There’s something pretty special about diving into the energy of a city on a Saturday afternoon, and today was no exception.
We headed straight into the old area of Chengdu, right into the lively chaos of South Lugo Lane and what a spot it turned out to be!
The street was absolutely buzzing, packed with locals and tourists weaving through the laneways, browsing market stalls, shopping, and soaking up the weekend vibes.
Bright signs flashed overhead, the smell of sizzling street food filled the air, and there was a real buzz of energy all around.
Everywhere you turned, there was something new to catch your eye from quirky handmade crafts to the latest fashion trends.
We even found an absolute belter of a bargain: a cracking noodle lunch for four, including drinks, for just £7.
The noodles were packed with flavour, the drinks were spot on, and it was the perfect way to fuel up for the afternoon’s adventures. You just can’t beat a proper feed at that price, especially when it’s right in the thick of it all.
After soaking up everything South Lugo Lane had to offer, we headed across the city by subway for a grad total of 80p heading towards the central High Street area and that’s where we had a bit of a surprise.
There, right in front of us at the entrance to the Wangfujing Department Store on Chunxi Road, stood a giant Harrods bear!
At first, we thought there must be a Harrods store tucked away somewhere, but after a bit of asking around, we found out it was part of a Harrods themed pop up event.
A little slice of London brought to Chengdu, complete with the iconic bear, traditional Harrods branding, and a real splash of British charm right in the heart of the city.
The whole scene gave the area a proper Piccadilly Circus or Oxford Street feel flashing lights, crowds of shoppers, neon signs lighting up the skyline, and that brilliant big city energy that’s impossible to resist.
Even though there wasn’t a full Harrods store, the bear and the atmosphere around Wangfujing made it feel like we were right in the middle of something special.
We wandered the streets, dodging shoppers, grabbing a few cheeky snacks, and soaking up every bit of the buzzing Chengdu weekend vibe.
By the end of the afternoon, the kids were knackered and it was time to head home.
We jumped into a taxi, and even with a solid 30 minutes stuck in traffic, the fare only came to about £4, absolute bargain compared to what we’re used to!
Unfortunately, poor little Dotty wasn’t feeling great after all the excitement and ended up being sick in the car.
We felt awful for the driver he was a real good bloke, so we gave him 200 yuan (about £20) to apologise and cover the trouble.
He was absolutely ecstatic, that’s about 5 hours driving for him so despite the mishap, it finished the day on a positive note with a big smiles all around.
Final thoughts?
South Lugo Lane gave us a brilliant taste of local life vibrant, affordable, and full of character and stumbling across the Harrods bear at Wangfujing added a bit of unexpected sparkle to the day, showing just how global and lively Chengdu really is.
You’ll get the perfect blend of old world charm, big city buzz, a couple of good bargains and if your day’s anything like ours, a few surprises you’ll never forget!
