The tempo of life in Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan Province, is the polar opposite of Shanghai. Even Chinese people traveling from other cities are amazed at Chengdu people's ability to relax. People seem to spend the majority of their time in tea houses, or playing mahjong, or card games. Once you're on a Chengdu tour, don't forget to stop and visit a tea house, you will get a better feel for Chengdu.
Tea House Life
Sichuan can be called a province of tea houses. Tea houses can be found in every city, town, and village. Spend a day in a Sichuan tea house and you will have a better understanding of Sichuan people's local life as it has been for hundreds of years.
The tea house is an important gathering place in Sichuan, especially in Chengdu. It is one of the few remaining cities in China to still contain an authentic tea house culture. Thousands of teahouses are scattered about the city, they provide the locals a place for social gathering, entertainment, where they can get together with relatives, make new friends, and meet up with old ones. Over the centuries, people in Chengdu City have formed a habit of stopping by teahouses.
Mahjong and Sichuan Cards Games
More than any other place in China, Sichuan is famous for its relaxed lifestyle, and the games here plays an important role in the leisure time of its residents. The two most popular are Mahjong and the card game DouDiZhu (fight the landlord).
Mahjong is a game enjoyed throughout China and around the world, but nowhere does it have such notoriety as in Sichuan. Almost every resident of the province knows how to play this game, from the oldest senior citizen to the youngest school child.
Everywhere you go, you will find people playing Mahjong. It can be seen on the streets, in tea houses, in Mahjong houses, and at home.
The other extremely popular game is Dou Di Zhu (Fight the Landlord). It is a card game similar to the game Big 2, but with some major differences. In Dou Di Zhu one player plays the landlord, and the other players team up to 'Fight the Landlord'.
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