Food & Drink of Mount Qingcheng(Qingchengshan)

The eating habit of Mount Qingcheng is similar to that in Dujiangyan and Chengdu. Various food in Mount Qingcheng is characterized with Sichuan flavor and the hot and spicy taste. But there is one difference, in Mount Qingcheng, surrounded by mountains and old towns, you can taste the chicken which is raised the villagers and old bacon made by local people. Ginkgo Stewed Chicken and Luo Chicken made from good chicken are famous in Mount Qingcheng.
If you go to Front Mountain, you will have many options because there are all kinds of special restaurants along the road outside the scenic spot gate; if you go to Back Mountain, you can go to Another Village (see Page 5) on the mountain is the relay station for you to have a rest, have a meal and have entertainment. You can taste the home cooking of Mount Qingcheng in the restaurants, but it is a little expensive, like 15 to 30 Yuan of vegetables, and more than 30 Yuan of meat, but the price is negotiable; certainly you can have a meal at the roadside stalls where the food is cheap and taste is not so good as in restaurants, but you can still have some and keep it for your next step of climbing the mountain. Additionally, you can have all kinds of delicious food in Tai’an Old Town (see Page 5) at the foot of Back Mountain, and you can taste your meal and enjoy the scenery while sitting beside the river.
Tips: A bottle of ordinary mineral water is sold at 5 Yuan and Cola at 8 Yuan on the mountain, so you need you prepare enough water before you climb the mountain.

Ginkgo Stewed Chicken

This is a famous dish in Mount Qingcheng, as well as an ordinary dish there, because you can taste it whichever season you visit. Mount Qingcheng is abound of ginkgo. Traditionally local people will peel the shell of ginkgo, then stew the yellowish hard pulp with local chicken. The cooked chicken soup looks pure and good, and the chicken is tender, coupled with sweet and glutinous ginkgo, which is really nutritious and healthy for people. Almost all restaurants in Mount Qingcheng, whether in fancy hotel or in small farmhouses on Back Mountain, you can taste this dish. However, this dish is a little expensive, like 80 to 150 Yuan on Back Mountain, but you can order for a half of chicken.

Mount Qingcheng Bacon

Bacon is a very popular tradition in Sichuan, but old bacon in Mount Qingcheng occupies the champion. In local farmhouse, the owner makes the bacon with their own pork (from pigs they themselves raised). They usually souse the pork around Winter Solstice, so you can buy old bacon around Spring Festival. Usually it is preserved for two to three years, some even for five years—-the longer the period, the richer the taste, but you don’t need to worry about its sell-by date.
In local restaurants especially in the farmhouse on Back Mountain, you can taste this dish, including steamed bacon, fried bacon, or stewed bacon, etc. The most delicious is twice-cooked bacon. It doesn’t require some special seasoning, but just some garlic or carrot, fried with old bacon slices. Lean meat is good for chewing, the fat meat is not greasy, and it is not too salty nor light, which is really tasteful when you have rice.

Taoist Pickled Vegetables

This is also the specialty in Mount Qingcheng. There are various kinds, including cucumber, cowpea, pepper, carrot and cabbage, etc. This pickled vegetable is sour, sweet, and tasty. You can taste the fruit fragrance in the sour. You can feel the taste of sour and sweet, then you will feel a little bit spicy, which is really delicious. This pickled vegetables is very delicious before meal especially in summer. You can taste it in Taoist restaurant of Shangqing Palace.

Luo Chicken

Luo Chicken was originated during Guangxu Year of Qing Dynasty, with hundreds of years of history. Nowadays it is so famous that as long as you go to Mount Qingcheng in Dujiangyan, you will meet all kinds of “Luo Chicken” along your trip. Of course the most authentic Luo Chicken is from Luo Mansion (see the following introduction) at the foot of Mount Qingcheng. The goose flesh of Luo Chicken is crisp but not greasy, which is really delicious. You can eat chicken by dipping it in spicy sauce, or you can just eat chicken. The taste of Luo Chicken is so good that you will not want to return home.