Chengdu/Leshan/Dazu vs Xi'an

Ok, it's early February. Not the best time to travel to central China. We're
going to do it anyway. The question I have for those of you in the know or even
not-so-in-the-know is what follows. From tour books we know what sights there
are in Chengdu/Leshan/Dazu and what sights there are in Xi'an (I understand
that the Banpo neolithic village is unavailable). Which would you visit if you
could visit only one? To make it harder, after we leave China we are going to
Australia where it will be mid-summer, and we don't relish the thought of
carrying a lot of cold weather gear. Will Chengu/Leshan/Dazu be enough warmer
than Xi'an that we wouldn't have to carry much extra warm clothing? Or is Xi'an
so much more interesting that we should stop crying and bring the cold weather
clothes?
What would you do?
Thanks for your help.
Steve

I think the key to your quandry is:

Which would you visit if you could visit only one?

Based on that criterion, I would say Xi'an, especially if you don't
plan on returning to China anytime in the future. Additionally, the
city of Xi'an itself is much more visitor-friendly (read, easier to
handle) with any number of sights/shopping/restaurants within the city
itself to keep you very busy. Adding up the pagodas, temples, Muslim
quarter, the two excellent major museums (don't miss the indoor
collection of tomb and Buddhist sculpture at the "forest of stone
tablets"), souvenir shopping opportunities (if you need such things),
as well as the Warriors, Famen Si, Xingjiao Si (burial place of the
monk Xunazang), and other temple sites around the city, then Xi'an is
the way to go. Forget Banpo. Chengdu, by contrast, is great too, but
is more just a big city that lacks the concentration of history and
compelling attractions. Dazu is wonderful, and so is the big Buddha,
but you will be making an overnight trip to appreciate Dazu and at
minimum, a very long day trip to appreciate the Buddha. Emeishan in
February would run you into the cold weather again and requires an
overnight at minimum to fully appreciate or a separate, very long day
trip to hike around and see the lower temples. There's also the
excellent Sanxingdui museum, another day trip. Anything natural or
wild that Sichuan is famous for will include the cold weather
condition you seem to been concerned about. Pandas too, half a day to
experience the breeding center in the north of the city.

In the end, it depends on what you really want to leave China with:
Xi'an is filled with what "China" conjures up in the minds of most,
while Chengdu and environs are a bit more idiosyncratic. In either
case, pray to the weather gods...more so for the sun than for the
cold.

"Oceras" schreef in bericht
...
Ok, it's early February. Not the best time to travel to central China.
We're
going to do it anyway. The question I have for those of you in the know or
even
not-so-in-the-know is what follows. From tour books we know what sights
there
are in Chengdu/Leshan/Dazu and what sights there are in Xi'an (I
understand
that the Banpo neolithic village is unavailable). Which would you visit if
you
could visit only one? To make it harder, after we leave China we are going
to
Australia where it will be mid-summer, and we don't relish the thought of
carrying a lot of cold weather gear. Will Chengu/Leshan/Dazu be enough
warmer
than Xi'an that we wouldn't have to carry much extra warm clothing? Or is
Xi'an
so much more interesting that we should stop crying and bring the cold
weather
clothes?
What would you do?
Thanks for your help.
Steve


Don't go to Xian
The "famous" teracotta army is not really worth a visit, you can see similar
things elsewhere in China.
Compared with Chengdu, is Xian dirty and foreigner-unfriendly
There is a widespread scan-culture in Xian
And on top of that: there are a number of muslins who don't like foreigners
at all
I will save you the details

Chengdu is extremely clean, people are friendly, food is excellent
Leshan/Dazu are magnificent.
Don't worry about temperature.

Other interesting places in China a
Lijang, Datong, PingJao, Yunnan province.

U¿ytkownik "Dieter Aa" Dieter napisa³ w wiadomo¶ci
...

Don't go to Xian
The "famous" teracotta army is not really worth a visit, you can see
similar
things elsewhere in China.

Where in China or elsewhere int the world is another teracotta army ?

Compared with Chengdu, is Xian dirty and foreigner-unfriendly
There is a widespread scan-culture in Xian
And on top of that: there are a number of muslins who don't like
foreigners
at all
I will save you the details

Xian has magnificent old city - something quite rare in China, Muslim
quarter has great atmosphere.
Food is best in China ( try sweet & sour meat ). Even without teracotta
army Xian is worth visiting ...


Chengdu is extremely clean, people are friendly, food is excellent

Chengdu is another noisy and dirty small copy of Hongkong.

--
Jacek

On Sat, 22 Nov 2003 23:12:58 +0100, the renowned "Jacuo"
wrote:


U¿ytkownik "Dieter Aa" Dieter napisa³ w wiadomo¶ci
...

Don't go to Xian
The "famous" teracotta army is not really worth a visit, you can see
similar
things elsewhere in China.

Where in China or elsewhere int the world is another teracotta army ?

Compared with Chengdu, is Xian dirty and foreigner-unfriendly
There is a widespread scan-culture in Xian
And on top of that: there are a number of muslins who don't like
foreigners
at all
I will save you the details

Xian has magnificent old city - something quite rare in China, Muslim
quarter has great atmosphere.
Food is best in China ( try sweet & sour meat ). Even without teracotta
army Xian is worth visiting ...

I more agree with this comment, never been to Chengdu.

Best regards,
Spehro Pefhany
--
"it's the network..." "The Journey is the reward"
Info for manufacturers: http://www.trexon.com
Embedded software/hardware/analog Info for designers: http://www.speff.com

"Jacuo" schreef in bericht
...

U¿ytkownik "Dieter Aa" Dieter napisa³ w wiadomo¶ci
...

Don't go to Xian
The "famous" teracotta army is not really worth a visit, you can see
similar
things elsewhere in China.

Where in China or elsewhere int the world is another teracotta army ?

I can name you at least two places in China
.... try Google
with full colour teracotta images
But, i must admit, not with 3 excavation pits


Compared with Chengdu, is Xian dirty and foreigner-unfriendly
There is a widespread scan-culture in Xian
And on top of that: there are a number of muslins who don't like
foreigners
at all
I will save you the details

Xian has magnificent old city -

sure, "old" in the way that it is worn-out, but authentic ?

something quite rare in China,

If you are looking for a really old and authentic city with real walls and
people living in authentic old houses, then you better go to PingYao


Muslim
quarter has great atmosphere.

and real scam-champions.


Food is best in China ( try sweet & sour meat ).

....in Sichuan province

Even without teracotta
army Xian is worth visiting ...

Are you stating that food in Xi'an is better than the famous food of Sichuan
province ?


Chengdu is extremely clean, people are friendly, food is excellent
Chengdu is another noisy and dirty small copy of Hongkong.

Chengdu is 3 times more authentic than Xi'an
And: no muslims in Chengdu

On Sun, 23 Nov 2003 00:43:30 GMT, the renowned "Dieter Aa" Dieter
wrote:

Chengdu is 3 times more authentic than Xi'an
And: no muslims in Chengdu

What's your beef with Chinese Muslims? As a traveller I certainly had
no issues with them- very friendly and helpful, and the food was a
great change from the usual Chinese slop.

Best regards,
Spehro Pefhany
--
"it's the network..." "The Journey is the reward"
Info for manufacturers: http://www.trexon.com
Embedded software/hardware/analog Info for designers: http://www.speff.com

"Spehro Pefhany" schreef in bericht
...
On Sun, 23 Nov 2003 00:43:30 GMT, the renowned "Dieter Aa" Dieter
wrote:

Chengdu is 3 times more authentic than Xi'an
And: no muslims in Chengdu

What's your beef with Chinese Muslims? As a traveller I certainly had
no issues with them- very friendly and helpful, and the food was a
great change from the usual Chinese slop.

No particular problem with chinese muslims.

Probably you didn't had issues with muslims in China.
I had more than a couple of issues with muslims
in Beijing, in Xi'an and in some other cities in SE Asia and India
And (coincidently ?) I only had issues with muslims, never with other
people.
Strange isn't it ?

I can tell you about simple scams, but also horrible stories, even live
treatening issues(in Xian !), i faced with muslims
on my travels in SE Asia. I learned my lesson: I will stay away from muslims
as far as possible.
But it is up to everybody else to decide where to go and how to face
muslims.

Thanks for your agreement with the other issues of our previous discussion.

U¿ytkownik "Dieter Aa" Dieter napisa³ w wiadomo¶ci
...
Where in China or elsewhere int the world is another teracotta army ?

I can name you at least two places in China
... try Google
with full colour teracotta images
But, i must admit, not with 3 excavation pits

Terracota figeres were found also in the Middle East. But what is unique in
Xian - that is
quantity and how well these figures are preserved. I dont like to go
somwhere to see two broken
figures if i can see hundreds of them.


Xian has magnificent old city -

sure, "old" in the way that it is worn-out, but authentic ?

What is not "authentic" in Xian ?
Anyway capitol of my country was completly destroyed by ****ing Germans
during IIWW, then it was completly rebuilt, but
"new" old city is a very nice and charming place and it is even in Unesco
list ...
So even if there is somthing not authentic in Xian these place is very nice.


Food is best in China ( try sweet & sour meat ).
...in Sichuan province

in northern China. Food is getting worse and worse when you are going south.



--
Jacek\\

Jesus, what happened to this thread; is this soc.culture.china now??

Since no one has constructively refuted anything in my initial reply,
let me also add for the record that I lived in Chengdu and traveled to
Xi'an during the time the OP plans to go. Yes, the food in Chengdu is
great, but there is plenty of food to keep you happy in Xi'an as well.
Try getting a room at the Wuyi and there's a fun, cafeteria style
place right in the hotel that's mobbed with locals. Fantastic
doughnuts out in front on the street in the morning. The Muslim
Quarter alone will keep you happy for several days' worth of meals.
Better yogurt in Xi'an too. Of course there are tourist scams in
Xi'an ("would you like to come in and see a special students'
exhibition of paintings?") but come on, how easy is that to avoid?
That aside, in the souvenir districts you can stock up on a lot of
cool stuff that you never see in Chengdu, partly because of the
geographic location and partly because of the huge numbers of
tourists. As I already said, it depends on what you're after, but if
it's an either-or proposition, the choice is really quite clear.
Chengdu continues to be modernized at a rapid pace and physically
retains very little of its history. Xi'an strikes a better balance in
this regard.

Am I dogging Chengdu? Not in the least; I love the place and it will
always be my home in China. And get over this Han vs. Hui
business...or go Muslim-bashing on the aforementioned soc.culture
forum.