Chengdu, the hub of traveling onto Tibetan Plateau, is also where Tibetan Trekking Travel Co. Ltd is based.
Why Chengdu
– “Pandas, greenery and spicy Sichuanese cuisine”
By Rebecca Hoyle
A trip to Chengdu takes you to one of the most intriguing and attractive cities in China.
Restaurants renowned in the city are known for their traditional spicy Sichuan cuisine, and it is there you will see Giant Pandas, hectic market places, quaint tea-houses, and thriving parks and gardens. A wide variety of festivals and events are available here to natives and guests alike. While planning your trip to this green city, choose a flight ticket to Chengdu to coincide with one of the many exciting festivals.
The Chengdu Lantern Festival is held every year on the 15th day of the first lunar month to celebrate the appearance of the first full moon of the year, therefore marking the beginning of the Chinese New Year. Be sure to venture to the Qingyang Palace and Cultural Park where festival celebrations including a fair with thousands of glowing lanterns as its main attraction and the local spectacle of the Dragon Pole lantern. A lantern in the shape of a golden dragon winds up a 27 meter high pole with colorful fireworks erupting from its mouth. On top of all of this you will see folk music performances, singing and dancing, and entertainers such as acrobats and jugglers. Don’t forget to try the traditional festival snacks known as yuanxiao (glutinous rice flour dumplings) offered plain or with a variety of filings.
For a day of excitement and thrills Chengdu style, get along to the Dragon Boat Festival held on the 5thday of May in Chinese lunar month. The races are now held in and along the Nanhe River in Xinjin County boast colorful elaborately carved dragon boats propelled upstream through the water by competing teams to the rhythm of the beating drums. This part of the festival shows how the villagers flock to their boats and swarm the river to attempt to rescue Chu Yuan. Legend has it that Chu Yuan was a scholarly person and a favorite of the locals, however, while attempting to mend widespread corruption he fell into disfavor in the emperors court. Saddened by the loss of respect from the emperor he threw himself into the Mi Lo River.
Also, central to the festivals celebrations are the symbolic Tzung Tzu, which are rice snacks representing the rice the villagers threw into the river to ward off the dragons from eating Chu Yuan’s body. The vibrant Dragon Boat festival annually hosts many visitors and locals that come to bask in the excitement of this time honored tradition.
The Chengdu Flower Festival, now celebrated for over a thousand years, commemorates the supposed birthday of all flowers and marks the beginning of spring. In the Qingyanggong Park you will see colorful flower displays as well as traditional acrobatic performances and food stalls selling spicy Sichuan cuisine. People have come here throughout the year not only to appreciate the beauty of the floral displays, witness lively performances and indulge in local snacks, but to witness the birthday of Lao Zi, the founder of the Taoist movement in China and many come to pay their respects to him.
