Mark Hiew (more chengdu) Many sayings and idioms leap across languages well. Chinese, which has never been short of such handy nuggets of wisdom, tends to so with most. So, when visiting the far more rugged, and far less touristy, Qingcheng Back Mountain, make sure to, “ru xiang sui su,” or, “do as the Romans do,” and try the area’s legendary wild, cured pork. One excellent place to do so is at the Tea Garden restaurant, whose spacious outdoor seating and hearty food makes it an above average lunch spot for day-trippers.
The restaurant’s friendly staff will make some recommendations: in addition to the salty, flaky wild pork, try the wild mushrooms, which were savory and nourishing. The bamboo was also well done, despite the fact that no one outside of a gluttonous panda could eat that much bamboo. The food, much of which is picked fresh from the surrounding mountain region, is as one would expect, superbly fresh, and surprisingly delicate. The restaurant carries all your standard fried dishes as well. After you’re done, sit back with a glass of fragrant, local tea and enjoy the majestic surroundings. One possible trek for the eager to do part (or all) of is the Back mountain in the morning. Stop here for lunch, then enjoy the far less strenuous and better-maintained (many of the Back mountain’s paths suffered earthquake damage that is yet to be repaired) Front mountain.
Prices, as in such tourist places, are somewhat inflated. Prices range from 10-20RMB for standard vegetable dishes to upward of 50RMB on the specialties. For a full meal, expect to pay around 20-40RMB/person.
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