Clockwise from top left: Tai chi classes have proven popular with the student-athletes at the Chengdu games; An athlete shows off a Chinese knot he acquired as a souvenir; Athletes pose with the games' mascot, Rongbao, at the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding; A traditional lion dance entertains visitors to the theater at the athletes' village; An athlete learns how to play the bamboo flute; Visitors to the giant panda research base wear panda-themed Sichuan Opera masks. WEI XIAOHAO/ZHANG WEI/CHINA DAILY

Brazilian taekwondo athlete Lucas Krishna has also been unwinding with a traditional pastime — playing Chinese chess with a local volunteer.

Krishna revealed that his father, who undertook a three-month training course in Chinese chess years ago in Hangzhou, taught him the traditional game at the age of 10.

"My dad loves China. The people here are so nice," Krishna added.

Away from the athletes' village, participants have been discovering that Chengdu is a city with much to offer. Top of people's must-do lists are trips to the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, where visitors get to see the rare species up close and take part in a variety of panda-themed activities.

Wearing Sichuan Opera masks painted with cute panda faces, visitors to the center commonly hail the experience as a lifelong memory. It also sparks their interest in trying more events across the city.

To promote traditional Chinese music and opera, among other art forms, the theater at the athletes' village stages intricately choreographed shows for residents.

"It's gorgeous, like traveling through 3,000 years to witness the fusion of culture and emotion, musical instruments, and human voices," said David Anthony Knopp, deputy head of the United States delegation, after enjoying a musical show on Tuesday.