Chengdu / Leshan 19-20th April

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We landed in Chegdu, capital of the Sichuan province, just in time for lunch. The climate in Chengdu is humid and damp 75% of the time apparently, with mainly cloudy, hazy days. As a result, the local cuisine has been adapted over the years in line with chinese medicinal beliefs to help combat the type of ailments associated with such weather. At least, that is the official line, the unoffical line is that the locals just love spicy food! Whatever the reasons, i was happy! The local speciality, that we had for lunch, is Sichuan Hot Pot. A large steel pot is placed in a hole in the table, a gas flame turned on....and you wait. Half the bowl is filled with a mix of stock and vegetables (for non spicy food) the other half with chillies, chilli oil, chilli sauce, garlic, sichuan pepper corns and a dash of ginger - not for the faint hearted! Then, when the pot boils, you drop in an array of raw meats, fish, vegetables, and noodles until they are cooked. Then you fish them out with chop sticks (easier said than done) and dip them in a mixture of soy sauce, sesame paste, herbs, garlic and more chillies!
It was hard work in a way, but very tasty, and very spicy! Definitely one of our more interesting meals!

In the evening we went to a Sichuan Opera Show, which was more Variety show than Opera. There was local music, dancing, puppetry, fire breathing, a comedy sketch, a finger shadow show and the closing act was the famous Sichuan Changing Faces performance, where masked performers change their masks in the blink of an eye - again, go to Youtube for a better idea. ITs amazing in person, and the trick behind it is still a secret, known only by the performers.

THe follwoing day we were up early, at 7, to get to our main destination, the whole reason for being in Chengdu. I'll say no more, just watch the video!



After two hours in the company of the amazing pandas at the sanctuary we jumped back on the bus for a three hour drive to Leshan, to see the Leshan Buddha. 71 metres tall, 1300 years old, carved out of the rock face and it took 90 years to finish, theres not much more i can add really, it was unbelievable. It was built as an offering, to help stop flooding in the area - 3 rivers meet at this point. i dont know if it worked or not, but you'd hope so if it took 90 years.

In the eveningwe drove another hour or so to the town of Emei, at the foot of Mount Emei (Emei Shan) to the Temple of 7 Buddhas, our home for the next two nights.....more of which later!

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