Punch: From third-rate anchor to top chef

Chapter 1691

In the months before departure, they began to carefully plan their trip. They looked up a lot of information online, studied the special attractions, food and folk culture of each city, and asked friends who had been there for advice. After intense discussions and screening, they finally determined the route of the trip, and the first stop was Chengdu, which is known as the "Land of Abundance".

When they set foot on the land of Chengdu, the spicy aroma and the bustling atmosphere of the city instantly enveloped them. The three of them took a deep breath excitedly, feeling the unique charm of this city.

"We're finally in Chengdu. I can't wait to explore everything here!" Li Xiao's eyes were shining with excitement, and he said excitedly while pulling his suitcase.

Zhang Yuedong responded with a smile: "Yes, I heard that there are many fun places in Chengdu, we must have a good time this time!"

Lin Yifei has already started searching nearby food recommendations on his phone. "Let me see what's good to eat first. I can't treat my stomach badly when I come to Chengdu."

After a short rest, they headed straight to Wuhou Temple, which is a temple dedicated to Liu Bei, Zhuge Liang and other heroes of the Shu Han Dynasty. It is also the only temple in China that worships both the emperor and his ministers. When they stood in front of the gate of Wuhou Temple and looked at the ancient architecture, they seemed to have traveled back to the Three Kingdoms era a thousand years ago.

Walking into the Wuhou Temple, the red walls, black tiles, and towering ancient trees exude a strong historical atmosphere everywhere. They first came to the Three Wonders Monument, which was erected in the fourth year of the Yuanhe reign of Emperor Xianzong of the Tang Dynasty. It was written by Pei Du, a famous prime minister of the Tang Dynasty, written by calligrapher Liu Gongchuo, and engraved by Lu Jian, a famous craftsman from Shu. The article, calligraphy, and engraving are exquisite, so it is called the "Three Wonders Monument". Li Xiao carefully read the words on the monument and couldn't help but sigh: "This monument not only has extremely high artistic value, but also carries that magnificent history. It is really shocking."

Zhang Yuedong nodded in agreement: "Yes, from this inscription, we can feel the ancients' admiration for Zhuge Liang and their remembrance of the history of the Three Kingdoms."

Then, they came to the corridor of civil officials and military generals. The corridor displays statues of civil officials and military generals from the Shu Han period. Each character is lifelike, as if telling their own story. Lin Yifei looked at these statues and asked curiously: "Do you think these historical figures are as powerful as we imagine in real history?"

Li Xiao thought for a moment and replied: "They can leave their names in the long river of history, they must have extraordinary talents and achievements. Just like Zhuge Liang, his wisdom and loyalty are still praised by people today."

While visiting the Han Zhaolie Temple and Wuhou Temple, they had a deeper understanding of the friendship between Liu Bei and Zhuge Liang. Looking at the statues of Liu Bei and Zhuge Liang, Zhang Yuedong said with emotion: "Liu Bei visited Zhuge Liang three times to ask him to come out of retirement, and Zhuge Liang devoted himself to Liu Bei's ambitions until his death. This kind of trust and loyalty between the monarch and his subjects is really admirable."

Lin Yifei also said: "Yes, their stories have inspired countless future generations and made us more interested in the culture of the Three Kingdoms."

After leaving Wuhou Temple, they were still immersed in the atmosphere of the Three Kingdoms culture. The Jinli Ancient Street not far away attracted them with its unique liveliness and prosperity. Jinli Ancient Street is one of the oldest and most commercial streets in the history of Western Sichuan. Today, it still retains the style of Western Sichuan folk houses from the late Ming and early Qing dynasties, which is quaint and full of charm.

As soon as they walked into Jinli Ancient Street, the dazzling array of delicious food made them salivate. The shops on both sides of the street were filled with various special snacks, and the aroma was overflowing. They were first attracted by a stall selling Dandan noodles. The thin noodles were paired with crispy fried pork mince and drizzled with a special red oil sauce, which was salty, fresh, slightly spicy, and fragrant. Li Xiao couldn't wait to taste it and praised it highly: "This Dandan noodles is so delicious, with a smooth texture and rich flavor. It is really worthy of being a special snack in Chengdu."

Zhang Yuedong also ate with gusto, saying as he ate: "This taste is completely different from what I ate elsewhere. Chengdu's food is indeed well-deserved."

Then, they tasted the Long Chao Shou. The skin of the Long Chao Shou was as thin as paper, and through the skin you could vaguely see the tender filling inside. The soup was thick, white and delicious. Lin Yifei ate one by one, and was very satisfied: "This Long Chao Shou tastes so delicious, the skin is thin and the filling is tender, and the soup is also delicious."

In addition to Dandan noodles and long chao shou, they also tasted various delicacies such as Zhong dumplings, sugar-coated fruits, and husband and wife lung slices, each of which brought them a different taste experience.

After tasting the delicious food, they continued to stroll in the ancient street. The unique architectural style of the ancient street, the wooden houses, the hanging red lanterns, and the ancient stage all made them feel the strong traditional cultural atmosphere. As they walked, they came to a teahouse where Sichuan Opera face-changing was being performed. They were attracted by the wonderful performance, so they sat down and ordered a few cups of tea in tea bowls, ready to enjoy it.

On the stage, actors wore gorgeous costumes and performed smoothly to the accompaniment of music. Their faces changed in an instant, sometimes it was the red-faced Guan Gong, sometimes it was the white-faced Cao Cao, which was dazzling. Every time the actors changed their faces, there was a warm applause and cheers from the audience. Li Xiao was fascinated by it and couldn't help but sigh: "This face-changing performance is so magical, how did the actors do it?"

Zhang Yuedong said with a smile: "This is a unique skill of Sichuan Opera. The secret behind it must be very complicated. However, this performance is really wonderful. It makes people feel the unique charm of Sichuan Opera."

After enjoying the face-changing performance, they strolled around the ancient street. There are many shops selling specialties and handicrafts. They walked into a shop filled with various exquisite handicrafts such as Shu embroidery, paper-cutting, and bamboo weaving. Shu embroidery is one of the four famous embroidery in China. It is famous for its unique style of rigorous and delicate, bright and smooth, and bright colors. They looked at the handkerchiefs, scarves, screens, etc. made of Shu embroidery, and were all impressed by its exquisite craftsmanship. Li Xiao selected a Shu embroidery handkerchief and prepared to give it to her mother: "This Shu embroidery handkerchief is so beautiful, my mother will definitely like it."

Zhang Yuedong also bought some paper-cut works. "These paper-cuts are very unique and can be used as decorations."

Lin Yifei has a special liking for bamboo handicrafts. He picked out a small and exquisite bamboo panda. "This bamboo panda is so cute. I want to take it back as a souvenir."

In Jinli Ancient Street, they not only tasted delicious food and enjoyed wonderful performances, but also bought many souvenirs with local characteristics. This day's trip gave them a deeper understanding and love for the city of Chengdu. When night fell, they returned to the hotel with a full harvest and a happy mood, looking forward to the next day's journey. After ending the pleasant journey in Chengdu, the three of them took the high-speed rail to the next stop-Guilin as planned. Along the way, they looked through the window and admired the constantly changing scenery along the way, with their hearts full of expectations for the Guilin landscape. From Chengdu to Guilin, the high-speed rail crossed mountains and fields, as if it was from a world of food and history to a wonderland full of poetry and romance.

"I'm really looking forward to visiting Guilin's landscape. I heard the scenery there is simply picturesque." Li Xiao leaned back in his seat and said with longing.

Zhang Yuedong smiled and nodded: "Yes, 'Guilin's landscape is the best in the world', this is a well-known beauty, this time we must experience it well."

Lin Yifei was reading a travel guide for Guilin. "I read in the guide that the scenery of the Li River is the essence of Guilin. We must take a boat trip there."

After arriving in Guilin, they took a short rest and then could not wait to go to the Li River. The Li River, known as the "Hundred Miles of Art Gallery", is famous for its clear water, unique peaks and charming rural scenery. The three of them came to the dock and boarded a cruise ship. As the cruise ship slowly moved forward, the beautiful scenery of the Li River appeared before their eyes like a slowly unfolding scroll.

The water of the Li River is crystal clear, and sparkles under the sunlight. The river water is as green as jade, as if it was carefully painted by nature with the purest pigment. The peaks on both sides of the river are in different shapes, some like camels, some like elephant trunks, some like fairies, and some like swords. Each peak has its own unique story and legend. The mountains in the distance are rolling, and they are set off by the blue sky, white clouds and green trees, forming a beautiful landscape painting.

"Wow, the scenery is so beautiful! It's like walking into a fairyland." Li Xiao couldn't help but exclaimed, and the camera in his hand kept taking pictures of the beautiful scenery in front of him.

Zhang Yuedong was also shocked by the scenery in front of him. "This is the magic of nature. Such a spectacular scenery is really intoxicating."

Looking at the mountains and rivers in front of him, Lin Yifei said with emotion: "Now I finally understand why so many writers and poets are full of praise for Guilin's landscape. This is simply a treasure bestowed by nature to mankind."

The boat continued to move forward and they came to the Nine Horses Painting Mountain. Nine Horses Painting Mountain is a famous mountain on the Li River. On its steep cliffs, nine horses are naturally formed. They are standing or lying, running or leaping, lifelike and amazing. Legend has it that whoever can see the nine horses will win the first place in the imperial examination and be the smartest person. The three of them looked up and carefully counted the horses on the mountain, sharing their discoveries from time to time.

"I saw three horses. One was eating grass with its head down, one was neighing with its head up, and the other was running." Li Xiao said excitedly, pointing at the mountain.

Zhang Yuedong squinted his eyes and tried hard to search. "I saw five, but I'm not sure about the others."

Lin Yifei fell into deep thought. After a while, he smiled and said, "I think the magic of this nine-horse painting mountain is that everyone can see different horses according to their own imagination. This is also a unique artistic enjoyment given to us by nature."

After appreciating the Nine Horses Painting Mountain, the cruise ship passed by the Yellow Cloth Reflection. The river here is extremely calm, like a huge mirror, perfectly reflecting the mountains, green trees and blue sky and white clouds on both sides of the river in the water, forming a wonderful "water painting". The background pattern of the 20-yuan RMB note was taken from this. When they saw this familiar picture with their own eyes, they were all very excited.

"I didn't expect the background of the 20-yuan RMB note to be so beautiful. The feeling of seeing it with my own eyes is completely different from that of seeing it in the picture." Li Xiao said excitedly, holding a 20-yuan RMB note and comparing it with the scenery in front of him.

Zhang Yuedong also took out his mobile phone and kept taking pictures. "I must take pictures of this and show them to my friends when I get back, so that they can also feel this magical beauty."

On the cruise ship on the Li River, they also saw many fishermen fishing on the river. They wore bamboo hats and straw raincoats, paddled bamboo rafts, and skillfully cast and collected nets, forming a picture full of life. Occasionally, there would be a few ospreys standing on the bamboo rafts on the river. They had sharp eyes and were ready to dive into the water to catch fish at any time. These scenes made the three people feel the unique fishing culture of the Li River.

After several hours of sailing, the cruise ship arrived in Yangshuo. Yangshuo, this charming town, attracts countless tourists with its unique natural scenery and rich folk customs. West Street is the most prosperous street in Yangshuo and a must-visit place for tourists. It is full of exotic atmosphere. There are a variety of shops on both sides of the street, including various special snacks, handicrafts and souvenir shops. In the bar, melodious music came, and people here enjoyed their leisure time to their heart's content.

The three of them strolled along West Street, feeling the hustle and bustle here. They were first attracted by a shop selling Guilin rice noodles. Guilin rice noodles are a traditional delicacy in Guilin, famous for their unique flavor. The white rice noodles, paired with delicious brine, crispy peanuts, sour beans and tender beef, plus a spoonful of red chili oil, are fragrant and mouth-watering. Li Xiao couldn't wait to taste it and praised it highly: "This Guilin rice noodles is so delicious, with a smooth texture and rich flavor. It is completely different from what I have eaten elsewhere."

Zhang Yuedong also ate with gusto, saying as he ate: "This is the authentic Guilin rice noodles, it really lives up to its reputation."

Then, they tasted Yangshuo's specialty food - beer fish. Beer fish is made from live fish from the Li River, cooked with beer and various seasonings. The fish is tender and juicy, and the aroma of beer and the deliciousness of fish are perfectly blended, with a unique taste that makes people linger. Lin Yifei picked up a piece of fish, put it in his mouth, and said with satisfaction: "This beer fish is so delicious, the fish is tender, and the aroma of beer is also very strong. It is really an unforgettable delicacy."

In addition to Guilin rice noodles and beer fish, they also tasted various delicacies such as snails, Lipu taro braised pork, etc., each of which brought them a different taste experience. After tasting the delicacies, they continued to stroll along West Street, admiring the specialty shops and unique architectural styles on both sides of the street. Most of the buildings here retain the style of the Ming and Qing Dynasties, antique and full of charm.