Sichuan dialect adds a whole new layer of humor, warmth, and local flavor to the beloved folk song "Chengdu." From playful covers that swap poetic lyrics for references to rabbit heads and spicy hotpot, to rap versions that poke fun at the city's traffic jams, these local renditions capture the city's true spirit . While Zhao Lei's original is nostalgic and gentle, the Sichuan dialect versions are lively, cheeky, and full of the city's signature "bashi" (巴适) attitude .
The first time I heard a Sichuan dialect cover of "Chengdu," I was sitting in a small hotpot restaurant in the city's Yulin neighborhood. The owner, a middle-aged woman with a warm smile, had her phone propped up on the counter, playing a video.
A local singer named Kuang Fengsang was performing the song, but with completely rewritten lyrics
. Instead of "walking on Yulin Road," he sang about "the rabbit heads from Shuangliu" and "the old ladies of Chengdu." The whole restaurant burst out laughing.
I later learned that this version, created by a local comedy duo, had gone viral for its hilarious take on daily life in Chengdu
. The lyrics described things every local knows: the traffic jams on Tianfu Avenue, the crowded night markets, and the endless queues at "fly restaurants" (small, unpretentious eateries).
What struck me most was how the song, originally a melancholic ode to a city, had been transformed into a celebration of its messy, vibrant, utterly charming reality. In Sichuan dialect, even a song about saying goodbye became a joyful invitation to stay.
That night, as I left the restaurant, I understood: sometimes, the best way to love a place is to laugh at it. And in Chengdu, that laughter sounds best in the local tongue.