The 4 of us took a cab to武侯祠 (WHC) early in the morning and decided to have our breakfast there. It was a gloomy morning, with slightly overcast sky. Halfway through the breakfast, Kenneth needed to go and shit and went to a public toilet which we discovered nearby. I was really surprised that the toilet was well kept and clean. More surprisingly, it was free!
Only CCG and I went to WHC. Kenneth and JH planned to explore the city on their own. I had always wanted to visit WHC because many years ago, while I was studying Chinese Literature in RVHS, I came across this poem dedicated to 诸葛亮. I can only remember the first line now: “丞相祠堂柏柏森森”. If I am not wrong, this poem is by 杜甫. Moreover, I have deep respect for the military adviser during the 三国 era. To be able to pay my respects in his temple would be a great honor for me.
Inside WHC, was a maze-like garden with various kinds of flora and in one section, it was full of bonsai. There were other heroes of the 三国 era who were also idolized in the temple. Famous of them all was 关羽, also known as 武财神.
I was a little disappointed because I thought the place had more things to offer than just statues and information boards. There was one thing that caught my eyes though. In a building, there were about 100 paintings on the walls which told the entire story of 三国演义, from the very beginning of Swearing into Brotherhood to the Establishment of Jin Dynasty. After visiting every building, we left the place. We spent less than 2 hours in total. I bought a set of clay figurines depicting about 80 characters in the novel三国演义.
Outside WHC, there was a street selling all sorts of snacks. I bought 1 竹叶牛肉 and 1 鸡蛋牛肉饼. The 1st snack was beef balls wrapped in bamboo leaves. The beef balls were very tightly packed but once you bite into one, the meat disintegrates. The 2nd snack was even better. A big piece of crispy pancake fried with eggs and beef. Never mind the oiliness.
We walked all the way towards 春熙街. Along the way, we past by a shop selling tea. As recommended by ZK, one of the famous teas in Sichuan is a kind of green tea called 竹叶青. I bought a packet belonging to the 3rd grade (4 grades in total) category, also known as 静心. Now I am drinking this black roasted tea and it gives off a fragrance like melon seeds.
We had lunch at KFC in 春熙街 and began to talk about JH and Ken. Wonder where they are now? After some shopping (but no buying), we went back to the bookshop near Sims and I bought quite a number of Chinese classics there. I guessed these books would last me for at least a year.
Back in Sims, we rested in the bunk and then went to watch 川剧 at 芙蓉国萃. We got the first ninth row for only half price thanks to arrangement by Sims. The tickets were cheaper because Sims bought them in bulk and in the end, we were grouped together with a bunch of Angmohs and 2 Taiwanese brothers. We chatted with the Taiwanese (Nelson and Eddie) and learnt that they were planning to go Tibet as well. However, because of their nationality, they needed a longer time to get the permit approved.
The show was very entertaining, much more than I expected. The first show was 三英战吕布 and it was that kind of traditional Chinese drama. But it wasn’t boring at all. There were some stunts and acting. The 2nd show was an acrobatic act by pretty young lady. She performed 扯铃 and turned a table and a vase with her toes. Very nimble toes.
Next up were 2 girls dancing with their puppets. The puppets were very real-life, and danced gracefully to the music as well. A comedy followed that. It was quite hilarious even though it was acted in 川话. The compere for that night was a Sichuan lady who spoke English at a speed of 1000 words per sec.
Then came the most boring part of the show. An Erhu performance which was also a good time for toilet break. Finally it was the show that we all had been waiting for 四川变脸. 5 artists including a female came onto the stage. Before this, I already seen the changing of mask performance on TV but nothing beats the real thing. In a split second, the performer changed his mask by hitting his face with a fan or by turning his head. One performer even did it by just blinking! He even came down and shook hand with the audience and while doing that, changed his mask repeatedly.
The show ended in 1.5 hrs and we really enjoyed ourselves, discussing about the show on the way back. When Kenneth and JH came back, we exchanged our happenings of the day. Theirs seem more exciting. They had an acquaintance with some manager or what in a coffee house. That guy told them about some clubbing places in Chengdu.
For tomorrow’s plan, we would be split up again. Kenneth and JH would once again go shopping while CCG would visit 杜甫草堂. As for me, I will be going to the outskirt of Chengdu, to visit the Panda Base there.
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