Giant lanterns shaped like Three Kingdoms heroes glow over the red walls of Wuhou Shrine when the Spring Festival temple fair fills its courtyards. In early April, crowds gather at Dujiangyan, the ancient waterworks west of town, to watch costumed workers break open a cofferdam and send water rushing across the plain.
Between festivals, the rituals get smaller. Retirees play mahjong in teahouses, a face-changer flips masks at a Sichuan opera show, and hotpot simmers late on quiet side streets. Summers are hot and humid, winters short and mild. A Local Friend can open the door to a teahouse, a family hotpot place or a bar you would never have tried on your own.
