After flying in and out of Chengdu multiple times, I finally have the chance to see the city itself. When foreigners hear of the city the first thing that comes to mind is Pandas, since the city is home to the world's one and only panda breeding center. Unfortunately due to the habit of these creatures in order to see them active you have to go early in the morning when they are feeding. So I arrived at 8am and soon I was watching a group of pandas hungrily munching on bamboo. 
This was the first time I have seen pandas so close. As I watched them I realized just how lazy and clumsy they are. Sure enough by 9:30 they were all perched on a tree fast asleep. What's also amazing is the size of an adult panda versus a new born who is the size of a large rat at best. No wonder the natural survival rate is so low for these animals. 
From there I took the city's sightseeing bus to Dufu Thatched Cottage. This bus is one of the best programs I've seen in any city. It brings you from one sight to another at free or minimal cost as long as you buy it with the next entrance admission. It was a great way to tour the city without having to worry about being ripped off by the taxi. Dufu's cottage is a park and memorial to the famous Tang Dynasty poet. Once inside you can relax and admire his work in a serene atmosphere. One of the most visited section of the park is a wall with the words 草堂, meaning cottage, made famous from a visit by Chairman Mao. 
I decided to stop for a late lunch before heading to the next sight. Lunch consisted of hot pot chicken with vegetables and traditional Sichuan chicken innards mixed in hot oil. The chicken was pretty good while the innards I had better in the states, but the real highlight of the meal was the pineapple beer which was sweet and refreshing like framboise. 
Wish I could get that in the states! The Wuhou shrine, dedicated to the 3 kingdom was full of statues dedicated to famous men of that period. One of the most famous being ZhuGe Liang can also be found there. At such places I am always reminded of the advancement and power China was in that era.
Next to Wuhou is the famous Jinlin Ancient street. Once actually a part of Wuhou, now carved out and filled with shops decorated with red lantern selling local street food and souvenirs. Similar to Jinlin is another street nearby called KianXiangZi. The neighborhood used to be an old Mongolian district for the affluent so many houses have iron doors and stone lion statues out front. It's name comes from the fact that it is made up of two streets one wide and the other narrow. Along both you can find street food, tea houses and other various shops. 
Though it was crowded it did not feel hectic like the places in Tawian did. Had I not been up since 6:45 to see the pandas I would have loved to sit in a tea shop and taken a breather while sipping tea like the locals.
Rating:
Atmosphere: What I found the most impressive about this city is its ability to provide everything. The convenience factor has become expected in a large city. However it is the ability to take a quick escape away from all the hustle and bustle and stroll the gardens in Dufu or sit by the water lily pond in Wuhou that is refreshing.
Beauty: Though not comparable to the natural beauties of the prior places, for a big city it has done a great job of finding the balance between old and new.
Cleanliness: I'm impressed with how extremely clean and well kept it is. Unlike street food destinations in Taiwan where a waste bin was hard to come by, here there were no such problems. In addition the facilities in all the places I've visited was adequate.
Food: I'd never thought I would get sick of spicy food, but here I am on my last day in the city craving something other hot pot or food soaked in hot chilly oil. In general though the food was excellent, very flavorful and full of umami.
People: About average. They seemed nicer than Jiuzhai but in general the sales people are still very pushy and aggressive.
Last Comment: I ended up liking this city much more than I expected. Though there wasn't any one factor that made the city the most beautiful or unique, as a whole the city just seemed to flow smoothly.
Scale 1-10: 8
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