This was the first of our two days in
Chengdu. It began with a visit to the
Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda breeding, where we were able to see
several giant pandas in various stages of sleep and wakefulness. One obliged us by taking a walk and then
breaking off some bamboo and sitting back to eat it. The centre is beautifully laid out with paths
meandering through bamboo-lined walkways.
I think it would be a beautifully cool environment on a hot day. The
centre reminded me of Healesville sanctuary, except that the pandas’ enclosures
were very much just that – not a natural environment that Healesville does so
well.
From there we checked into our hotel
quite near the centre of Chengdu. A city of some 18 million, This is the area
where there was a major earthquake in 2008, with deaths of 70,000 and 4.8
million people homeless as a result. In terms of architecture, the people
talk pre- or post- earthquake.
Chengdu is a very modern city, with big
glossy shopping centres and of course amazing traffic. Its population is
a staggering 18 million! Last night we went to Tianfu square in the centre of
the city. The square is headed by a huge statue of Mao Tse Tung, standing
infront of the Chinese museum of science and technology. Tianfu square was
where we witnessed a fantastic lightshow just with all the buildings - lights
flashing on and off, cascading down buildings, changing colours as they
zigzagged up others: it was fabulous and we stayed for about half an hour
just to sink it all in. We got there on the metro rail system, which is
just four years old and makes Melbourne's look old, dirty and out of date.
In November, Chengdu is hosting a world
trade fair. Tianfu square had a huge
welcome sign made of potted flowers – I estimate tens of thousands of
them. It made a very fragrant display.
Unfortunately our hotel, the Chengdu Grand
Hotel did not match up to its name at all.
It was very dirty, had spasmodic electricity and no hot water in some of
the rooms and despite its claims, the staff spoke no English at all. Several of
us had phone calls during the first night – apparently from prostitutes, and
Nancy had one knock on her door at 1am to ask if she wanted a ‘massage’!
The traffic situation in both Chengdu and
Deyang is diabolical! Not only is there
a great deal of it, but the drivers seem quite determined to kill pedestrians.
We have worked out the pecking order – first buses, then cars, then the deadly
silent electric motor electric bikes, then tuk tuks, bicycles and lastly
pedestrians. There is not any culture of trying to avoid pedestrians – it is up
to the pedestrians to get out of their way.
Vehicles toot constantly – always to warn people to get out of the way,
never, it seems, in anger. It amuses me though, that when a bus is stuck in
traffic, it just toots, maybe in the hope that the six or so cars ahead of it
will let it through.
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