Day Twenty Two
Today, I had the same tactic as yesterday: pick a tourist attraction and walk over there. This time, I headed south to the "Chengdu Wu Hou Shrine."
![](https://cdn.matsimitsu.dev/trips/china-2023/day-twenty-two/R0001406-720.jpg)
![](https://cdn.matsimitsu.dev/trips/china-2023/day-twenty-two/R0001407-720.jpg)
Unfortunately, the walk over there was quite boring. They are working on a new metro line, and most of the way, there was a construction site.
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![](https://cdn.matsimitsu.dev/trips/china-2023/day-twenty-two/R0001404-720.jpg)
On my way there, I had some Mapo Tofu (Delicious!) after walking around for way too long, deciding on where to eat.
![](https://cdn.matsimitsu.dev/trips/china-2023/day-twenty-two/PXL_20231123_050719494-720.jpg)
At the Shrine, I bought an audio tour, expecting some background on the things I'd see. But I lost track of the route, and the cheap earbuds kept falling out, so it was not a success.
![](https://cdn.matsimitsu.dev/trips/china-2023/day-twenty-two/DSC02153-720.jpg)
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The site itself was really nice, though, especially combined with the nice weather.
![](https://cdn.matsimitsu.dev/trips/china-2023/day-twenty-two/DSC02177-720.jpg)
![](https://cdn.matsimitsu.dev/trips/china-2023/day-twenty-two/DSC02175-720.jpg)
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These Bonsai trees take enormous amounts of maintenance, and it's a shame they don't always get the appreciation they deserve.
![](https://cdn.matsimitsu.dev/trips/china-2023/day-twenty-two/DSC02183-720.jpg)
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The crowds thinned out in the deeper areas of the Shrine site, and it was lovely to walk around.
![](https://cdn.matsimitsu.dev/trips/china-2023/day-twenty-two/DSC02190-720.jpg)
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After the Shrine, I decided to head to the People's Park, near my hotel, and hopefully get some lunch on the way.
![](https://cdn.matsimitsu.dev/trips/china-2023/day-twenty-two/DSC02166-720.jpg)
Chengdu is home to the Panda, and they won't let you forget that while you're there. Even the buses Panda faces on them.
![](https://cdn.matsimitsu.dev/trips/china-2023/day-twenty-one/R0001384-720.jpg)
![](https://cdn.matsimitsu.dev/trips/china-2023/day-twenty-two/R0001409-720.jpg)
I did not find lunch on the way, as it was mostly metro construction again, and it was around the lunchtime rush, so the few open places had long queues.
I opted for some cake and coffee instead, saving it for the park. Plopping down at the lake, I spent the next hour just watching people pass by (some surprised to see a foreigner) and having fun on the lake.
![](https://cdn.matsimitsu.dev/trips/china-2023/day-twenty-two/DSC02220-720.jpg)
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I read about this online a while ago, but it's interesting to see in real life. These are adverts put up by (the parents of) single people hoping to find a partner.
![](https://cdn.matsimitsu.dev/trips/china-2023/day-twenty-two/PXL_20231123_083313616-720.jpg)
There's a lot of pressure on the youth to get married before thirty, and the closer you get to that age as a single person, the more likely you'll end up on a piece of paper here.
The park was busy this Thursday, with people playing hacky sack.
![](https://cdn.matsimitsu.dev/trips/china-2023/day-twenty-two/DSC02206-720.jpg)
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Taking photos.
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Reading.
![](https://cdn.matsimitsu.dev/trips/china-2023/day-twenty-two/DSC02207-720.jpg)
Chatting.
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And my favorite: write down proverbs or poems with a huge brush dipped in water. By the end of the poem, the first words have already faded.
![](https://cdn.matsimitsu.dev/trips/china-2023/day-twenty-two/R0001420-720.jpg)
I finished the day with a walk through the main shopping area, looking for some things to take home with me, as this was the last day of the trip.
![](https://cdn.matsimitsu.dev/trips/china-2023/day-twenty-two/R0001413-720.jpg)
![](https://cdn.matsimitsu.dev/trips/china-2023/day-twenty-two/R0001416-720.jpg)
I didn't find much, except for some souvenirs (Pandas, of course), and eventually returned to the hotel after a quick dinner.
![](https://cdn.matsimitsu.dev/trips/china-2023/day-twenty-two/DSC02231-720.jpg)
The next day, I woke up at five in the morning, got up, and ordered a taxi to the Airport.
First was an Air-China flight to Beijing, and from there, a Lufthansa flight (in premium economy, I definitely could get used to that!) to Munchen.
![](https://cdn.matsimitsu.dev/trips/china-2023/day-twenty-two/PXL_20231124_004647872-720.jpg)
And finally a short stint to Amsterdam, where I landed just in time for the last train home of the day, arriving home at 2 in the morning.