Chengdu Pandas & Sichuan Food: Retirement Travelogue

This week we are visiting Chengdu, China. It is where the vibe slows down, the tea flows freely, and the pandas live their best, bamboo-filled lives. It’s a city that knows how to chill—literally, with locals lounging for hours in open-air teahouses like it’s an Olympic sport. But don’t be fooled by the laid-back pace—this place knows how to bring the heat with spicy Sichuan cuisine that will tingle your taste buds and maybe even your soul. Add in ancient temples, modern art, and a panda research center that might just be the happiest place on Earth, and you’ve got a city that’s equal parts cuddly and fiery. Chengdu: come for the pandas, stay for the peppers. We are in week 5 of our most epic adventure yet—a 10-video travelogue series through China that spans 3,350 miles, 9 cities, and approximately a million dumplings (give or take). We started this unforgettable journey in the vibrant streets of Hong Kong and zipped across the country on some of the fastest, smoothest, and downright fanciest trains we’ve ever experienced. From futuristic skylines to ancient temples, panda sightings to people-watching, this series is packed with unforgettable moments and plenty of surprises.