Upon arriving in China, I thought that I would be able to go on weekend trips to see things like the Great Wall, the Terra Cotta Warriors, and explore cities like Shanghai. It wasn't until I spent a couple of days (out of a 5 week trip) in Chengdu until I realized just how BIG China is. Tibet was closer to Chengdu than any point of the Great Wall. So of course, my next step was to say "ok, then I want to go to Tibet!". Because of the visa process though, and my internship, I wasn't able to go. However, I found the next best thing: Little Lhasa. Little Lhasa is the Tibetan Quarter of Chengdu where a lot of immigrants from Tibet live and work. Because of this, the two blocks of the Tibetan quarter is extremely traditional and you can get awesome food and other traditional items there. It's located near Jinli Street and Wuhou Temple, so finding the Tibetan Quarter is actually really easy and convenient.
In the Tibetan Quarter, the usual red that dots streets in Chengdu (Chinese lanterns) changes to the traditional orange. Prayer flags and colorful lanterns are placed outside many shops (like the one pictured), and it's quite common to see monks dressed in their orange robes and clutching prayer beads walking around. Among the many shops are some restaurants that serve traditional Tibetan food including hot buttered tea, yak, and tsampa (buttered tea with barley). When looking up the Tibetan Quarter, there are some more popular restaurants that come up, but I found that the more traditional restaurants are smaller and cheaper. Also, unlike in most places in China, forks are common and I definitely enjoyed using a fork for the first time in weeks.
If you're an American (or any person who doesn't speak Chinese) in Chengdu, chances are you're already a bit confused by the language barrier. Fortunately for me, one of my friends in Chengdu was a Chinese national student whose first language was Chinese (obviously). In the Tibetan Quarter, though, she felt like a tourist as well. Many people in the Tibetan Quarter on speak minimal Mandarin, and prices in menus are listed in Renminbi (Tibetan currency) as well as Chinese Yuan. Also, if you go a bit later in the day (around 6:30 or 7:00 pm), some stalls of a night market open up on the street selling bracelets, prayer beads, prayer flags, and other goods.
All in all, the Tibetan Quarter is a complete change from the normal streets of Chengdu. All of a sudden, you really feel like you're not in China anymore and you've been transported to Tibet. It's a bit jarring to be walking down the street, have it change suddenly, and then have it change back 2 blocks later. In order to get a break from regular life in Chengdu, or even just to try some hot buttered tea and yak meat, I highly recommend exploring the beautiful Tibetan Quarter of Chengdu.
