'Expect upwards of a dozen different dishes, each with a raw ingredient ready to be held in the simmering broth.' Photo: Chinese hotpot, courtesy of Martyn Kelly
Simply the best? Martyn Kelly’s letter from Chengdu
‘What a westerner might consider principled could easily come across as rude.’
by Martyn Kelly
10th May 2024
Daci Temple in downtown Chengdu neatly captures the paradoxes of modern China. It is a shrine for a religion whose adherents aspire to rise above materialism, but set within a shopping mall. Many of the worshippers carry bags advertising western brands. It is, however, an oasis of sorts, since the sound of construction and traffic is muted rather than silenced.
