For National Holiday, a celebration for the Communist's victory over the KMT about 61 years ago (I think?), me, my friends from BGSU, and five good French friends from school here went to ChengDu. The city was absolutely wonderful; it was incredibly open and free from a large amount of people in a surprising amount of the city, the tea houses were fantastically relaxing, and there was plenty of things to do including nightlife, temples, or simply walking along the river. The people were incredibly friendly, and their expression of leaving is 慢慢走, which means "walk slowly," which speaks a lot to their mindset and way of life.
The large things that ChengDu is famous for, such as Emei Shan and the Panda preserve, were fantastic (there was also the giant buddha, but I decided not to do that). The mountain was absolutely gorgeous; apart from almost being run over/pushed off the mountain by a donkey, wild monkeys, and a 12 hour hike, it was incredibly pleasant! 12 hours between two days of walking up stairs through mountains only to reach possibly the most gorgeous end really affected me deeply. I had a chance to grow with good friends, see a beautiful mountain, understand how HARD it was to do something that difficult, and be so deeply affected by an experience so hard, yet so satisfying. Being surrounded by such beautiful scenery and the journey of climbing that mountain was the start of a new me, and so will every other experience.
As for the Panda preserve, seeing an animal that is as rare as the giant panda, and being able to HOLD one, was fantastic. The pandas were playful, adorable, and seeing so many was awesome. I did feel incredibly bad for them, because their existence shouldn't be defined by bars and walls, but due to human expansion, even despite habitat preservation efforts, this is how to preserve their species. I felt bad but glad for them at the same time; at what point does their existence become futile, and is this existence just? Some of the issues I had mixed with joy while seeing the preserve.
I couldn't believe how much I loved ChengDu. The people were warm, the scenery was beautiful, and the main attraction were worth going to go and see, despite the crowds during the National Holiday (and I normally hate the typical popular attractions). If anyone wants a suggestion for a city to visit in China, ChengDu is at the top of my list!
慢慢走
