[Chengdu Stroll × Final Chapter of the Journey] A Half-Day Trip to Kuanzhai Alley, and the Airport Scare

Today is truly the last day of the whole trip. At six in the morning, I got up first to see my mom off on her early flight back to Taiwan. The Chengdu Tianfu Airport Hotel we stayed at this time was extremely convenient — it takes less than ten minutes to walk from the hotel to the check-in counter, and there's even a baggage check-in counter right at the hotel entrance (for domestic China flights), so we could take our time until the very last moment before heading to security. Since my mom had already checked in online, we went straight to check her luggage, and we even ran into some fellow travelers from our Tibet tour group by chance. So I happily entrusted my mom to this group of young people to escort her to boarding. Breakfast was a special drip-bag coffee my mom brought from Taiwan, paired with bread I bought at half price the day before, which made for a very relaxing start to the day. 🗓 Today's Itinerary Chengdu Tianfu International Airport → See off → Check out → Airport Line 2 → Stroll through Kuanzhai Alley → Tour of Chengdu's specialty snacks → Return to the airport → Chengdu → Guangzhou (transfer) → Guangzhou → Hanoi → Overnight 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, Motohara and I checked out and took the Chengdu Airport Express Bus. It was only then that I discovered the airport bus wasn't just a single route, but had as many as four or five different lines. Mom had previously taken Line 1, which goes to Chunxi Road; today we took Line 2, which heads to Kuanzhai Alley. Since the distance was farther, the ride took about an hour and a half. Even so, on a weekday it was still packed with tourists, and once again I felt just how popular Chengdu is.

Kuanzhai Xiangzi: A Half-Day Stroll Through the Fusion of Ancient Streets and Modern Cultural Creativity Kuanzhai Xiangzi seamlessly blends late Qing Dynasty and early Republican-era neighborhoods with contemporary shops, creating an ideal tourist old street perfect for leisurely strolls. As you walk through the alleys, you'll discover beautifully preserved traditional architecture alongside an eclectic mix of cultural and creative shops, as well as food vendors, all thoughtfully arranged.

Along the way, we stopped to taste and explore a few Chengdu specialties: Sichuan rabbit head: I remembered a Sichuan vendor once brought some to the office, and it turned out no one dared to eat it — it became a funny memory.

Panda Mansion: This time Maoyuan was drawn in by the products in the store. Cili Juice: First time trying it, the taste is a bit like star fruit juice.

Bobo Chicken: distinctly numbing and fragrant, it's a snack with strong Sichuan characteristics.

Dog Shit Candy: It's actually just peanut candy, but because of its distinctive name and cute packaging, it's a popular souvenir that tourists often buy. Hairy Tofu: I tried both the pan-fried and deep-fried versions. The flavor is rich and dense, but the seasoning is quite ordinary—it's a bit disappointing.

After strolling around here, both our time and appetite had reached a natural stopping point, so we got ready to take the bus back to the airport. An unexpected boarding incident at the airport: chaos caused by a mismatched ID registration My check-in went very smoothly, but Maohara ran into big trouble. He had used his Taiwan Compatriot Permit when purchasing the ticket, but when departing and entering Hanoi he needed to use his passport instead — the two didn't match, which meant the ground staff couldn't verify his identity. Once the ground staff were at a loss for what to do, they asked us to go find the duty manager for help. The final solution was: changing the ID in the system to a passport, and handwriting the Taiwan compatriot certificate number and stamping confirmation on the flight ticket from Chengdu to Guangzhou. After going through nearly an hour of hassle, I finally got my boarding pass and baggage check confirmation. But then at security, I was stopped again, and the reason was still due to inconsistent ID numbers. My passport and ticket were even taken backstage for another review, and only after providing proof of purchase was I finally let through. That moment was really nerve-wracking. Strange incident on the plane: Passenger unexpectedly disembarks After boarding, I thought I could finally relax, but just before takeoff, the businessman next to me suddenly stood up and requested to get off the plane. Once he had left, the flight attendants immediately opened all the overhead bins near his seat and carefully checked each item to confirm there was nothing left behind, which caused the entire plane to be delayed by approximately 25 minutes. My originally scheduled one and a half hour layover suddenly shrank to just one hour, and my anxiety instantly returned. Guangzhou Emergency Layover: Special Vehicle Transfer and Baggage Confirmation After landing, the flight attendants gave us rush transfer stickers. When we got off the plane, ground staff were indeed waiting, and they drove us directly to the security checkpoint of the next boarding gate. What worried me most was whether the checked baggage had made it through. The ground staff asked us to wait nearby for about five minutes, and finally good news came: the baggage had been successfully transferred, and we could board. At that moment, all my tension completely melted away. The level of stress I experienced today could probably be enough material to write a short story.

Farewell and the Beginning of the Next Journey After returning safely to Hanoi, Shigena and I each set off on different paths. He headed to Ha Long Bay, while I prepared for an early morning flight to Hue at six o'clock the next day. So for tonight, I chose to stay at the airport, marking my second night sleeping at an airport since London. With this, the journey that extended from the snowy highlands to Chengdu officially comes to a close.