Have you every dreamed of that place with magical red lanterns lining the eaves, wooden oriental doors and a Chinese flute player in the distance? Well this in Jindili Lane. When you stand at the entrance and take it all in it will really blow your mind and it is definitely a place I have not forgotten in all my travels. It was my first trip to China with our Chinese friends Zhao Shihua and his partner May Sun. Zhao is a very famous Qigong healer who was sponsored to Australia by our former Prime Minister Bob Hawke.
Jindili Lane feels like something out of a fairytale. You can find beautiful hand made items such a hand painted Chinese vases, paintings or instruments, taste famous Chinese tea, have a beer at any one of the side bars or eat hand made dumplings from a little cart. When you wander through the streets you see the locals having a game of Ma Jong, playing an instrument or feeding the Koi fish in the beautifully crafted ponds.
A view from the street
A unique thing about Jindili lane is that it is very clean, decorated and out of the hustle and bustle of Chengdu city. At night they lock their shop fronts with large oriental wooden panels that lock into rafts on the floor, this is a very old and traditional locking method. If you are visiting the city be sure to go to this hidden gem, you will leave feeling as if you stepped back in time.
Sydel
