October 22, 2024
I met Chen Yu on the train to Chengdu. Despite not speaking each other's language, we amused each other with conversation via our phones' translation apps. She offered to give me a tour of her city the following Saturday, and I happily accepted.
At the appointed hour, she arrived on a rideshare bicycle, bearing an exquisite hand-painted fan she had made for me.
One of the drawbacks of traveling light (just the backpack and the broomstick, per the usual) is that I don't have any gifts to exchange. Once again, the generosity of the Chinese struck me in the heart and found it unprepared.
On this trip, I seldom tour a city, in the usual sense of visiting the sites. Instead, I take in what comes to me on the saddle of my bicycle. And so it was a delight to walk about and even rent a tiny rideshare bike and dive deeper into the venerable capital of Sichuan.
We started at the Chunxi Road, which features high-end shopping to rival Rodeo Drive, but with a side of pandas. I was chuffed to see some Memphis Grizzlies basketball jerseys in a sports store.
Next, we visited the Daci Temple, which has been around for about 1600 years. Neither of us is religious, but I threw down some prostrations, for old time's sake.
We then made our way to one of the few remaining statues of Chairman Mao. When I asked my friend why China removed all the other statues, her reply made me laugh:
After a tasty vegetarian buffet (much appreciated, as vegetarian food is hard to find in China), we wandered through old town alleys and the Wenshu Monastery. Although this is tourist central in Chengdu, I didn't see a single person of European heritage.
Nevertheless, I did see quite a few goofy English signs.
Although biking alone has its charms, it's also pretty lonely, especially when you don't speak the language. And so I am all the more grateful to Chen Yu for making the time and effort to show me her city.
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