Exploded in popularity! Chengdu Kuanzhai Alley hides the vibrant life that captivates millions

📍 Attraction address: Intersection of Jinhe Road and Changshun Shangjie, Qingyang District, Chengdu, Sichuan Province (next to People's Park, directly accessible by Metro Line 4)
🚗 Transportation guide:

- Metro: Exit B of "Kuanzhai Alley Station" on Line 4, a 3-minute walk, highly recommended (avoids traffic jams, direct to the core area);
- Bus: Get off at "Kuanzhai Alley Station" on routes 5, 13, 42, etc., enter the alley within 5 minutes on foot;
- Self-driving/taxi: Navigate to "Kuanzhai Alley Parking Lot," parking spaces are tight during peak season, taxi drop-off at the alley entrance is recommended (drivers all know the "Kuaxiangzi entrance" spot).

👍 Core check-in points:

1. Kuaxiangzi · Old Chengdu Slow Life
- Must experience: Find an old teahouse by the street (such as the century-old teahouse next to "Xiaolong Flips the River"), order a cup of Bitan Piaoxue tea, watch the tea master pour tea with a long-spouted copper pot in a "dragonfly skimming water" style, listen to the elderly chatting in Sichuan dialect ("Longmenzhen");
- Highlights: Cats sunbathing by the wall roots, pomegranate trees at the courtyard gates, panda-shaped dough figurines made by the dough artist, everywhere reflects the leisurely old Chengdu.

2. Zhaixiangzi · Collision of Old and New
- Must experience: Browse creative shops (like "Chengdu Story") to find Shu embroidery bookmarks and panda-shaped canvas bags; take photos in front of old walls covered with bougainvillea, then turn around to enter a trendy café for a "Gaiwan latte," seamlessly blending tradition and trend;
- Highlights: Sichuan opera face-changing performances on the street (often from 3-5 pm), actors change masks with a flick of their sleeves, applause can shake the roof.

3. Jingxiangzi · Time Memory Wall
- Must experience: Stroll along the "Old Chengdu Life Relief Wall," see old scenes like the shoulder pole vendor and women embroidering on bamboo chairs, chat with local elders who say "this wall painting is exactly how we were as kids";
- Highlights: The "Cultural Market" at the alley’s end, where old craftsmen set up stalls on weekends selling sugar paintings and Shu embroidery, you can try making simple sugar paintings yourself.

🍜 Must-eat foods:

- Tangyouguozi (Sugar Glutinous Rice Balls): The first shop at Kuaxiangzi entrance, glutinous rice balls fried crispy outside and sticky inside, coated with sesame sugar glaze, 3 yuan/skewer, hot and mouth-burning but irresistible;
- San Da Pao (Three Big Cannons): A small stall in the middle of Zhaixiangzi, the master slams glutinous rice balls on the board three times, then rolls them in soybean flour and brown sugar, 5 yuan/serving, the lively atmosphere is what you’re tasting;
- Old Hotpot: "Shu Jiuxiang" (Kuanzhai Alley branch) 50 meters outside the alley entrance, beef tallow base for dipping tripe and aorta, paired with ice-cold beer, authentic Chengdu flavor (80-100 yuan per person).

💡 Practical Tips:

- Best time: 9 am when fewer people, perfect for photographing the quiet bluestone streets; after 7 pm when lights come on, lanterns reflect on gray walls, the atmosphere is richest;
- Dress code: Wear flat shoes (bluestone streets are hard on feet), light-colored clothes (great for photos with old walls and bougainvillea);
- Avoid pitfalls: Don’t impulsively buy handicrafts, ask around a few shops; choose snack stalls with long queues, local favorites never disappoint;
- Duration: 3 hours is enough for a leisurely stroll, you can also visit the nearby People's Park for tea and experience a "leisurely day in Chengdu."

✨ In one sentence: There’s no cold steel and concrete here, only the warmth of a gaiwan tea, the aroma of hotpot, and the laughter of neighbors—what millions long for is this lively, authentic Chengdu life hidden in the alleys.