China Trip Day 3 : Chengdu

Itinerary : People’s Park – Tianfu Square

Local tour itinerary :

Day 1 : Fly from Beijing to Chengdu, free time at Chengdu

Day 2 : Road trip from Chengdu to Jiuzhaigou by bus (approximately 8 hours)

Day 3 : Jiuzhaigou National Park

Day 4 : Huanglong

Day 5 : Road trip from Jiuzhaigou to Chengdu by bus (approximately 8 hours)

Day 6 : Fly from Chengdu to Beijing

Our flight to Chengdu was at 07.00 am by Air China. We departed from hotel to airport at 05.00 am. The hotel receptionist told us if we call a taxi to pick us at the hotel, it will cost double. So we decided to go to main road on foot and caught taxi there. The road was empty at that time. After about 10 minutes, we finally got a taxi. The taxi driver presumed we are Korean. I think it’s cool to have oriental face you know. When I was in Korea, people there thought I was a Taiwanese. While in China, they think I was a Korean. When I told them that I’m an Indonesian, they (both countries) were surprised. What's wrong with an Indonesian born Chinese? 

The domestic fight is at Terminal T3 Beijing Capital Airport. We were told that we were supposed to meet a travel agent there. The itinerary we got from travel agent was all in Chinese. After some time wandering around, include made some phone calls and asked the information center, who told me the direction frostily, finally we found the agent.

 

The problem with China people is when they see an oriental Chinese-like face, they presume that person can speak Chinese. When I proceeded to the gate, I gave the officer my boarding pass and forgot to present my passport with. A woman officer said something in Chinese and what I heard was “$@#(@*&”. I didn’t understand what she said. When I said nothing and did nothing, she started to talked another “$@#*&#*$” to me. I confused and was still trying to understand but she already pissed off. Her voice started to get higher and she asked me again in Chinese, this time finally my brain worked. She asked viciously “Are you a China people or not??” HELLO!! She held my boarding pass and my name is not in Chinese. Couldn’t she tell that I’m not a China people? I didn’t say anything, I only shook my head. She got really pissed and started to ask again, still in Chinese. My brain worked again that time, apparently she asked for my ID. I gave her my passport without saying anything. She checked it and gave it back to me with angry face -.-“

Anyway let’s continue, Air China served breakfast on board for the morning flight. They had 2 menus, Western and Chinese food. I chose Western while my mom chose Chinese.

western food

chinese food

The flight to Chengdu takes 2.5 hours. We arrived at Chengdu at about 9.40 am. Someone had wait for us at the arrival hall at the airport and drove us to the hotel. My first impression of Chengdu was grey. Chengdu is a big city but most of the buildings are old and not well maintained nor restored. By seeing Chengdu, I realized how modern Beijing is. 

one of old building

We stayed at Jin Shang Hua, a 3 starts hotel. It took about 1 hour drive from airport. The way China people drive is "amazing". They like to drive in high speed even in busy roads and they like to sound the horn whenever whatever coming to their way or near them. Along the way to the hotel, there was no one second I didn’t hear a horn sound.

Jin Shang Hua hotel is located at the main road. It provides wifi but only at the hotel lobby. Our room was a double bed room. It’s nicer than the one in Beijing. The bathroom in Beijing is better but it was still ok. Just like in the hotel in Beijing, Jin Shang Hua also provides a big bottle of shampoo and liquid soap.

We had lunch at a noodle house near the hotel. The place was packed in lunch time. Me and my mom ordered a spicy fried beef noodle. The food in Chengdu is much more delicious than in Beijing. 

My original plan was to visit Panda Research and Breeding Base, but it was already pass mid day and it required 1.5 hours to reach the place so we changed our plan to People’s Park (Ren Ming Gong Yuan). I didn’t prepare for this plan B at Chengdu. I didn’t know how to go to People’s Park. Good thing a shop owner beside our hotel is nice. I asked the direction and she told me clearly. We hopped to bus no. 57 and got off at People’s Park. The bus ride was only took about 5 minutes.

 

It was a really hot day. 35 Celsius degrees, the sun was shining so brightly and no wind at all! Being at People’s park was quite convenient since the place was green and had many big trees. The park was quite packed with local people. Some were boating on the lake, some were enjoying their leisure time at tea house, others were playing mahjong, etc.

tea house entrance

 

 

We spent about 2 hours there then we went to Tianfu Square. It took about 10 minutes walk. There is a big Mao statue in front of Sichuan Science and Technology Museum located across the road of Tianfu Square. This must be the heart of the city. The buildings here are modern, well maintained and the development is fast in that area. Around Tianfu Square there are many malls and some other big buildings under construction. Since it was so hot, we spent most of our afternoon inside the malls. 

I suggest to visit Tianfu Square at night after the sun set, you can see beautiful lighting there (I see the picture in the internet). Actually I wanted to stay there until dark to see the lighting, but it was summer and the sun set at 8 pm. There was nothing we can do anymore, so we decided to go back to the hotel at 5.30 pm. Just by then I realized that I forgot to ask the shop owner how to go back to the hotel. We went back to People’s Park then tried to ask people around there. Thank God we met a really kind young lady, we showed her our hotel business card and she helped us called the hotel to ask for direction. She told us to take bus no. 5 and got off at Ba something (sorry I forget the bus stop name). The station was only 3 stations away.

We reached hotel at 6.00 pm. Since we didn’t know other place to have dinner, we ate at the same noodle house but this time I had non spicy beef noodle. We spent the rest of the day resting at hotel. A long road trip was waiting for us the next day

Local tour – RMB 3900

Spicy fried beef noodle (small) – RMB 6

Bus – RMB 2 (I think they also have one fare only, just like MRT in Beijing)

Non spicy beef noodle – RMB 8