At China's first-ever UNESCO session on safeguarding intangible cultural heritage held in Chengdu last year, an official in attendance praised the host city and its "passion for preservation of endangered art".

Strolling along streets of the famed cultural and historic city today, visitors find its folk customs, arts, songs, operas, dance and cuisine are still very much alive.

Splendid Sichuan silk embroidery, delicate bamboo weaving and powerful Zhe Ge crossbows are all on sale along Jinli, an ancient street on the east of Wuhou Shrine, where one can still envision the prosperous market during its beginning in the Three Kingdoms (220-280) period.

To manage the embroidery market, Zhuge Liang, an official in the Shu Kingdom, moved the old silk embroidery area to the south of Chengdu, called Jin Guan Yi - or Jin Guan Town.

The name evolved into Jinli, another name for Chengdu used during the Tang (618-907) and Song (960-1279) dynasties.

Today magnificent embroidery with patterns such as pandas, fish and flowers is still on offer in the market on quilts, garments, shoes and wooden screens.

Precise stitching, rich colors, smooth lines and local designs make Sichuan embroidery one of the four most-celebrated in China.

Along an old-fashioned street close to the Wenshu Buddhist Temple, a humble theater presents elderly performers singing Sichuan Opera.

A tea table, several stools and large fans make up a mini-theater. Performers wearing cotton-padded waistcoats and slippers sing with lively Sichuan dialect and wit.

A renowned local opera prevalent in southwestern China's Sichuan, Yunnan, Guizhou provinces and Hubei province in central China, Sichuan opera is characterized by unique solos, refined acting, rich percussion and talented comedians.

Skillful performances feature not only vivid singing, but also humorous narration and acrobatics. It also offers stylized movements with lively acting.

"Face-changing," a technique used in the opera to portray special characters, often amazes foreign travelers in Sichuan. They say the charm is that a performer can change his or her facial features in the snap of a finger right on stage.

More local flavor is offered by famous Sichuan snacks like Dandan noodles, Long's Chaoshou and the widely known dish Mapo Toufu,

Leisurely Wenshufang Street offers goods made in traditional styles that help create an atmosphere from several hundred years ago.

Tourists sipping tea can watch folk artisans draw pictures with hot sugar on rice or make toys with wet powder.

Chengdu is also noted for the bamboo flute played by the region's ethnic Qiang people.

During the first UNESCO festival in Chengdu last year, performers from Aba Tibetan autonomous prefecture of Sichuan province played the Qiang flute, which became a highlight of the event. Performing with and making Qiang flutes are now listed among the intangible cultural heritage of China.

After passing through an ancient memorial archway at the National Intangible Cultural Heritage Park in Chengdu, visitors can see more than 100 old two-storey Chinese buildings displaying cultural items.

In addition, there is also a traditional food exhibition area in the park.