Jinli Street

One of the must-visit places in Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan province in China, is Jinli Street. Situated in Wuhou District, it has been the centre of brisk trade and commerce since around 200 BC. It has also been the cultural and social hub for as long as anyone can remember, renovated and modernised in 2004. It has become a tourist attraction for foreigners and Chinese alike.

I arrived there around noon and left well past 8pm. The imposing ancient archway reveals a green flagstone path, making you feel as if you have walked into China’s past. These buildings house the traditional tea houses, opera, inns, bars, pubs and shops selling the famous Shu embroidery and silk, along with lacquerware, calligraphy, paintings, local handicrafts, clay figurines and shadow puppetry shows — all jostling for space with Starbucks, and T-shirt and souvenir stalls. Jinli Street is where the past and present collide.

Roasted quail

After 30 minutes of Bian Lian (face-changing), where a skilled performer quickly changed around 30 masks during his performance, off I went to the famous Chengdu tea ceremony, which was amazing.

As you move to the end of the street, the tantalising aromas assault your senses... this is where the street food stalls and restaurants are situated.

Chengdu has a long tradition of street food and the Sichuan xiao chi or small eats are a smorgasbord of shapes, tastes, flavours and aromas, some mouth-numbing, some eye-watering, others sweet or savoury. San Do Pao is a popular traditional snack made from sticky rice, brown sugar, sesame seeds and beans. Xiao Long Bao and Zhong are famous dumplings, while Lai Tangyuan is a much sought-after dish of pork-stuffed rice balls served in a soup. These dishes have been around for over a 100 years!

There were masses of grilling going on — squid, fish, quail, pork, hearts and livers, sausages — you name it and it was there, all reasonably priced. Dandan Noodles was one of my favourite dishes — thin noodles smothered with spicy minced pork hot sauce. It got its name by the way — it was sold in baskets by men carrying portable stoves on bamboo poles known as dan. Dou Hua or bean curd custard was to die for. Soft, smooth and silky, it just melted in the mouth. Zhang Fei Beef (salted dry beef with Sichuan peppercorns) was not pungent but definitely tongue-numbing and I bought quite a few packets to take home. The ‘dragon’ Wonton Soup was very different from any wonton soup I have tasted — it was bigger and meatier.

There was more. The ‘ice noodles’ (gelatin blocks in honey or ginger sauce) had unique textures and flavours, the Roast Quail was excellent and the Rice Wrapped in Bamboo Leaf was intriguing but the 100-year-old eggs were just not my cup of tea!

After visiting so many stalls, it was time to sit down and wash all this down with a bottle of Yanjing beer. With it, I had some of the best smoked duck ever.

Chengdu has some 500 different types of snacks and had over 4,000 outlets across the city. The locals are born epicures and they are particularly fond of dining out, be it lunch or dinner or all-day snacking. However, since Chengdu was declared China’s most ‘wenming’ city (cultured and civilised), the municipal officials have been hounding the hawkers and food peddlers off the street to gated food parks. Jinli Street is exceptional and a must-visit if you want to experience the culture, history and food of Sichuan at one go.