成都 Chéng dū
Chengdu
1. Song Overview
2016 folk hit that turned Chengdu into a global tourist destination. Everyday spoken Chinese + real street names – ideal for intermediate learners.
2. Key Excerpts & Explanations
Opening
让我掉下眼泪的 不止昨夜的酒
Translation: “What makes me cry isn’t just last night’s wine”
Famous chorus
和我在成都的街头走一走
Translation: “Walk with me through Chengdu’s streets”
Yulin Road
走到玉林路的尽头
Translation: “Walk to the end of Yulin Road”
Final line
成都 带不走的 只有你
Translation: “Chengdu – the only thing I can’t take away is you”
3. Full English Translation (Our version)
What makes me cry isn’t just last night’s wine, and what I can’t let go of isn’t just your tenderness.
In that rainy little city I never forgot you.
Chengdu – the only thing I can’t take away is you.
Walk with me once more through Chengdu’s streets until all the lights go out.
4. Key Vocabulary
| Pinyin | Chinese | English |
|---|---|---|
| yī yī bù shě | 依依不舍 | reluctant to part |
| zuàn | 攥 | grip tightly |
| Yùlín lù | 玉林路 | Yulin Road (real place) |
| xiǎo jiǔguǎn | 小酒馆 | small bar |
5. Cultural Notes
Yulin Road is a real bar street in Chengdu – now a tourist spot because of this song.