An article by the Los Angeles Times describes Chengdu as "China's party city". Chengdu outnumbers Shanghai in its number of tea houses and bars despite having less than half of its population. Local residents have a reputation both within Sichuan, and in China proper, for having a laid back life style and for knowing how to enjoy life.

Located in the west Sichuan Basin of south-western China, Chengdu is believed to be the most stress-free city in China. Bestowed with abundant rainfall, fertile lands, and a low cost of living, Chengdu is imbued with an atmosphere of ease and comfort, evident in its residents' leisurely manner. The peculiarities of this region are also evident in the local food, teahouses and, most of all, in the women. Visitors to Chengdu usually take pleasure in simply ambling around the city, enjoying its exuberant and inexpensive lifestyle, rather than rushing around to scenic spots.

Chengdu is well known for its Sichuan cuisine. Compared with Cantonese dishes, those of Sichuan are equally delicious, but more homely, and the gastronomic pleasures they imbue never subside. In China, twice-cooked pork, or huiguorou, and diced pork with peanuts in hot spicy sauce, namely gongbaorouding, are available in most restaurants, and are among the most frequently ordered dishes.

People in different cities have a diverse taste in food: Beijing people enjoy elaborate banquets to bolster their self-esteem; for Shanghainese, the environment and atmosphere of a restaurant take priority over the food, as dining is only a means through which to flaunt their refined taste. People from Guangdong, on the other hand, are solely concerned about the ingredients of the repast. As for the people of Chengdu, flavour is of utmost importance. Chengdu people love to try food that is new and in vogue. They will travel the length of the city just to taste a newly devised dish in an out-of-the-way eatery, and local restaurants are adept at coming up with an endless supply of exotic dishes to entice new customers. Once a dish comes into vogue, diners swarm in to try it, and it is soon available in almost every restaurant in town.

One very popular leisure pursuit in China is tea drinking, Chengdu is no exception, the teahouse is an indispensable feature of life here. As cafes and bars supersede teahouses in other Chinese cities, advancing them toward a modern metropolis status, most traditional teahouses still do a good trade in Chengdu-the most celebrated of which is inside the Great Mercy Temple.

[See Also]