Karin Bohn: Chengdu Diaries

CHENGDU DIARIES

PENTHOUSE PROJECT

I had to pinch myself many times on the way over to Chengdu, China. I’m half Chinese, so I’ve always been drawn to that side of the world. I’ve also always dreamed of doing work there. While I’ve been lucky enough to work with many Chinese clients here in Vancouver, it wasn’t until recently that I landed an amazing penthouse project located in the city of Chengdu.

Through work, as well as traveling with my husband, I’ve had a chance to visit Beijing, Shanghai (it’s one of my favorite cities on Earth) and Dalian. I hadn’t even heard of Chengdu until I was approached to work there and I’m so happy I got a chance to see the city because it’s absolutely incredible!

NARROW ALLEY MARKET

I was only in Chengdu for about 4 days but there were still so many highlight moments during the trip, I couldn’t possibly recount all of them here! I do have to say that one stand-out experience was seeing the Narrow Alley market.

We navigated old, but pristine streets, that were lined with old, traditional Chinese architecture, beautiful shops and never-ending kiosks of street food. The market was so lively and full of people! It literally felt like everywhere you turned, there was something new to experience.

ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN

As an interior designer I love seeing unique pieces of architecture and design, like traditional doors, door knockers, furniture, and art. It felt like we were surrounded by hidden treasures all around us while we were at the market and it was so interesting to experience objects and food that I had never seen before!

My client took us to her favorite spot for an afternoon tea before dinner. We literally sat in a small and cozy treehouse while a women poured us green tea local to the area. In was delicious and the environment was so calming and relaxing!

DAY FULL OF ACTIVITIES

After a full afternoon at the market, we headed to dinner for our first hot pot experience. If you EVER get the chance to go to Chengdu, you MUST try Sichuan hot pot. It was so delicious that now when I hear the words “hot pot” my mouth literally starts to salivate!

Next up was checking out the Panda Research and Breeding Center in Chengdu. This is home to many captive giant pandas, and since most pandas don’t frequently breed in the wild, it is a center for raising their babies as a way to help boost their wild population.

I’ve never seen a panda up close, and boy, they were so cuuuuuuute!! We spent almost 4 hours at the center just staring and watching them eat pounds and pounds of bamboo (they eat so much because they only retain a small percentage of what they eat) and baby pandas play and sleep in trees. It was one of the most adorable things I’ve ever seen!