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Chengdu
 As
the capital city of Sichuan, Chengdu is
a city with many faces. On the one hand
this is an incredibly modern and vibrant
place. Beijing has a relatively relaxed
attitude towards this city and as such,
Chengdu has blossomed in terms of affluence
and investment. The traditional industries
of gold, silver, silk and laquerware have
helped to make this city one of the most
important centers of commerce in the country.
Today, skyscrapers dominate the skyline
and Japanese cars and western goods are
hugely popular and widely available.
This modernization has no doubt
been helped by the important role that Chengdu
plays in terms of education and culture
in China. Once one of the most important
printing centers in the country, Chengdu
has a long history as a destination for
learned poets and artists to gather and
seek inspiration. The great poet Du Fu,
made his home here and today there are 14
colleges and an impressive university situated
in the city.
 Nestled
amongst this affluence and development is
another side to Chengdu. Traditional wooden
Chinese architecture that once dominated
this city can still be found in the outskirts
although it is fast disappearing. What does
still exist here however in abundance, is
a great street life. Markets and street
hawkers fill the streets dealing in everything
you could possibly imagine, from snakes
and snails to fortunes and foot scrubs.
Many travelers here are
simply killing time or passing through en
route to Tibet. This is however, a very
pleasant city to do just this: feast on
some great food and soak up some of the
mellow atmosphere in one of the thousands
of tea houses dotted about the city.
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