One of the most common questions I get from people is “what’s your favorite place that you’ve visited?”

A challenging question, for sure. While Paris is still at the top of my list, and probably always will be, some of the best experiences I’ve had have been in places I never intended to visit.

The prime example of that is Chengdu, China. I had a passing knowledge of the city because of some discussions about the city while at my last job, but that was pretty much limited to “they have pandas there.”

With a whole month to explore China, I added it to my list.

The main attraction in Chengdu for most people is the Panda Breeding Center. True to form, though, I won’t elaborate on that since so many others have written volumes about it.

I loved Chengdu for the energy the city had. My pre-visit perception was that it was a small, very traditional Chinese city. It was anything but. With a population of 6 million, it may be small relative to other places in China, but it was far from traditional.

The contrasts between old and new were a big part of the appeal. Few people spoke English, yet the city has a very modern and very Western feel to it with all the shopping districts, restaurants, fashion and music.

In Chengdu, white people are in shorter supply than baby pandas. Most tourists visit the city for a stop at the panda center and then they hop back on the tour bus. The tiny expat population of 10,000 is comprised largely of other Asian nationals, so the Euro-centric gang is only a couple of thousand people strong. During a six hour walk through the city center and massive shopping complexes I did not see a single Westerner, yet I never felt uncomfortable or out of place.

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A few of my favorite things in Chengdu:

Sichuan opera: One of the traditions that IS common here is the nightly performance of Sichuan opera. While it’s mostly for the tourists, those tourists are from elsewhere in China, so it’s all in their native tongue. Fortunately, it’s very visual so English speakers can still enjoy it. It’s more variety show than opera, with fire eaters, ribbon dancing, puppet performances and the highlight: face-changing. Face-changing is an ancient (and very secret) magical technique involving brightly colored masks that instantly transform in color and expression – not only once, but a dozen times in the span of an 8 minute performance. It’s an impressive display when done well.

Sichuan food: Spicy is the style here and they do it up well. I’m no foodie by any stretch of the imagination, but I did enjoy the dishes, especially the spicy green beans – peppers, garlic and green beans in a blend that can bring tears to your eyes.

Women: Like the food, Chengdu women have a reputation for being spicy. Their personalities are  far more brash and outgoing than in other parts of the country and their style of dress reflects that. While I was there, the typical outfit for a young woman consisted of thigh high boots, patterned nylons and a short skirt, short shorts or a sweater that extends just low enough to be considered a skirt. This is not conservative Beijing.

Nightlife: Chengdu is renowned in China for its nightlife, with dozens of clubs and bars around town in several night time entertainment districts. Our fantastic hostel staff invited us to join them at a  nightclub party on Halloween. Every club was decked out with ghosts, ghouls and macabre decor, along with face painters helping to dress up those who didn’t have a costume. Halloween may be a new tradition in this part of the world, but they’ve latched onto it as a great theme for a party.

Shopping and cultural districts: Some areas of the town have been renovated to incorporate traditional buildings with modern shopping and facilities, similar to Xin Tian Di in Shanghai. The best of those is Jinli – gift shops, restaurants, crafts and history all rolled into one.

Anyone who has the opportunity should spend a couple of days here. Chengdu is a wonderful place to visit, and despite the language barriers, the people are very friendly and outgoing. While walking is still the best way to absorb the local flavor, a newly opened subway makes seeing the city even easier.