China city guide 3

Situated in Northern Shaanxi Province on the Loess Plateau, Yan’an overlooks the middle reaches of the Yellow River, the cradle of Chinese Civilization. Yan’an, called ‘Yanzhou’ in ancient times, has a history stretching back about 1,400 years and it has long been the political, economic, cultural and military center of North Shaanxi. Nowadays it is a city which boasts one district and twelve counties.

Lying in the east of Zhejiang, Ningbo sits at the mid-point of the Chinese coastline, towards the south of the Yangtze Delta. It covers an area of 9365 square kilometers (3616 square miles), of which 1033 square kilometers (399 square miles) constitutes the city’s bustling urban centre.

Shandong Province is situated in the eastern part of China on the lower reaches of the Yellow River. It borders on the Bohai and Huanghai seas in the east, and overlooks the Korean Peninsula and the Japan Archipelago across a vast stretch of sea. The province has a total area of 156,000 square kilometers (about 60,235 square miles) and a total population of over 90 million.

Xining is located on the eastern edge of Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and the upper reaches of Huangshui River. It is the political, economic, scientific and technological, cultural and traffic center of Qinghai Province with an average altitude of over 2,200 meters (about 7,217 feet). The activities of human beings in this region can be traced to 2,100 years ago. During the Western and Eastern Han Dynasties, owing to its developing agriculture, Xining was paid more attention due to its economic and martial significance. As well as being the important hinge between the central plains and the western part of China in ancient time, Xining was the most common passing channel of the famous Silk Road. Until now, it is still the only road by which to enter the hinterland of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.

The Lantern Festival (also called Yuanxiao Festival) is on the 15th day of the first Chinese lunar month. According to the custom, people start to prepare for the celebration of Lantern Festival to be held on the 14 th day of the first Chinese lunar month. Two of the most important things are lanterns and sweet dumplings (called Yuanxiao in Chinese).

Sanxingdui Museum is located in Northeast of Sanxingdu archeological site, west of the famous cultural city of Guanghan, on the bank of Jian River (commonly called Yazi River), 40 kilometers (about 24.9 miles) north of Chengdu City. Covering an exhibition area of 4,000 square meters (about 1544.4 square miles), and opened in October 1997 this is an archeological museum with excellent modern facilities. The cultural relics in the museum were mostly unearthed from the Sanxingdui site. In order to know about the museum we should know more about the Sanxingdui site.

Sanxingdui is a cultural relic of the ancient Shu (Sichuan). It is an important archeological discovery which changed the people’s understanding of ancient history and culture. If you want to visit a place to know more about Chinese Shu (Sichuan) culture, make it this one, for the civilization shown by the cultural relics can be called a true wonder.

Chengdu cuisine has three categories, Sichuan Cuisine, Hotpot, and Snack.

Sichuan CuisineSichuan cuisine has developed over the centuries. Its distinctive flavors entice people throughout China and recently in foreign countries.

Sichuan cuisine is famous for piquancy, but its flavoring is complex as well as hot. Typical dishes include the following:

Ma Po’s Bean Curd (Bean curd with mince and chili oil): one of the most influential flavors of Sichuan cuisine, served in every Sichuan restaurant. Chen Ma Po’s Bean Curd Restaurant at No. 197, West Yulong Street serves the most delicious and local one. For hundreds of years, Ma Po’s Bean Curd has been popular among people all over China, even throughout the world.

Gong Bao Ji Ding (Spicy diced chicken with peanuts): a specialty of Sichuan cuisine, diced chicken, hot pepper and peanuts.

Yu Xiang Rou Si (Fish Flavored Shredded Pork): fish-flavored dish in the unique style of Sichuan cuisine. Ingredients include shredded pork, agarics, bamboo shoot and carrot. The delicious dish has no fish but has the flavor of fish.

Hui Guo Rou Pian (Twice Cooked Spicy Pork Slices): A traditional Sichuan dish. The tasty pork slices are fried crisp without greasiness.

Famous Sichuan Restaurants:
Piaoxue Sichuan Cuisine Restaurant: No. 10, Qintai Road
Shizilou Restaurant: No. 55, Shuanglin Road
Baguo Biyi: No. 20, Fourth Section, Renmin South Road

Hotpot
When people think of Chengdu, they immediately think of hotpot. Introduced from Chongqing, Chengdu hotpot has its own style ranging from simple spicy to moderate, three or four kinds of spices, as well as fish head hotpot, medical herbs hotpot, etc.

Huangcheng Laoma Restaurant: an old-fashioned hot pot restaurant, regarded as No. 1 among Chengdu hotpot restaurants. It is situated at No. 20, Qintai Road, Qingyang District, Chengu. A worthy representative of Sichuan culture and diet, Huangcheng Laoma offers hotpot, plus stunning entertainment — a Changing Face opera performance/shadow play.

Shizilou Restaurant: another old-fashioned hotpot restaurant, offers hotpots with half spicy and half light soup. It has several branches in Chengdu, one located at No. 2, Wannianchang Road, Chenghua District.

Tanyutou Restaurant: near Qingyang Palace at No. 227, Qingyang Zhengjie, Qingyang District, branches all over the country. Its delicious specialty, fish head, differs from that of other restaurants.

Snacks
Hidden in the streets and lanes of Chengdu, snack bars still send out savory flavors.

The most renowned snacks include:
Fu Qi Fei Pian (Braised Cow Lungs): Actually beef, heart and tongue take the place of lungs. This tasty dish is made with particular condiments using a delicate process.
Specializing in this dish, Jingcheng Yuan Restaurant is located at No. 23, Zongfu Road, center of Chengdu.

Chuan Chuan Xiang: also called Ma La Tang, vegetables, sausages, shrimps and anything edible can be threaded onto a bamboo stick and cooked in the hot pot.

Lai Tang Yuan (Lai’s Glutinous Rice Ball): the nutritious glutinous rice ball made by Lai (Surname of the maker) is soft and sweet.
With more branches than McDonald’s, Lai Tang Yuan is easy to find in Chengdu.

Long Chao Shou (Long Wonton): with thin skin and tender stuffing, the savory snack is popular among locals and tourists. There are several branches in Chengdu:
Chunxi Road Branch: No. 8, South Section of Chunxi Road, Jinjiang District
Huanhua Branch: No. 9-3, Huahua North Road, Qingyang District
Zhixin Branch: No. 1-14, Zhixin North Street, Wuhou District

Western Food Restaurants:
There are dozens of KFC restaurants in Chengdu, including:
Zongfu Restaurant: Floor 2, No 21-27, Zongfu Road
Renmin Road Restaurant: Renmin Shopping Mall, Chengdu
Chunxi Restaurant: Chunxi Mension, No.1-21, Da Kejia Lane

Tens of McDonald’s Restaurants, including Chunxi Restaurant: Wangfujing Shopping Mall, Chengdu