The very Indian sounding Manjushri Monastery (named after one of the Boddhisattvas) was my first site of visit here in Chengdu. Locally known as Wenshu Yuan, this is a pretty place, if you ignore the high commercialization outside. Once inside the temple premises, it’s calm and peaceful.

Chengdu right now is freezing. The temperature is hovering around 6 to 7 degrees Celsius. The skies speak for it. Slate grey is the only color I have seen so far in the three days that I have been here. This is the centre of the city, near Tianfu Square where I went exploring today....