its flora and fauna. Besides the panda China has a long list of endangered species including the Yangtze dolphin. However, 926 nature reserves in the country cover seven percent of the landmass.

     On the way back to the city, from the panda sanctuary, we stopped at a silk embroidery factory. It was incredible to watch people doing double faced or reversible embroidery on silk. The factory was government owned so no one was in much of a rush. The work produced was really beautiful.

In the evening several of us went to the 1500-year-old Buddhist Wen Shu Monastery for dinner. Our guide called ahead to order our meal. The monks are vegetarians but we enjoyed a good meal. We took hair raising cab rides during rush hour traffic to the temple.

     The big tourist interest in Chendu is the pandas.

See Panda post 3-13-11