Chengdu Living

In my time I’ve learned a few things about living in China, which I humbly offer here. Call them Pro Tips to life in China, if you will.

Last fall I spent six weeks working with a video production crew to tell the story of Chengdu. We ended up with three shorts: Mind, Body and Spirit, that present an inspiring picture of Chengdu’s culture, people and traditions.

Three years ago, Charlie and two friends set out on a daytime motorcycle trip to nearby Qingcheng Shan, one of the birthplaces of Daoism. Chaos ensued as the region was ravaged by a 9.0 earthquake.

I love Chengdu, but I gotta go. I took a job as copy editor in the antithesis of the ‘Du: glitzy, glamorous Shanghai. Here’s what I think about these two cities after spending 10 years in Sichuan.

Bikes are all the rage in green suburbs like San Sheng Xiang and Dujiangyan. And now you can rent one for 10RMB. The rent-a-bike system comes from cities like Paris and Lyons and Forever Corp. has done a good job of implementing the scheme here in Chengdu.

Being another provincial capital along with Chengdu, Kunming is for most people the gateway to sunny and beautiful Yunnan province. Here’s how and why you should check out Kunming for a weekend getaway.

Traveling between Chengdu and Chongqing is easier than ever before, with the “He Xie” bullet train delivering passengers in style. The trip costs just 97 yuan one way and I took it recently for the second time.

Over the next few years, a number of Sichuan’s hidden gems will be revealed to a new generation of travelers. We outline some our favorite destinations in the region.

In recent years a global trend has emerged based on the principles of sustainability, and it’s begun to get a foothold in China’s Southwest. In this post, I take a look at the progress of Southwest China’s sustainable tourism industry.

Sometimes after a particularly long string of cloudy days in Chengdu, you’ll wish you could escape to somewhere like Thailand: a beautiful and tropical retreat from the cold weather. Information on helping you make that trip is inside.