The air is filled with the calls of the stallholders offering everything from the ubiquitous noodles to spicy Sichuan soup and Shangdong-style pancakes, deep-fried crickets and scorpions.
It was a sultry September, and a snack of dan dan noodles seasoned with salty preserved vegetables, perky Sichuan peppercorns and chili oil kept me alert in the intense humidity.
Their influence can still be tasted at many of the thousands of restaurants serving dishes like Sichuan duck smoked with camphor wood and tea leaves, and a popular dish called Over the Bridge Noodles.