Our Location:
No. 99, Jiazi Road, Chengdu
The Question
If you walk into a small local Sichuan restaurant in Chengdu and ask for only one bowl of plain rice to take away, what will happen?
Will they charge you?
Will they find it strange?
Will they simply give it to you?
The Challenge
Visit a local Sichuan restaurant in Chengdu.
Your mission:
- Do not order any dishes.
- Do not dine inside.
- Do not buy anything else.
- Simply ask for one bowl of plain rice to take away.
Record:
- Whether you are charged.
- How much you pay.
- The owner's reaction.
- Any unexpected human moments.
✅ Official Experiment Rules
To keep results comparable, please follow the same rules.
Valid Locations
✅ Local neighborhood Sichuan restaurants
✅ Small family-run restaurants
Invalid Locations
The following tests do not count:
❌ Tourist restaurants
❌ Chain restaurants
🗣 Standard Dialogue（🔊 Play）
Please use the same request:
Step 1: Ask for takeaway rice
🇨🇳 老板你好，我想要一碗白米饭，打包带走，谢谢！
老板你好，我想要一碗白米饭，打包带走，谢谢！Hello boss, I would like a bowl of plain rice, takeaway, thank you!
Step 2: Ask the price
🇨🇳 多少钱？
多少钱How Much Money
Hi, could I have one bowl of plain rice for takeaway, please?
Important:
Do not explain the experiment.
Just make a normal everyday request.
📸 Traveler Submission Requirements
To keep the experiment meaningful, please share:
1. Your Location
Country / City
Example:
🇺🇸 Los Angeles, USA
🇬🇧 London, UK
2. Final Result
Choose one:
- Free
- 1 CNY
- 2 CNY
- 3+ CNY
3. Restaurant Type & Area
Approximate area is enough.
Examples:
- Neighborhood restaurant near Chunxi Road
- Local street restaurant in Jinniu District
- Residential area restaurant
4. Your Story (Most Important)
Tell us what happened.
Examples:
- Did the owner look surprised?
- Did they smile?
- Did they ask where you were from?
- Did they offer anything extra?
- Did other customers react?
The small details are the real experiment.
💬 Traveler Story Wall
Have you tried this experiment?
Share your real Chengdu experience.
Tell future travelers what actually happened.
Every story helps build a more realistic picture of daily life in China.
⚠️ Experiment Rules & Respect Guidelines
This experiment exists to explore culture, not to test or judge local people.
Please:
- Respect restaurant owners and staff.
- Do not interrupt busy working hours.
- Do not block tables or seats.
- Do not secretly record people.
All submissions represent individual experiences only.
Offensive, misleading, or disrespectful submissions may be removed.
🎯 Why This Experiment Exists
Most travel guides tell you where to go.
This project asks a different question:
What happens when you interact with everyday local life?
City Micro Experiments are small challenges created for travelers who want to experience a place beyond famous attractions.
One simple question.
One small interaction.
One real story about a city.
💬 Share Your Experiment Result
Have you tried this experiment?
Tell us what happened:
- Where are you from?
- Was the rice free or paid?
- What was the owner's reaction?
Your story helps future travelers experience the real Chengdu.
About City Micro Experiments
City Micro Experiments is an Indenpendent traveler-driven local culture experiment platform that explores the hidden human connections, customs, and everyday behaviors behind real cities. Through simple, repeatable street experiments, travelers can discover China beyond tourist attractions and share authentic local experiences with the world. Each experiment turns an ordinary interaction into a meaningful cultural experience, helping visitors understand the true character of a city
