After a long day of traveling through airports and sitting through plane rides, the Lenses on China group finally arrived in Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan province.

To beat our jet lag, we visited the Wuhou Temple, a monument to the prominent men who lived during the era of the Shu Kingdom. The hidden symbolism behind every decorative fixture and intricately carved statue in the Temple stood as testament to the complicated narratives unified through traditional Chinese architecture.

Following our visit to the temple, we had a group hot pot dinner. We prepared our food by boiling selections of meat and vegetables in the “hot pots” provided, with the option to use either the spicy or not-spicy broth. For many of us, it was our first time trying meats like duck tongue!

Our last stop of the day was an evening market to immerse ourselves in Chengdu’s bustling night life and marketplace scene. We had a great time going on a scavenger hunt to further explore what the shops and stalls had to offer, and to interact with Chengdu locals. Overall, Chengdu is remarkable for its ability to embrace its rich cultural traditions while also rapidly modernizing to support an IT industry and the increasing population its industrial growth creates.

We had a great first day, and can’t wait to see what the future holds for us tomorrow—stay tuned!