WCG 09 Grand Final host city: Chengdu, China Date: November 11~15, 2009
Ticket Update
You have to buy a ticket for the finals. RMB50 ($7.5) for one day pass or RMB150 ($22) for full 4-day pass. This sounds odd to me. Can't really recall any finals that asked for paid tickets before. Anyway, this is what I got from the organizers. Go pre-order the tickets here. Be aware they don't deliver the tickets. You can get it only when you arrive at the venue.
I start this for all TL people who want to watch WCG 2009 Grand Finals because I currently live in the host city Chengdu (成都 in Chinese). I'd like to introduce the city and answer your questions about the city, tour, hotels, transportation, pandas, all you want to know. I know China is geographically far for most TL people, but I hope I could be helpful when some of you decide to come here.
Glory & Love -Capital city of Shu, one of Three Kingdoms (You know Zhuge Liang? You probablly will be interested in Chengdu.) Today Chengdu is one major city in southwest China. -Birth palce of the first paper currency in the world "Jiao Zi" in Song Dynasty -Hometown of pandas, there is a local research base with nearly 100 pandas! -Free entrance of 11 tour sites before the end of 2009 including the panda base and Temple of Zhuge Liang. -Best place for Sichuan Cuisine. If the world love Chinese dishes, Chinese love Sichuan dishes.
Not-So-Good Facts -No metro. I have to say the transportation is probably the most annoying issue here. A city with more than 11 million population has NO METRO. It's hard to get a taxi during rush hours/weekend. -Not a fashion metropolis as Beijing, Shanghai or Hong Kong. Less-developed, but lower living expense (basically lower price for everything ^^)
Also, I'm thinking about organizing a TL party/hang-out during WCG finals if there are TL people actually coming lol
Lol there's always a tl meet up in every wcg. Last time I went it was basically all the sc peoples hanging out. So its a for sure that everyone will meet up, whoever goes.
Btw it won't cost you 1920 dollars for a round trip, lolz. 1020 is more like it.
Glory & Love -Capital city of Shu, one of Three Kingdoms (You know Zhuge Liang? You probablly will be interested in Chengdu.) Today Chengdu is the biggest/richest city in southwest China.
And Three Kingdoms was about 200 CE. So it has been around for a long time.
-Free entrance of 11 tour sites before the end of 2009 including the panda base and Temple of Zhuge Liang.
Really????!!!
-Best place for Sichuan Cuisine. If the world love Chinese dishes, Chinese love Sichuan dishes.
Sichuan Cuisine is also so damned spicy that you cannot really taste anything except spiciness.
Not-So-Good Facts
-No metro. I have to say the transportation is probably the most annoying issue here. A city with more than 11 million population has NO METRO. It's hard to get a taxi during rush hours/weekend.
Typical for an average sized city in China.
-Not a fashion metropolis as Beijing, Shanghai or Hong Kong. Less-developed, but lower living expense (basically lower price for everything ^^)
Sichaun food is awesome. I enjoy the ones with a ton of chili peppers and Sichuan peppercorns. There's one that's pretty authentic near where I live here in the LA area. I go there frequently.
The couple days I was there, I never saw the sun, withstood an extraordinary lecture from a guy about how evil the Japanese were, and got into the most ridiculous car accident I've ever seen.
I also saw the entire panda reserve which is a must for anyone visiting, and had a string of excellent dinners which put the one I had in Guanzhou on layover to shame.
Yah, if you're not used to it, it's really spicy. Sichuan is generally spicier than Mexican. The Sichuan peppercorns has a numbing taste that lets people eat more, though. It's a good combination.
On August 30 2009 06:55 nitram wrote: That looks dangerously spicy...
That's what I was thinking, I'd be worried if I had to eat that, looks like I'd have to dunk my head in water or some dairy products after eating that.
a little question: u said chengdu was the biggest city in southwest china, but isnt chongqing (or however it is spelled XD) bigger? most official sources just state that the community of chongqing has 30 M people, but thats obviously including all the area around the three gorges dam. so if u only count the agglomeration itself, which is the bigger city?
On August 30 2009 11:49 Black Gun wrote: a little question: u said chengdu was the biggest city in southwest china, but isnt chongqing (or however it is spelled XD) bigger? most official sources just state that the community of chongqing has 30 M people, but thats obviously including all the area around the three gorges dam. so if u only count the agglomeration itself, which is the bigger city?
Ah, Chongqing is bigger sorry I forgot after the three gorges dam migration it added millions of population.
It should be good, I'm looking forward to it. I'm flying into Chengdu on the 8th, and leaving on the 16th to spend a week in Beijing. Hope to see you guys there!
I'd love to go, but as a student my financial shape isn't exactly the greatest right now. If room and board is cheap enough though, I just may skip a week of classes to go watch(and get Stork's autograph).
I need to teach more English classes to earn some more money.
Hmm.. thinking of going. Tickets are around 390,000 won though + gotta get my visa sorted since you Chinese hate Americans. Dunno if it's worth all that... (thought i DID spent about 1.3 million won last year to Germany though... hmmm)
Who else is gonna be there? The food + Pandas + meeting Emlary makes it enticing...
On September 15 2009 17:10 lilsusie wrote: Hmm.. thinking of going. Tickets are around 390,000 won though + gotta get my visa sorted since you Chinese hate Americans. Dunno if it's worth all that... (thought i DID spent about 1.3 million won last year to Germany though... hmmm)
Who else is gonna be there? The food + Pandas + meeting Emlary makes it enticing...
On September 15 2009 17:10 lilsusie wrote: Hmm.. thinking of going. Tickets are around 390,000 won though + gotta get my visa sorted since you Chinese hate Americans. Dunno if it's worth all that... (thought i DID spent about 1.3 million won last year to Germany though... hmmm)
Who else is gonna be there? The food + Pandas + meeting Emlary makes it enticing...
lol @ those korean won figures hahahah they soudn so scary. then you convert it to other currencies then its ok again!
On September 15 2009 22:24 Amber[LighT] wrote: Chengdu is the 4th most livable city in China from what I hear. So I guess the 3 you listed in your OP would be the 3 above Chengdu?
I love that they're rated by "most livable". When I read that what I actually get is "4th least likely city in which to die of airborne toxins during your stay"
My friend will be representing his country this year, I want to accompany him to this event - In reality I want to travel so I could meet jaedong / bisu in real live :D. Obviously his trip his fully paid by wcg.
How much do you guys think i will cost me for stay over there (How much money should I travel with). That includes Hotel / Food / etc
I can't find information on which Hotel Ballroom, or Exhibition hall will this even taken place in. If anyone can confirm the name of the hotel so I can book it from now ;D, and anyone knows which hotel will all the players stay at :D, I want to stay where the players are staying.
On October 05 2009 05:19 Gunman_csz wrote: I can't find information on which Hotel Ballroom, or Exhibition hall will this even taken place in. If anyone can confirm the name of the hotel so I can book it from now ;D, and anyone knows which hotel will all the players stay at :D, I want to stay where the players are staying.
The players and organisers are split up between two hotels near the venue, as far as I can tell unfortunately both have been booked out to WCG.
The venue of the grand finals is far from downtown. I don't know where they put all players to stay. The only non-five-star and the closest hotel from the venue is a Holiday Inn. It's like $70 to $100 to get a room (for 2 persons).
For budget hotels, Home Inns is my recommendation. You can get a decent room for $30 (not five-star decent -_-). Too bad they don't have the online reservation service in English. I found two in downtown, which are also easy to get a taxi to the venue.
Reservation numbers are: (Hopefully they have English-speaking operators ;o) 86-28-87030888 86-28-66771777
I just returned from China (Shanghai, Xian and Beijing) and would highly recommend Home Inns as tourist accommodation over in China. They're relatively cheap, room size varies from city to city but clean and organized.
Ask someone who knows Chinese to book a room for you over the internet (no deposit needed), print out the confirmation receipt and give it to the taxi driver and you're done .
I'm staying at the Home Inn at 成都新南门店 (Chengdu Xin Nan Men location) from November 10 to 16. I'll be happy to help anyone out finding tasty treats, the venue, or anything else which might tickle your fancy.
You have to buy a ticket for the finals. RMB50 ($7.5) for one day pass or RMB150 ($22) for full 4-day pass. This sounds odd to me. Can't really recall any finals that asked for paid tickets before. Anyway, this is what I got from the organizers. Go buy the tickets at: http://www.ticketmaster.cn/event_en_2146.html
edit, tried the online ordering myself, no any foreign credit card is supported, no VISA, no Mastercard -_-;; Guess foreign spectators have to buy tickets on site.
You have to buy a ticket for the finals. RMB50 ($7.5) for one day pass or RMB150 ($22) for full 4-day pass. This sounds odd to me. Can't really recall any finals that asked for paid tickets before. Anyway, this is what I got from the organizers. Go buy the tickets at: http://www.ticketmaster.cn/event_en_2146.html
edit, tried the online ordering myself, no any foreign credit card is supported, no VISA, no Mastercard -_-;; Guess foreign spectators have to buy tickets on site.
Last year, in germany, tickets had to be paid too.
You have to buy a ticket for the finals. RMB50 ($7.5) for one day pass or RMB150 ($22) for full 4-day pass. This sounds odd to me. Can't really recall any finals that asked for paid tickets before. Anyway, this is what I got from the organizers. Go buy the tickets at: http://www.ticketmaster.cn/event_en_2146.html
edit, tried the online ordering myself, no any foreign credit card is supported, no VISA, no Mastercard -_-;; Guess foreign spectators have to buy tickets on site.
Last year, in germany, tickets had to be paid too.
On October 29 2009 00:34 scintilliaSD wrote: Anyone know off-chance how long/how much a train ride from Hong Kong to Chengdu is?
About 2400km and 36 hours on the train ;o
Take a flight in Shenzhen, it should be cheap since it's not the tour season. Got round trip tickets Chengdu/Shenzhen for RMB1000 few months ago.
I was just judging on whether or not it would be worth it. I'd also have to get a mainland visa, which is like $130 because I'm American, and I'd only be able to make it for Saturday and Sunday because of school...
EPT
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