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INDIVIDUAL VOYAGE THROUGH CHINA DURING 7 WEEKS PEKING XIAN CHENGDU CHONGQING YANGTZE RIVER MOUNTS HUANGSHAN HANGZHOU SUZHOU SHANGHAI PEKING
Wednesday, November 30, 2005
CHENGDU 2
The Eden
26 –27.1990
It’s Sunday. The whole city seems to walk and strut in the numerous cha-dian (tea rooms) and cha-yuan (tea gardens), which also make the reputation of Chengdu. This town seems to be the Eden!
I am very happy feeling such a security around us. Once more I believe in the complete success of our journey. It’s difficult to find a free seat in these places of predilection where, in armchairs of bamboo, relaxed Chinese taste white tea (hot water) and green tea. Since our arrival in the country we were told to drink only boiled water. We already noticed in public places enormous boilers severely kept to avoid the consummation of water before it reaches 100 degrees.
No free chairs in the cha-yuan in Park Renmin (Park of the people). Two young “gallants” – fashioned jeans, elegant shirts - invite us at their table. One is an English teacher, the other a tourist guide. Many questions on both sides but nothing about politics because the events of Tian’anmen are not fare in the past (1989). We have to be prudent, who knows…we order green tea. In a miniature porcelain cup swim some leaves in hot water. At the moment the cup is empty one of the girls trotting with a kettle between the tables, refill it.
After our friends are leaving we stay to rest our legs just near the lake with its interesting boats like dragons on it. My thoughts go to Du Fu (712-770) and his contemporary Li Bai, the two most famous Chinese poets. Du Fu wandered through China ending in a cot in Chengdu where he composed 240 poems. He was very sensitive to the misfortune of the people (misery, famine). One of his poems finished with the question: “When will there be palates of thousands and ten thousands rooms to shelter all poor lettered men of the empire and in which we will see nothing else than smiling faces”. I think if Nirvana exists, at this moment the great poet has to be happy there above in the sky!
We get up early to explore the ancient quarters with their narrow lanes and old traditional houses. Old men rest on the sill of their home, most of them dressed like in Mao’s time, the gray time. Some sitting on small low chairs play domino and enjoy their “white tea”!
Wandering at random we arrive on a street we’ll name “Tailors street” because at both sides, on the pavement, seamstresses are working. Each of them has a sewing machine they slip in the evening in a box in the wall. It’s the moment to shorten the sleeves of a shirt I bought here in Chengdu. The job is done in a trice. Very good done. “Duo chao”? (How much)…2 yuan (1/2 $)!!! I give here 4 yuan. Follows “ksie, ksie” (thank you) from both sides.
On the street
The Eden
26 –27.1990
It’s Sunday. The whole city seems to walk and strut in the numerous cha-dian (tea rooms) and cha-yuan (tea gardens), which also make the reputation of Chengdu. This town seems to be the Eden!
I am very happy feeling such a security around us. Once more I believe in the complete success of our journey. It’s difficult to find a free seat in these places of predilection where, in armchairs of bamboo, relaxed Chinese taste white tea (hot water) and green tea. Since our arrival in the country we were told to drink only boiled water. We already noticed in public places enormous boilers severely kept to avoid the consummation of water before it reaches 100 degrees.
No free chairs in the cha-yuan in Park Renmin (Park of the people). Two young “gallants” – fashioned jeans, elegant shirts - invite us at their table. One is an English teacher, the other a tourist guide. Many questions on both sides but nothing about politics because the events of Tian’anmen are not fare in the past (1989). We have to be prudent, who knows…we order green tea. In a miniature porcelain cup swim some leaves in hot water. At the moment the cup is empty one of the girls trotting with a kettle between the tables, refill it.
After our friends are leaving we stay to rest our legs just near the lake with its interesting boats like dragons on it. My thoughts go to Du Fu (712-770) and his contemporary Li Bai, the two most famous Chinese poets. Du Fu wandered through China ending in a cot in Chengdu where he composed 240 poems. He was very sensitive to the misfortune of the people (misery, famine). One of his poems finished with the question: “When will there be palates of thousands and ten thousands rooms to shelter all poor lettered men of the empire and in which we will see nothing else than smiling faces”. I think if Nirvana exists, at this moment the great poet has to be happy there above in the sky!
We get up early to explore the ancient quarters with their narrow lanes and old traditional houses. Old men rest on the sill of their home, most of them dressed like in Mao’s time, the gray time. Some sitting on small low chairs play domino and enjoy their “white tea”!
Wandering at random we arrive on a street we’ll name “Tailors street” because at both sides, on the pavement, seamstresses are working. Each of them has a sewing machine they slip in the evening in a box in the wall. It’s the moment to shorten the sleeves of a shirt I bought here in Chengdu. The job is done in a trice. Very good done. “Duo chao”? (How much)…2 yuan (1/2 $)!!! I give here 4 yuan. Follows “ksie, ksie” (thank you) from both sides.
On the street
Posted by: jeanette / 2:33 AM 
