Chengdu : Do not visit China during Golden Week!

POV : Xiuren

Unless you are comfortable wrestling with crowds, and paying more for accommodations and food, do not visit China during the Golden Week. This is the week that the Chinese celebrate their national day, and there is a nationwide week long public holiday. This means that

According to media reports, there were up to 765 million domestic travellers during the golden week itself. 765 million is such a huge number it sounds like a piece of statistics, but it is 100 times the population of Singapore. Or 15,000 stadium worth of people.

We unfortunately began our trip midway through the golden week. On our second day, we decided to visit Kuanzhai Alley for its old town charm, and Taikoo Li for its CBD shopping vibes.

Kuanzhai Alley was almost impossible to visit. It was a hustle bustle once we got off the train, to be met by constant stream of people exiting the station, dragging us along. Out of the station, the streets was like an ant hole with working ants moving mindlessly from street to street. We could not even enter the main street and alleys, as halfway through, the crowd seems to come to a standstill as people from both ends came onto each other. We both felt so claustrophobic, as though we would get crushed by the crowd (like the Itaewon Incident), and decided to turn back and get out of the area.

There is also another reason not to visit during golden week. The extradordinary crowd placed such a high pressure on their public restrooms that it cannot be well maintained at all. Before our escapade in a peaceful quiet cafe in a local street about 500m from the attraction, I had a sudden tummy ache that forced me my hand. I had to go to any next toilet that is available or I will have to deal with a pair of soiled pants. We did see a public toilet. Correction. We could smell the public toilet before we saw it. I would rather have sat through an 8 hours budget airplane flight than used the toilet. However, that day, my body did not allow me that wager. I had to brave all that ever was and use the toilet.

It was horrible. Beyond words. With the pungent pee ammonia smell hanging in the air, I pushed on to the cubicles. Opening the only unoccupied cubicle door to my right, I was met with perhaps the worst toilet sight I ever had. The squat toilet, firstly, was left unflushed with contents from the previous user still in it. I understand. The flush is filthy as well, but it’s a flush pedal. Could one not have just stepped on it to flush?

Worse still than what was in the toilet was what was outside the squattie. Two puddles of soft semi solid brown paste lay beside the toilet. I could imagine the pain the previous users were in, that they could no longer take proper aim. How I hate that at that moment my body could no longer take it. Remaining stoic amongst all the shit, literally, I did what I had to, as fast as I can. Civilly, I flushed the toilet, opened the door, and met the eyes of the next person waiting in line to use the toilet. Even though the two piles were none of my business, I felt helplessly embarrassed, and a weak smile escaped me toward the poor guy.

We then had our little escapade in a local cafe. All was well and good in terms of vibes, but coffee was nothing spectacular.

We took the train to Chenxi Road metro station to visit Taikoo Li. No longer than 30 seconds after we alighted, we have made the decision to leave and return to the hotel to rest after seeing the massive crowd trying to exit the station. We suspect the crowd would have rendered it impossible to do any shopping anyways.

Around our hotel that is about 1-2km from central, we found peace. There were quiet local streets around with restaurants that the Chengdu people had their lunch and dinner. We spent the next few days there as well, glad and fulfilled.

We never got to visit the attractions as we have planned, but that would have been a blessing in disguise. We managed to explore the local areas instead of the heavily commercialised areas that are similar to some that we would eventually go during this month long trip.