Starting point of the Southern Silk Road

A very unexpected visit to a city I did not actually plan on any trip at all in these years nor in the coming future, however it worked great as a surprise having found the best air fare to the final destination Bangkok. Not only the stopover was meant to be 12 hours all during the day, but an almost last minute change of schedule from the airline translated in giving us an entire day over there. What is best, no need to even apply for a visa to enter China. someone travelling from a country A to country C via country B, in this case China, is automatically granted 72 hours visa free transit which allows, depending on the city of transit, to be ONLY in the city, or across an entire region such as the case of Guangdong Province. In our case, with the city was good enough for a little stroll and break a long haul flight.

Chengdu, the capital of the Sichuan Province, might sound unheard to the average tourist, however we are talking about a city larger in population than any across the entire European continent including Russia. It’s home to over 10 million inhabitants, over 18 including its metropolitan area, this makes it the 5th largest conglomeration in China. It is a very powerful centre for finance, economics, education, industry, transport, communications and culture and its development and growth do not see an end in the near to mid-term future.

It is also world famous for being the capital city of the region from where one of the cutest animal on the planet lives, the giant panda bear. The main research and care base is some 2 hours northwest from the city, and this is the only one place in the world where you can hold one in your hands, a baby one of course. (more…)