Chengdu Stroll × Journey's Finale: Half-Day at Kuanzhai Xiangzi & an Airport Thriller

Today is truly the last day of the entire trip. At 6 AM, I got up early to see my mom off on an early morning flight back to Taiwan. The Chengdu Tianfu Airport Hotel where I stayed this time was very convenient. It takes less than ten minutes to walk from the hotel to the check-in counter, and the hotel entrance even has a luggage drop-off counter (applicable for domestic flights), so I could leisurely take my time until the last moment before heading to security. Since my mom had already checked in online, we went directly to drop off her luggage, and we unexpectedly ran into fellow tour group members from the Tibet trip. So I confidently handed my mom over to this group of young people to escort her to boarding. Breakfast was a special drip coffee mom brought from Taiwan, paired with bread bought at half price the day before, giving the day a very relaxed start. 🗓 Today's Itinerary Chengdu Tianfu International Airport → Airport drop-off → Check out → Airport Express Line 2 → Stroll through Kuanzhai Alley → Tour of Chengdu's specialty snacks → Return to the airport → Chengdu → Guangzhou (transfer) → Guangzhou → Hanoi → Overnight stay at Hanoi Airport (getting ready to fly to Hue the next day) Chengdu morning stroll: Check out and head to Kuanzhai Alley At nine thirty, Shigehara and I checked out and took the Chengdu Airport Express Bus. It was only then that I realized the airport bus wasn't just a single route, but had as many as four or five different lines. Earlier, Mom had taken Line 1, heading to Chunxi Road; today, we were taking Line 2, heading to Kuanzhai Alley. Since the distance was farther, the ride took about an hour and a half. Even on a weekday, the bus was still packed with tourists, and once again I felt just how popular Chengdu is.

Kuanzhai Alley: A Half-Day Stroll Where Old Streets Meet Modern Creative Culture Kuanzhai Alley blends late-Qing and early-Republican era streetscapes with modern shops, making it an old touristic street that's perfect for a leisurely walk. Strolling through the lanes, you'll find well-preserved traditional architecture alongside a wonderful variety of creative shops and food stalls, all thoughtfully laid out.

Along the way we stopped to taste and explore a few Chengdu specialties: Sichuan rabbit heads: This reminded me of when a Sichuan vendor once brought some to the office, and it turned out no one dared to eat them — it became a funny memory.

Panda House: This time it was Shigehara who got drawn in by the items in the store. Cili juice (thorny pear juice): First time trying it — the taste is a bit like star fruit juice.

Bobo Chicken: The numbing-spicy aroma is bold and vivid — a snack bursting with the flavors of Sichuan.

Dog Poop Candy: It's actually just peanut candy, but because of its unusual name and cute packaging, it's a souvenir tourists often buy. Mao Tofu (Hairy Tofu): We ordered both the pan-fried and deep-fried versions — the texture was rich and dense, but the seasoning was rather ordinary, which was a bit of a shame.

By the time we finished exploring here, both our time and our appetite had wound down, so we got ready to catch a ride back to the airport. An unexpected mishap at check-in: chaos caused by mismatched ID documents My check-in went very smoothly, but Mao Yuan ran into a big problem. He had used his Taiwan Compatriot Permit when purchasing the ticket, but he needed to use his passport for departure and entry into Hanoi — the two didn't match, which meant the ground staff couldn't verify his identity. Once the ground staff couldn't resolve it, they asked us to go find the duty manager for help. The final solution was to change the ID in the system to a passport and hand-write the Taiwan Resident Certificate number on the Chengdu-Guangzhou flight ticket, then get it stamped for confirmation. After going back and forth for almost an hour, I finally got the boarding pass and baggage check-in confirmation. But then I was stopped at security again, this time because of ID number mismatch issues. My passport and ticket were even taken to the back for further review. Only after providing proof of purchase was I finally allowed to proceed. That moment was really nerve-wracking. A strange incident on the plane: a passenger got off temporarily. I thought that once I boarded, I could finally relax, but right before takeoff, the businessman sitting next to me suddenly stood up and asked to get off the plane. After he left, the flight attendants immediately opened all the overhead luggage compartments near his seat, checking item by item for anything left behind, which delayed the entire flight by about 25 minutes. My originally hour-and-a-half layover was instantly cut down to just one hour, and my mood immediately tensed up again. Emergency transfer in Guangzhou: shuttle car pickup, baggage check After landing, the flight attendants gave us rush transfer stickers. When we got off the plane, ground staff were indeed waiting to pick us up and drove us directly to the security checkpoint for the next boarding gate. What worried me most was whether our checked luggage had made the connection. The ground staff asked us to wait nearby for about five minutes, and finally the good news came: our luggage had been successfully transferred, and we could board. At that moment, my whole body relaxed. The stress I experienced today was probably enough to write into a short story.

Farewell and the Beginning of the Next Journey After making it back to Hanoi smoothly, Shigehara and I each set off on our own separate routes. He headed for Ha Long Bay, while I got ready for a six o'clock flight to Hue the next morning. So tonight I chose to spend the night at the airport, my second airport sleepover since London. With this, the journey that stretched from the snowy highlands all the way to Chengdu has officially come to an end.