Chengdu – Between Pandas and the Sichuan Opera
It is no longer a secret for anyone – China is becoming a greater economic, political and military power by the day. Many of you may have seen (even only on TV) or heard about the incredible cities that are being built in Shanghai, Guangzhou or Beijing, but there is also the image that everything west of the coast is in decay, extreme poverty, third world country. A few years ago, on the way to Tibet, I visited the capital of the southwestern province – Chengdu, a “town” of several million inhabitants, the capital of the Sichuan province. I was expecting hovels and poor people, but, in exchange, we were surprised in this part of China, too… Unfortunately, in the spring of 2008, the Sichuan province was hit by a strong earthquake. Although more than 4,000 people died in Chengdu, and situated only 50 kilometers away from the epicenter, Chengdu did not suffer major damage.
