Witness Chengdu’s leisurable culture
Updated: 2012-01-21 09:37
By Chen Zhilin(m.aigou888.cn)
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The Kuanzhai Lanes scenic spot is one of the three historical preservations in Chengdu city, Sichuan province. It consists of three lanes – Kuan Lane, Zhai Lane and Jing Lane, as well as the traditional compounds between the three lanes.
Walking in the scenic area, tourists can enjoy quaint Sichuan compounds in a style of the late Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), small villas of the post-colonial style and, of course, the ubiquitous tea culture in this city.
Kuan Lane: Chengdu's leisure time Kuan Lane, or the “wide lane” by its Chinese meaning, represents the most symbolic and original Chengdu spirit. Living here are the city's aborigines, who are sitting under the expanded umbrage of the Chinese parasol trees and sipping over a pot of green tea. In the yard of their home, you might find a lazy, fatty cat dozing under the sun and a pair of thrushes twittering in the tree.
This is the traditional life of Chengdu, and tourists will find a soft time here. Most of the buildings on the lane have been rebuilt into home restaurants, teahouses, inns and business chambers. In the evening, shadow figures and puppet shows will be presented to the locals as well as tourists from home and abroad. Or if you are interested in the traditional Chinese weaving machine – loom, Chengdu girls will show you how to weave the Sichuan silk on the site. You'll always find something traditional and Chinese here in the Kuan Lane.
Zhai Lane: Chengdu's slow time Zhai Lane is the narrowest lane of all three lanes in the scenic area, that's how it got its name with a meaning of the narrow lane.
The lane demonstrates the grace of Chengdu's compound culture in all its detached houses, delicate gardens and verdure evergreen plants--they are the representatives of the traditional Chengdu building culture.
Vines scramble on the ancient-style road lamps, golden bamboos decorate the doorway of almost every house. Many of the detached buildings in the lane were used as cafes, ice cream stores, health saloons and culture demonstration halls.
In Zhai Lane, time seems no longer flies. Having an afternoon here, I guarantee that it's highly unlikely any tourist will get bored.
Jing Lane: Chengdu 's new life Jing Lane is the most dynamic consumption area in the Kuaizhai Lanes scenic spot. Bars, nightclubs, desert stores and specialty food retails can be easily found here. The lane attracts the most particular gourmets with a palate and playful young generation of the city.
Jing Lane is also a hub for Chengdu's creative industry and entertains. In the lane there is a small square, and a French-style villa is located there, where a big family used to live. But now it was revamped into a church and became an ideal wedding ceremony or photo shooting location for the young generations.
Witnessing Chengdu's every change in the past three hundred years, the Kuanzhai Lanes spot has well preserved its unique Chengdu culture. Occupied by the militaries in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) and the descents of Manchu ethnic minority in succession, Chengdu locals now live in the lanes. It has been, and always will be one of the core components of Chengdu, telling the city's stories of culture at its slow, quaint pace.?
Edited by Tang Zhi and Rakhee