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Photo: via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 1.0
This neighborhood is part of the old city of Chengdu; it features hotels and small stores built in an old-fashioned style. Antiques are sold in a variety of different stores. It is very popular among both tourists and locals, especially at night, with many bars, restaurants, and nightclubs. You will find a lot of famous local snack food over there, prices ¥1-10. Restaurants and bars in Jin Li are more expensive than outside. There are also antique hotels in there. Some consider Jin Li is to be tourist trap, which is partly true. However, this 'new old street' offers regional and fairly affordable street food specialties as well and can be combined with a visit to the Wuhouci Temple (entry fee ¥60, unless you are the holder of a Panda Card). Don't forget to take your camera.
Jinli is a street in Chengdu, Sichuan, China. Its history can be traced back to the pre-Qin Dynasty era more than 1800 years ago. Jinli was ranked first in "the world's most beautiful streets" published by CNN Travel in 2019.
© OpenStreetMap contributors
Wuhou Temple, 武侯祠; wǔ hóu cí
The temple is adjacent to Jinli Ancient Street, so visitors can combine both in one trip. Allow about 1.5 hours.This temple is built to commemorate Zhuge Liang (诸葛亮), who was the minister of Shu (蜀) in the Three Kingdoms Period. He is famous through the Chinese novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms. There are dozens of dust covered statues of obscure historical figures behind glass and not much else. The gardens are attractive, but not extensive.
西南民族大学民族博物馆
This was one of the first ethnographic museums to be established in China following the founding of the People's Republic. It has one of the richest collections of ethnic minority artefacts in southwestern China. There are artefacts from 35 different ethnic groups and specialized exhibitions on the Tibetans, the Qiang, the Miao, the Yi, the Bai, the Tujia, the Dai and the Naxi.
人民公园; rén mín gōng yuán
This park is a rare island of tranquility amid the noise and hustle of central Chengdu. It contains beautifully landscaped walking paths, lakes with paddle boats for rent, tea shops and restaurants, children's amusement rides, small sports facilities, and other attractions. Some old people use the park to sing and dance in separate groups. Some people practice calligraphy with water on the floor around a monument in the northwestern corner of this park. Some parents take their unmarried children's information here to find potential candidates. The park is a great place to take a child or a date, and it is always full of locals relaxing and enjoying themselves. For laughs, there is an information display which lists the city's current air quality, claiming there is about 4 times less pollution than the US Embassy reports.
Teahouses are plentiful in Chengdu, and drinking tea and playing Mahjong is how many local people relax. On a sunny afternoon pick a table in the park with an out-door tea house and sip your tea while listening to the locals gossiping. Not for the faint hearted, take the opportunity to have your ears cleaned by local "experts" armed with a tuning fork and a myriad of "insertion tools". Weird but effective! There are thousands of teahouses in Chengdu so you'll find them from other places than Renmin Park as well.Teahouses in the park are busiest in the afternoon. A cup of tea typically costs ¥10-30 and can be refilled.
四川歌剧院
Most guest houses and travel agencies offer to arrange visits to these traditional shows. It is more like a burlesque cabaret than an actual opera, sometimes including magicians, traditional musicians, shadow plays, comedy (spoken in Chinese though), and dancers besides the traditional pieces. Of course the most famous is never omitted: quick face-changing and fire spitting performed by dancers clad in colourful traditional costumes. You will follow the story sitting at your table, sipping on your constantly refilled tea cup and nibbling some salted snacks. Note that there are many teahouses in the city that offer the show every night. Try the local favorite at Shu Feng Ya Yun (蜀风雅韵) teahouse located in Chengdu Culture Park (文化公园) on Qintai Road (it is beside Qingyang Temple). You will be seated on a covered open ground (cooled by fan; no A/C), which is actually the center of the traditional teahouse building. You might have to book in advance or just ask the concierge of your hotel to book it for you.Shows usually last about 1.5 hours and include face-changing, fire-spitting, and acrobatics. Tickets range from ¥100-300 depending on seating.
Chengdu Lacquerware Craft Workshop
A workshop where you can learn about the intricate art of Chengdu lacquerware, a national intangible cultural heritage. Under master guidance, you can try your hand at polishing or painting a small piece, creating a unique souvenir.