The 6 Best Cities in China to Visit (2 of 4)

5. Chengdu

The thing that struck me about Chengdu was how laid back it is compared to places like Beijing and Shanghai, both of which operate at breakneck speed. The locals can be spotted in the bamboo gardens playing mahjong while sipping on jasmine tea. The Sichuan province, of which Chengdu is the capital, is famous for its extremely spicy food, and as I was slurping on some noodles in a sauce containing generous amounts of tongue-numbing Sichuan peppercorns, I was not disappointed. Oh, and the world-famous giant panda breeding research base is located here. While they don’t allow you to snuggle up with the pandas, you get a good look of them acting like the goofy, furry clowns that they are. The facility houses around 80 of them living as close to their natural habitat as possible.

4. Xi’an

Admittedly, I wasn’t all that impressed with the concrete sprawl of the modern areas of the city. I found a lot of the city to be rather non-descript. But a trip to see the Terracotta Warriors more than made up for this. It was easily accessible by city bus; around a 30-minute drive in the outskirts of the city. I came across an English-speaking guide who charged something reasonable (it might have been $30 or so) for a private tour of the vast complex that houses thousands of these statues. Another highlight was a visit to the Muslim Quarters for a dinner of minced lamb and other culinary treasures inspired by the Silk Road. The best time to visit is at night, when you can stroll through narrow alleys and admire the Arabic calligraphy illuminated by red lanterns.