A Sincere Warning to Foreigners: Avoid Eating Local Delicacies in Chengdu

Chengdu has done an amazing job hosting the Universiade!

As of August 2, with 36 gold, 12 silver, and 12 bronze medals, the Chengdu Universiade has reached its halfway point, and Chinese university athletes continue to lead the gold medal tally.

The Chinese team enters during the Universiade opening ceremony.

Meanwhile, international university athletes and staff are not only striving for medals but also immersing themselves in Sichuan culture, having a blast. From Korean athletes bringing kimchi to try spicy skewers and turning red-faced from the heat, to foreign friends playing rock-paper-scissors with a sugar-coated hawthorn vendor and winning big.

Beyond food, even more surprising scenes unfold. Walking through Chengdu’s streets now, foreign university athletes are everywhere—international technical officials joining elders in square dancing, Azerbaijani team members bargain-hunting at the Hehuajin Wholesale Market. Originally a serious international sports event for university students worldwide, the Universiade in Chengdu has turned into:

Main quest: Eat, drink, and have fun in Chengdu.

Foreign athletes blending into Chengdu life.

GIF 1/Zhangwen Video, GIF 2/Folk Discovery

Chengdu’s charm even prompted a "warning" from the acting president of FISU: "Do not taste Chengdu’s food before competitions." Why is Chengdu hosting the Universiade so joyfully? It reminds us of the old saying about Chengdu: "The young should not enter Sichuan"—the answer is obvious.

The Universiade should be held in Chengdu!

No place is more comfortable than Chengdu. Located in the western Sichuan Basin and the heart of the Chengdu Plain, Chengdu has long been known as the "Land of Abundance." Framed by the Longmen and Longquan Mountains and nourished by the Min and Tuo Rivers, it enjoys pleasant weather year-round, stunning landscapes, and fertile land that produces countless ingredients for Sichuan cuisine.

Such a comfortable environment fosters an optimistic, romantic, and carefree spirit. According to "Chengdu Overview," late-Qing Chengdu had 516 streets and 454 teahouses—meaning nearly every street had one a century ago. Today, Chengdu locals still leisurely spend afternoons sipping tea in People’s Park. By night, crowds flock to hotpot and skewer joints, eating until 3 or 4 a.m. before strolling home.

Chengdu, the prosperous heart of Southwest China.

Comfort also brings Chengdu a long history and poetic culture. During the Universiade, a Swiss athlete asked how old Chengdu is and was stunned by the answer: over 3,000 years. In fact, ancient Shu people settled here along the Min River millennia ago, building a grand city—today’s "Jinsha Ruins."

Hotpot shops are ubiquitous in Chengdu’s streets.

Later, with the development of the Shu roads, Central Plains culture merged, enriching the region further. In the Han dynasty, two of the four great fu poets (Sima Xiangru and Yang Xiong) hailed from here. During the Tang and Song dynasties, Li Bai marveled at Chengdu’s "cloud-kissed mountains and embroidered landscapes," while Du Fu found rare stability in his wandering life here. From the Jinsha Ruins to Wuhou Shrine, Wenshu Monastery, Daci Temple, and Du Fu Thatched Cottage, these historic sites testify to Chengdu’s 3,000-year legacy.

People enjoying skewers by the street.

Today, Chengdu continues its glory. In the first half of 2023, its GDP exceeded 1 trillion yuan, ranking among China’s top 10. As the closest national central city in western China to Europe and a key node of the China-Europe Railway Express, it bridges Eastern and Western cultures. Tianfu International Airport, opened in 2021, made Chengdu China’s third dual-international-airport city after Beijing and Shanghai, with the third-highest number of foreign consulates.

Though the Universiade is a serious international event, its athletes are young, energetic university students. While the competition level may not match the Olympics, their vitality is unmatched. This energy perfectly aligns with Chengdu’s laid-back lifestyle, ancient heritage, and modern global infrastructure.

Chengdu’s comfort spans all ages.

There is no city more suitable for hosting the Universiade than Chengdu.

"One minute on stage takes ten years of practice off stage." This saying applies not only to the athletes participating in the Universiade but also to Chengdu as the host city. To ensure both international athletes and locals could enjoy the Universiade, Chengdu's efforts spanned "from the ground to the sky, from humans to animals."

Foreign athletes shopping for panda-themed souvenirs.

First, look down at the roadside green belts. For the Universiade, Chengdu added 57.12 million square meters of themed green spaces. Tianfu Square's red floral band symbolizes Chengdu's role as a key node in the "Belt and Road" and Yangtze River Economic Belt, while Renmin South Road draws inspiration from the national treasure "Five Stars Rise in the East, Favoring China," showcasing the rich Shu brocade culture. The Houzimen area features local plants like hibiscus, hollyhock, and saxifrage, reflecting Chengdu's historic "Shu Mountains and Elegant Waters" aesthetic.

Look up at the people. Before the Universiade, the Chengdu government thanked residents for their support by distributing free "Universiade blind boxes" to households. These contained a venue map, fans, cooling sleeves, a "100 Universiade English Phrases" booklet, and a blue backpack. The seemingly ordinary backpack was creatively customized by locals into trendy designs, earning the title "Chengdu's standout bag" and becoming the summer's must-have accessory in 2023.

Chengdu Universiade mascot blind boxes.

Finally, turn to the Chengdu Panda Base. Even the city's "top celebrity" panda Hua Hua got a bath, transforming her dusty fur into a gleaming white, sparking jokes about it being "the cleanest moment of her life." The mascot panda "Rong Bao" also appeared everywhere—on bikes, coffee, ice cream—as Chengdu embraced this globally adored symbol.

During the Universiade, panda elements were ubiquitous in Chengdu.

Chengdu is great, but don’t overindulge.

Chengdu is wonderful, but are there any precautions before visiting? Yes.

"Avoid Chengdu's spicy food before competitions—it might cause stomach issues," warned the acting FISU president. But as seen in packed restaurants, this advice was likely ignored because Chengdu's food is irresistible.

Chengdu's most iconic dish: hotpot.

Renowned for its cuisine, Chengdu was named a "City of Gastronomy" by UNESCO in 2010. The 2022 Chengdu Michelin Guide made it the fourth mainland Chinese city after Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Beijing to be featured. Here, you’ll find Sichuan’s culinary essence, including the thrilling spice of hotpot—a fiery ambassador for foreign visitors.

The boiling, numbing-hot pot mirrors Chengdu's fiery spirit. Ingredients like tripe, duck blood, goose intestine, brain, pork belly, duck feet, and beef represent Sichuan’s bounty. This mix in one pot embodies the city’s inclusive character.

Hotpot accompaniments: tripe, goose intestine, beef, and kidney slices.

Though delicious, the president’s warning held truth—Chengdu’s spice isn’t for everyone. A Polish athlete, confident after ordering medium-spicy skewers, coughed violently post-bite despite claiming to "love challenges."

But Chengdu’s flavors go beyond spice, and its cuisine beyond hotpot. Dishes like mapo tofu and kung pao chicken, often adapted abroad, taste authentic here.

Chengdu skewers, overwhelming foreign friends with heat.

Sichuan cuisine offers "one dish, one style; a hundred dishes, a hundred flavors." As showcased at the athletes' village, its eight techniques (e.g., dry-braising, fish-fragrant) and 24 flavor profiles (e.g., citrusy, lychee-like) cater to all. Even non-spicy options like egg pancakes, sweet dumplings, or glutinous rice cakes delight.

Sichuan’s lavish breakfasts are unmissable. Photo / Against the Current Fish

In Chengdu's culinary universe, ingredients shine just as brilliantly. With bunnies being so adorable, their most delicious part is undoubtedly the head—first savor the meat around the cheeks, then slurp the brain, an absolute life-changing experience for foreign athletes. As for chicken, in Chengdu's food cosmos, there's no fast-food fried chicken, only yuer chicken, chitterlings chicken, mouthwatering chicken, pot chicken, and douji rice—a hundred ways to cook a chicken, all known to Chengdu locals.

Pork in Chengdu specializes in niche delights: brains become hot pot brains, grilled brains, or brain noodles; pig ears, snouts, and tails are staples at braised shops; and trotter soup is the city's late-night comfort.

In Chengdu, you’ll find a dazzling array of Sichuan dishes.

With five days left until the Universiade ends, we hope all athletes achieve great results in Chengdu, enjoy the food, and avoid stomach troubles.

But Chengdu’s delicacies are a must-try!

Fengwu Bistro presents 4️⃣ iconic Chengdu flavors:

❤️ Handmade Jun Tun Pancake, a非遗 craft dating back to the Three Kingdoms era—worth queuing for.

🧡 No-cook cold noodles, spicy and springy, ready in 60 seconds.

💛 Tangchang fermented tofu, aged 12 months naturally, perfect straight from the jar.

💚 Konjac noodles, zero-fat with aged Shanxi vinegar—minimal calories.

Click the image below to order these treats. Details in the product page.

Image Editor | Gu Jiawei

This article is original content by 【Local Flavors】.