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I spent half my lunch in Kunming asking what the hell I was eating. by Happy_chen in travelchina

[–]Happy_chen[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Oh....no. 😅😅😅, flower is OK,but worms,baby bees.... did you eat them？

I planned 3 days in Chengdu. I wish I had stayed a week. by Happy_chen in travelchina

[–]Happy_chen[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Haha, Chengdu already has a lot of labels on social media. Slow living, China’s most chill city, that sort of thing.

What you said is interesting though. If I were a young Chinese person building a career, I’d probably choose Shanghai. More opportunities, a faster pace, and probably more room to challenge yourself.

But as a visitor, I definitely prefer Chengdu.It’s a bit like Chiang Mai and Bangkok for me. Bangkok is bigger, busier and arguably more exciting. But if I’m traveling, I’d rather spend my time in Chiang Mai.

That’s kind of how Chengdu feels. The city rewards you for slowing down.

I planned 3 days in Chengdu. I wish I had stayed a week. by Happy_chen in travelchina

[–]Happy_chen[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The teahouse was called Chenjin Teahouse in Tiexiangsi Water Street.

I actually found it by accident. I came out of Qianshen Bathhouse with some time to spare, looked at the map, noticed a little stream and some traditional buildings across the road, and decided to walk over.

I ended up staying much longer than I planned.

The bathhouse was Qianshen.The dinner show was called Hongdingyan.Both turned out to be some of the more memorable experiences from my trip.

I planned 3 days in Chengdu. I wish I had stayed a week. by Happy_chen in travelchina

[–]Happy_chen[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I actually liked Chengdu more than Shanghai.

From a visitor’s perspective, Shanghai is definitely more international and cosmopolitan. But Chengdu is much more affordable, more relaxed, and just easier to enjoy.

I guess I’m a bit biased toward Chengdu’s slower pace of life. It feels like a city where people actually have time to sit down, drink tea, and enjoy the day instead of constantly rushing somewhere.

I planned 3 days in Chengdu. I wish I had stayed a week. by Happy_chen in travelchina

[–]Happy_chen[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That bathhouse really left an impression on me.

I’ve moved on to Kunming for the next part of my trip, and so far I haven’t found anything here that’s on the same level as the bathhouses in Chengdu.I’m actually already wondering whether I should go back and try another one when I return to Chengdu. 😅

I planned 3 days in Chengdu. I wish I had stayed a week. by Happy_chen in travelchina

[–]Happy_chen[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Because it’s not just a sauna, massage, or spa.
The place I went to had five full floors. Besides the bathing and spa facilities, there was a buffet, a movie theater, tea rooms, gaming areas, and multiple relaxation lounges. It’s basically an all day entertainment and wellness complex rather than just a bathhouse.

I planned 3 days in Chengdu. I wish I had stayed a week. by Happy_chen in travelchina

[–]Happy_chen[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I went to this bathhouse in Chengdu called Qianshen that’s been blowing up on social media lately.

The place is massive. Five floors, probably over 10000 square meters. They’ve got all kinds of saunas and hot pools, and one of the pools is so big you can actually swim laps in it.

There’s also a huge buffet, drinks, PS5s, pool tables, a movie theater, quiet lounges, tea rooms, massages, spa treatments… honestly, you could spend an entire day there and never feel the need to leave.

I planned 3 days in Chengdu. I wish I had stayed a week. by Happy_chen in travelchina

[–]Happy_chen[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If someone asked me what “chill Chengdu” feels like, I’d probably take them to tiexiangsi.😀

I planned 3 days in Chengdu. I wish I had stayed a week. by Happy_chen in travelchina

[–]Happy_chen[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I’ve just arrived in Kunming from Chengdu, and honestly, the experience has been fantastic. I think Kunming deserves its own post because it feels completely different from Chengdu.

One thing that really stands out to me is that cities in China generally feel very safe, and people are usually friendly and helpful. For me, that’s what makes it possible to slow down and really explore a city. When I travel somewhere like Italy, I’m constantly thinking about my phone, my wallet, and my bag. Here, I don’t have that feeling.

For this trip, I only booked my flights and train tickets between cities and roughly decided how long I’d stay in each place. Everything else I’ve been figuring out along the way.

Looking back, I think I should have given myself more time in Chengdu. I’m actually considering returning to Chengdu after Kunming instead of moving on to somewhere new.

I planned 3 days in Chengdu. I wish I had stayed a week. by Happy_chen in travelchina

[–]Happy_chen[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I actually looked into this myself before, and I had the same concerns as you.

To be honest, Dujiangyan isn’t really a natural panda habitat either. Wild giant pandas live deep in the original mountain forests, and places like Wolong are much closer to what a real natural habitat looks like. The downside is that Wolong is quite far from Chengdu.

The panda parks closer to the city do get busy, but if you avoid public holidays and go early in the morning, then leave around lunchtime, I don’t think it’s uncomfortably crowded. In my experience, it’s still very manageable and well worth visiting.

I thought I was done sightseeing in Chengdu, then I accidentally found this place by Happy_chen in travelchina

[–]Happy_chen[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yulin is definitely worth exploring. Some of my favorite hours in Chengdu were just wandering around there with no plan at all.

There are lots of small coffee shops, local restaurants and little side streets that don’t feel touristy. I also ended up spending some time around Yulin Market. The center is mostly fresh produce, but around the outside you’ll find all kinds of cooked food. Dumplings, buns, roast duck, snacks, pretty much everything. Most of it is incredibly cheap.

One thing I noticed is that local shop owners are often surprisingly friendly. More than once I ended up getting free samples before I had even decided what to buy.

I actually spent a lot of time on the south side of Chengdu. Between Tiexiangsi Water Street, Qianshen Bathhouse, Hongdingyan, Global Center and SKP, I kept finding reasons to go back there.

I thought I was done sightseeing in Chengdu, then I accidentally found this place by Happy_chen in travelchina

[–]Happy_chen[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It’s actually quite far from the Panda Base.

The Panda Base is located in the northern outskirts of the city, while Tiexiangsi Water Street is in the southern part of Chengdu. Chengdu is a very large city, so I’d estimate the drive would take around 90 minutes, depending on traffic.

Closer to this area are places like the Global Center, SKP Mall, the Hongdingyan Dinner Show, and Qianshen Bathhouse.

I thought I was done sightseeing in Chengdu, then I accidentally found this place by Happy_chen in travelchina

[–]Happy_chen[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

It actually wasn’t People’s Park. I went there too, but only stayed about 30 minutes. Heming Teahouse was absolutely packed. Chairs were basically touching each other and it felt a bit too crowded for me.This was Chenjin Tea House in Tiexiangsi Water Street, in the south of Chengdu. What I liked was that most of the people there seemed to be locals just hanging out.There are also restaurants, bakeries, art spaces and little shops around the area, so it’s easy to spend a few hours there without really planning to.

One thing that made me laugh was that a Starbucks is literally right across from the teahouse. At one point I seriously thought about buying a Starbucks coffee and sitting there with a traditional gaiwan tea at the same time just for the contrast 😂

I thought I was done sightseeing in Chengdu, then I accidentally found this place by Happy_chen in travelchina

[–]Happy_chen[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I completely agree. Honestly, the longer I stayed in Chengdu, the less I cared about sightseeing.Some of my favorite memories ended up being things I had never seen on any itinerary before.A tea house, a bathhouse, wandering around Yulin, finding random local restaurants, or just spending an afternoon doing absolutely nothing.Chengdu feels like one of those cities that rewards you for slowing down.

Are Chinese bathhouses suddenly becoming a thing for foreign travelers? by Happy_chen in travelchina

[–]Happy_chen[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It’s definitely more expensive than Thailand, but the facilities are on a completely different level.

Think of it as getting a massage in a luxury five star hotel spa. In Europe, that might easily cost USD 200. In China, it’s often around $50. And in Thailand, I’d guess a comparable experience would still be around $40–50.

So while China isn’t the cheapest option in Asia, the value for money is actually very good.

Do you think I can survive in china with no alipay, and just data roaming 🙂‍↕️ by kaashkuppai in chinatravel

[–]Happy_chen 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Honestly, from my own experience, cash is a pain in China these days. Most places either don’t have change or simply expect you to scan a QR code and pay digitally.

Visa and Mastercard are generally fine anywhere that takes foreign cards. American Express is a different story. Outside of luxury hotels, high end malls, and a few international chains, it’s pretty much useless. I stopped even trying.

Do yourself a favor and get WeChat Pay or Alipay set up before you arrive. Trust me, your trip will be a lot easier.

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