A Priceless Room Service Menu

Seeing sights, interacting with the locals and sampling the cuisine is all well and good – it’s a large part of why we travel. But every now & then you come across something a little different, a little unexpected, something you just know will end up being an abiding memory of a trip. That happened to me today when I entered my hotel room here in Leshan, Sichuan province, China, shortly after arriving off a butt-busting 8-hour bus trip (advertised at 5 hours) from Chongqing, some 400 kilometres east of here.

The hotel room is average enough. It’s comfortable, but nothing fancy. However, it does boast an awesome room service menu, one with a difference. Seemingly everything in the room has a price. Yep, everything from the thermos flask supplying the room with boiling water (yours for RMB 60, €6) to the lamp shades (also RMB 60) to the mirror in the bathroom (RMB 100, €10). Even the window is up for grabs – a steal at RMB 250 (€25). How about a door for RMB 500 (€50) or a TV for RMB 3,000 (€300)? Just after a souvenir? OK, the ashtray. Yours for RMB 10 (€1). There’s only one though so as a couple you’ll have to share. I could go on. And on. But take a look at the picture below to see what’s on offer for yourself. Everything may have its price but it is stuff like this that is actually priceless. Go China.

A priceless hotel room price list. Leshan, Sichuan Province, China. September 20, 2004.

Moving On
Getting up close & personal with Dafo, the Leshan Giant Buddha.