Arrival into Xining
We were scheduled to arrive at Xining Railway Station at 6am, which meant a 5am wake-up call. Surprisingly, I slept really well on the train. A quick toilet break, wash-up, and packing later, we rolled into Xining often called the “Gateway to Tibet.”
This post is part of our 13-day Tibet journey, documenting each day of our journey across Nyingchi, Lhasa, Everest Base Camp, and the Qinghai–Tibet Railway. Read the full itinerary here.
A Much-Appreciated Stopover at Qinghai Hotel
Our flight from Xining to Chengdu wasn’t until 1:15pm, so our travel agency thoughtfully arranged a short transfer to Qinghai Hotel for breakfast, a proper shower, and some rest before heading to the airport at 10am.
Even though it was only a quick 3-hour stopover, I was genuinely grateful for this arrangement. After a long overnight train journey, being able to freshen up properly made such a big difference.
Flight from Xining to Chengdu
We arrived at Xining Airport for our Sichuan Airlines flight feeling refreshed… until drama struck.
Just as we were about to board, Hubby realised he had lost his boarding pass. Panic mode ON. We retraced our steps, called our tour leader, and searched everywhere – nothing.
At the exact same time, one of our tour mates disembarked from the plane saying she had lost her luggage. Double impact.
Honestly, if I were the tour leader, I will be super stressed out. But ours stayed incredibly calm and handled both situations simultaneously.
Luckily, Hubby took a photo of his boarding pass beforehand. He showed the photo to the boarding gate staff and to our surprise, they were able to scan the barcode directly from the photo and let him board.
WOW. Lesson learned: I am always going to take a photo of my boarding pass now.
As for our tour mate, she wasn’t as lucky initially. Since the flight was already about to depart, our tour leader contacted the local guide to help coordinate lost & found while we were in the air. Thankfully, they managed to trace back her luggage. Turned out she had accidentally left it behind after clearing the security checkpoint.
Birthday Surprise on Sichuan Airlines
Since it was Hubby’s birthday, Sichuan Airlines surprised him with a handwritten birthday card and a fruit and tea platter.
Such a thoughtful gesture – totally unexpected and very much appreciated. Sichuan Airlines is my go-to airline from now on.
Arrival at Chengdu
Upon arrival in Chengdu, we had lunch at one of the restaurants at the airport before heading to our hotel to check in.
Exploring Chunxi Road & Taikoo Li
After checking in to Chengdu Taihe International Hotel, we headed out to Chunxi Road (春熙路) – Chengdu’s most vibrant shopping and lifestyle district.
Chunxi Road (春熙路)
The iconic Climbing Panda at Chengdu IFS
Taikoo Li (太古里)
Daci Temple (大慈寺)
Hotpot Culture in Chengdu
I have always heard that hotpot is the heart of Sichuan cuisine – bubbling red mala (numbing-spicy) broth infused with chillies, Sichuan peppercorns, garlic, and beef tallow.
Sichuan locals take pride in their heat tolerance, and I have always wanted to challenge it for myself. So dinner tonight was for sure hotpot!
We ordered a dual hotpot with one mala broth and one mushroom soup broth (just in case the mala broth is too spicy). I even double-checked with the lady that we wanted the mildest spice level and she said yes yes.
Final Verdict:
The mala broth was way too spicy for Hubby – he gave up after a while. I persisted through despite my tongue feeling numb because honestly… it was incredibly flavourful.
Painful? Yes.
Worth it? Also yes.
By the time dinner ended, it was already past the group meeting time, so we took a Didi back to the hotel. Time to rest for the night as we had a 6:50am departure the next morning for our flight back to Singapore at 10:20am.
Farewell Chengdu & Goodbye Tibet
And just like that…
Bye bye Chengdu.
End of our 13-day Tibet journey.
Tibet – you have been unforgettable.
I’ll certainly miss you.
