While walking in Chengdu, I couldn’t believe I was there again. Twenty years ago, my father and I walked these same streets. It was a time before smartphones and personal GPS. A Lonely Planet guide was our bible and a physical English/Mandarin dictionary our most essential possession. We indulged in one night at the Crowne Plaza for a reset before the reality of our fiscal situation set in and we ended up at a $20/night hotel a few blocks away. There was a charm to the way we travelled that I haven’t lost today; wander and see what adventure unfolds. For my own midlife crisis trip though, frugality was out of the question.

I stayed at the Crowne Plaza again for the memory. Perhaps my father’s ghost would laugh at the absurdity of my return after the meltdown I had during our backpacking days or be impressed by his daughter traveling to the roof of the world to touch the stars. Regardless, the hotel was the perfect central location to explore anew. It looked the same, if a little dated. It was comfortable. I realize I could be talking about myself.

Most of the streets felt familiar but I was both shocked and impressed at how much Chengdu evolved in just two short decades. A robust metro system was constructed and opened in 2010. New developments filled with office towers and signs of residential wealth now increased the size of its perimeter. Luxury boutiques multipled. AI, robot cafés and 3D billboards were normalized. Even the pollution I could once taste on my lips was gone.

The speed at which China changes is unprecedented.

The walk to People’s Park was an adventure. Traffic did not change in China, although the sound of it did. One’s gait is forced to change when in this part of the world becoming more tense and stiff in anticipation of getting hit. It’s even scarier now that most vehicles are electric and you won’t even hear them coming. The worst has to be the Meituan delivery drivers hurriedly steering their silent motorbikes down the sidewalk mere inches from you in a race to meet their hourly quota. Your life for a timely and still warm bao.

People’s Park is the central meeting hub of Chengdu. With gardens of varied flora and a number of tea houses, it is a relaxing (and very popular) place to spend an afternoon. It even has a “marriage market”; families post their loved one’s stats and the type of person they are seeking and then meet up at the park to broker a match. I was most interested in revisiting a small theme park my father and I discovered years ago though. Even wanted to ride the archaic bumper cars we once watched in delight. But despite being listed as still there, I couldn’t find it. It shall remain a nostalgic mirage.

After wandering for a few hours, I returned to my hotel and planned the next day. It would end up being one of the most memorable and unique experiences of my trip.