Chengdu can be called the city of leisure. From traditional teahouses, theaters to modern pubs and clubs, Chengdu people know how to enjoy their colorful nightlife. Chengdu offers a variety of ways to pass the evening. For example: Sichuan opera, a favorite for foreign and Chinese tourists alike is known for its humor and dynamism. It is an integral part of every performance of bianlian or "changing faces".
The main difference between Sichuan Opera and Beijing Opera lies in the fact that the themes of the former are more provincial and related to everyday life than their Beijing counterparts. All the opera here is performed in Sichuanese, a special rhythmic dialect and the costumes and face paints are colorful and impressive. As one of the stunts in Sichuan opera, face changing is the focus of audience attention. One can not help marveling at this great skill, because it is a romantic method to express internal feelings of the protagonist, it transforms abstract feels into concrete masks.
Sichuan opera enjoys a time-honored history. As early as in Three Kingdom Period, there was 'Canjun opera'. Sichuan Opera features vivid, humorous narration, singing and acrobatics. It also builds a system of stylized movements and its acting is both exquisite and lively. Sichuan Opera performances are always full of wit, humor, lively dialogues and pronounced local flavors.
As an indispensable part of a Chengdu's nightlife, pubs and clubs are primarily in busy streets such as Renmin South Road and west of Yangshi Street. Cafes, discos, karaoke bars, ballrooms, and bowling alleys are also widely built here. Kakadu Club, Glasshouse Pub, Gaomeigao in Lihua Street and Hongse Niandai (Red Ages) in Renmin South Road are very popular among younger people. Pubs and bars in this area will make your trip in Chengdu more colorful and interesting. There are a few good bars around the Traffic Hotel serving good beer (the local brew is Blue Sword which goes down very well with spicy food!) and also doing western style food. Paul's Place is currently pick of the bunch.
The recorded tea-drinking history of Chengdu is more than 2,000 years. Most of the teahouses are distributed in the city's alleys or parks, they are the ideal recreational places for the locals. The favorite pursuits of Chengdu people while they are drinking tea are the comfort and leisure. The chairs in the teahouses are backrest chairs made of bamboo, on which one can sit or half lay relaxingly and stably. As to the tea set, there are three things including porcelain bowl, porcelain cover and metal tray. Chengdu people use long-mouth kettle to make the tea, and a good tea maker can use it skillfully without a drop spilling out. The teahouse serves other refreshments besides various kinds of teas. People can have great fun in the teahouse by chatting, playing chess and son on. The teahouses fall into different categories according to their features, such as the old, the new, the cultural teahouses, and the chess teahouse, etc.
