Best of Sichuan, China: Chengdu Giant Pandas, Jiuzhaigou Valley UNESCO, Leshan Buddha, Mt Emei, Wolong and Aba Tibetan Heritage, a 2026 First-Person Guide
Browse more guides: China travel | Asia destinations My First Bite of Ma-La in a Chengdu Alley The first time I sat on a tiny red stool in a Chengdu side alley off Yulin Road, a steel pot of boiling red oil hissing in front of me, I genuinely thought I had made a mistake. My host, a soft-spoken software engineer who had picked me up from Chengdu Shuangliu CTU airport, slid a plate of paper-thin beef into the broth, dipped it for nine seconds, and handed it to me with a grin that said "welcome to Sichuan." The peppercorn hit first, a numbing electric buzz on my lips, then the chili heat rolled in like a slow wave, and finally the rich beef flavor surfaced through the ma-la fog. I laughed, coughed, drank cold soy milk, and ordered another round. That was the moment I understood why locals call this province the kitchen of the world and the home of the panda. Sichuan, written 四川 and pronounced roughly "suh-chwan," is not a side trip. It is a complete civilization t...