Chongqing's Ciqikou! Never Again (Tourist Trap Survival Guide) ๐ซ๐ โโ๏ธ
Chongqingโs Ciqikou! Never Again (Tourist Trap Survival Guide) ๐ซ๐ โโ๏ธ
They say Chongqing has no off-season, and thatโs especially true for Ciqikou Ancient Town! ๐ซ Before I came, so many people said, โDonโt go, itโs not worth it.โ Well, you can call me stubborn for having to see it for myself! ๐๐ป So now, itโs my turn to write the guide. Seriously, everyone, stop thinking about going to Ciqikou. Itโs NOT! WORTH! IT!
๐ฎ Look up, and all youโll see are seas of people. Every single step forward is thanks to the crowd pushing you from behind. If you have claustrophobia, this is a definite no-go! ๐ โโ๏ธ
๐บ Yes, Ciqikou is technically a โthousand-year-old ancient town,โ which is a great gimmick. Butโฆ itโs really just one long commercial street selling local specialties. And I mean super commercialized. โก๏ธ Youโll find โStrange-flavorโ Broad Beans (Guaiwei Hudou) ๆชๅณ่ก่ฑ, Fried Dough Twists (Mahua) ้บป่ฑ, and Hot Pot Soup Base (Huoguo Diliao) ็ซ้ ๅบๆ everywhere. These are the big three, and the prices ๐ฐ are nearly identical whether theyโre from the same brand or not. ๐บ
๐ฅ The second floors are mostly occupied by live music pubs ๐ค, while the ground floors are occasionally dotted with shops selling nougat ๐ฌ, tea ๐ต, and pearls. The ear-cleaning (Caiโer) ้่ณ services are also a very established business here. ๐ฅ
โ ๏ธ Everyone, please be sharp and keep your eyes open. Scam Prevention Tip #1: Donโt buy things you donโt need. Donโt expect to find any bargains on a street like this. Tip #2: Only consider items with clearly marked prices, and pay close attention to the unit of measurement (e.g., per gram, per pound). โ ๏ธ Tea shops are notorious for being tricky, so be extra careful! ๐
๐ต The ground floor is also packed with teahouses, the kind where you can watch a performance for the price of a cup of tea ๐ฅ. ๐ ๐ โ Donโt fall for it! Donโt be a sucker! I knew about these kinds of tricks. My friend wanted to take a break, so we found a teahouse. We confirmed the price of the tea and how long the performance would last before we went in. The sign outside said the show was one hour long and started at 4 PM. It was almost 4 PM, and we only entered after the waiter confirmed the performance was about to begin. The tea was 20 RMB per person, and everyone who sits down must order. (The tea itself was the cheap, flavorless kind that comes from a huge wholesale bag). ๐ต
๐จ Also, be warned: The waiter will hover over you, pressuring you to order immediately (some of our friends were hesitant because they were worried about another travel plan). The show started with Peking Opera (Jingju) ๐ญ, but it lasted for just over ten minutes before ending! ๐ When we asked the waiter, it was useless. They just said the performance was over, and there would be no more acts, only background music. It felt like a complete rip-off. ๐จ
โจ The only part of the Ciqikou trip that I found remotely interesting was a surprise discovery: Baolun Temple (Baolun Si) ๅฎ่ฝฎๅฏบ. I had never seen any bloggers mention it before. โจ
๐ If youโre interested in temples ๐, then maybe consider this trip. Otherwise, you can honestly skip Ciqikou. My friend and I went to check it out and learned that the temple is ancient. Itโs a very popular place where many people come to burn incense and pray for blessings. The steps are very high, and inside youโll find the God of Wealth (Caishen) ่ดข็ฅ, the God of Literature (Wenchang) ๆๆ, and Guanyin (Bodhisattva of Compassion) ่ง้ณ. You can pray to them based on your own needs. ๐ They also sell consecrated personal accessories inside, and the prices ๐ฐ arenโt too expensive (plenty of options around 100 RMB). My bestie and I both picked one out. After you choose your item, a disciple will lead you before the deity ๐, where they will recite your โShengchen Baziโ (Eight Characters of Birth Time, a key element in Chinese astrology) to bless it for you. This felt very different from other temples. I donโt know if itโs just a psychological effect, but I feel like many things in my life have gone much more smoothly since I returned. ๐
๐ If you have no interest in visiting a temple for blessings, then Iโm begging you not to waste the taxi fare ๐ฐ to come here. Youโd be better off spending that half-day exploring history somewhere else or just enjoying a few more hot pot meals at other attractions! ๐
