When visited Chengdu in 2014, I had a feeling that it was not the last time in this wonderful city, but I had no idea how soon we were going to meet again.
It is an adorable place any time of the day, however, I think the nightscapes of Chengdu are worth their own gallery. (I have included some old pictures of our previous stay, too.) Paradise for photographers, you can meet many of them shooting fashion, portraits and weddings on both modern and traditional sites. They are usually friendly and curious about each others work – which I found very impressive. They do not hesitate to share their opinion about cool photography spots, or make suggestions about the best angle or cut for a nice shot.
Locations:
- Jinli Street – It is like walking in a scene of Hayao Miyazaki’s Spirited away. My absolute favourite night spot in Chengdu! All lit up with lanterns after dusk, you can try the best snacks ever (careful, it’s seriously hot and spicy!) and find beautiful handicrafts and art supplies here.
- Chunxi Road – It is the no.1 recommendation for shopping, not bad for some nightlight photography either. I don’t care much about shopping though, but I have to admit that a shopping mall which is still open around 10 pm can be quite useful. And it has a huge panda on the top. <3
- Eastern Suburb Memory – That is one of the coolest things I saw in the city, was recommended by a friend of my Mandarin teacher. It was converted from an old, disused industrial site into a modern cultural park with nice cafes, shops and bars, a huge stage in the middle and great pieces of art installations created of industrial garbage which are all lit up after dark. 🙂 Lots of photographers are visiting this place. Don’t worry if you don’t have a model, some pretty girls will surely appreciate if you take some nice shots of them. Just be prepared with a WeChat account, so you can send the photos to your volunteers afterwards.
- Anshun Bridge – We visited this place in 2014 and the best view was from the next bridge to the East. (Locals recommendation.) The path leading to the other bridge on the riverbank is full of nice bars but they are definitely not for tourists on low budget… 🙂
Note: The best time for a night walk is any weekday to avoid the crowds that we experienced during our first attempt to visit Jinli street on a Saturday. And here is a test if you are actually reading my posts or just have a few seconds glance at the pics: if you reached this point, I owe you a drink. (You can claim it in a private message on my contact form.;) )
