Shangli has been through a lot, but you wouldn’t know it from the peaceful feeling you get while walking its lanes. It’s one of 10 Chinese ancient villages in Sichuan province, but unlike its counterparts the village has been able to keep its authentic charm.
Give me some time and I’ll be linking to a How To Successfully Attend a Festival in China article right here.
But for now, I’ll admit that my attendance at the Longquan Peach Blossom Festival was a short-lived one. The mass of people that shuffled along the uneven paths, the noise that blared from horrendous sound systems, and the foolish purchases that were being made all around me — it’s not my style.
But perhaps it’s yours?
If you’re interested in attending the yearly festival, I’d love to tell you everything I know. I must warn you however, you might not like what you find.
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Don’t let the overly wordy title scare you. The Garzê Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, may sound like a medical injury, but it’s actually an invigorating place. It is an area in western Sichuan that is mainly inhabited by Tibetans. An autonomous prefecture is a territory in China that has a population of 50% or more ethnic minorities. In Garze, there are around 880,000 people and around 78% of them are Tibetan. When my bus rolled into Kangding, the capital of the Garze region, it felt like I had entered another country. This isn’t your typical China. The Tibetan culture is here, which makes it a great alternative to traveling Tibet.
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Directly to the east of the Sichuan Gymnasium metro stop is a short stretch of road that is a haven for electronic shoppers. While ‘Computer City’ is the name of just one of the many giant electronic department stores (likely the first one) on the street, the block itself is often referred to as Computer City. It’s the place to go for electronic shopping in Chengdu. If you’re looking for a computer, camera, tablet, speakers, smartphone, security device, office furniture, or almost any type of electronic accessory – there’s probably a vendor in Computer City that has what you’re looking for.
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Officially, the Xinnanmen Bus Station is the Chengdu Tourist Bus Center, but most locals will know it by its Chinese name Xīnnánmén qì chē zhàn. The majority of their buses go to tourist sites. If you’re looking to hike (Mount Qingcheng), ski (Xiling Snow Mountain), or take in some culture (Leshan Giant Buddha) you’re likely to leave from Xinnanmen.
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The largest major Chinese city to Tibet is Chengdu. Its population consists of about 60,000 Tibetans, many of them living in an area just south of Wuhou Temple. This is the Tibetan quarters; sometimes referred to as Little Lhasa. The area is vibrant with Tibetan culture including shops, food, and a whole lot of that beautiful bright orange.
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