Candied Apple Man

Standing outside the Wenshu Monastery, this fellow sells candied fruit to folks coming and going from the monastery. The apples are delicious, and the smaller, candied crab-apples are a novelty. They're barely larger than a fat green olive. The apples tasted delightful, like straight out of an amusement park. Ah-Ling and Lee found it hilarious how much I relished them. I haven't had one in probably ten or fifteen years. Yumm.

A 'Candle Rush' Vendor

Originally I thought this fellow was a noodle vendor. But it turns out, he's carrying candle 'rush', a sort of candlewick for primitive candles used by the poor.

Buddhist Monk Clearing Candles

Hundreds of people come to the Wenshu Monastery daily, and one of the important rites is to burn candles at candelabras situated in three large courtyards on the complex. So many are placed that its several peoples' job (monks and old ladies) to clear away the candles to make room for arriving worshippers' candles. Here a monk uses large wooden tong-pliers to collect scores of candles at a time, which are carried away and placed in a trishaw.

Two Aunties along an Alley

Two elderly women stroll along a pedestrian alley in an older area of Chengdu, surrounded by flowers, laundry, and birdcages. Many shophouse areas are being razed to make way for construction of much larger office buildings.

PLA Sentry

Sentry stands at watch outside a government office. Chengdu is the seat of several layers of local and state government. It's the largest city in the state of Sichuan.

Pomelo Vendor

A pomelo and pecan vendor wiles away his time refining his produce. Hundreds of these merchants sit throughout Chengdu selling fruits and nuts. They make their displays more appeling by pre-peeling the fruit and cracking the husks of nuts.

Young, Trendy Dude Loitering

Teenager hanging outside one of the busier areas of Chengdu, which has a shopping district with a wide variety of labels, including upmarket boutiques and several McDonalds, KFCs, and Pizza Hut restaurants.

Archway

Man does makeshift renovation construction outside Wenshu Monastery while street life carries on below him.