Sip tea in Chengdu’s parks

The beginning of July signals the height of summer for most people.

In Chengdu, you’re not just contending with the sweltering heat – its position in the Sichuan basin means the humidity intensifies the 30ºC weather.

The locals enjoy everything with a healthy dose of chillies. It’s thought the heat of the chillies helps to counter the effects of the humidity. It’s an Yin and Yang thing.

If sweating because of the heat on your skin and the heat on your tongue isn’t your thing then you must try sipping tea in one of Chengdu’s many parks. From sun up to sun down, it’s always busy in the summer months.

For around RMB$20, you can spend a whole day nursing a cup of loose leaf tea. It’s continuously topped up with hot water by the attendant, while you play mahjong or read under the cooling shade of the dense foliage.

Overhead, the cicadas sing their brave song while waiting for the respite of rain, or the cusp of autumn.

Want in? Check out my guide to tea in Chengdu for Lonely Planet here.