We arrived in Chengdu (成都) at about 3plus – 4pm. It was hot as hell.

Chengdu was pretty much like the other cities, high density residential housing, wide roads and heavy traffic. Despite Chengdu being a second-tier city (if memory serves me well), it most definitely didn’t feel like one.

We headed straight to the Wide & Narrow Lanes (宽窄巷子, Kuan Zhai Xiang Zi). It is basically an area of conserved architectural structures from the Qing Dynasty (1644 – 1911).

The Narrow Lane comprises of many western and modern bars and restaurants within their ancient looking facade.

The Wide Lane on the other hand, has a more traditional feel to it, including the mix of shops along the lane.

Along one side of the Wide Lane, you can still find private residential properties! It’s basically a frickin’ villa complete with a garage in the city!

We then went for dinner before we had some free time in Chengdu. As we were going up the mountains for the next few days, we were anticipating issues with food. Look at how well prepared we were:

And yes, we ate most of them while we were up in the mountains.