Into the Chengdu Chill: Louis Vuitton’s City Guide and Journey to China Fragrances
Written by Fête Chinoise Editorial Team (Kayla Lo)
Images courtesy of Louis Vuitton
This October, Louis Vuitton brought the city of Chengdu to life through an immersive experience blending literature, scent, and cuisine. Marking the debut of the updated Louis Vuitton Chengdu City Guide, the “Chengdu Chill” pop-up at Regular Park offered visitors a curated journey through the city’s vibrant culture. Traditional bamboo weaving, sugar painting, calligraphy workshops, and storytelling by local artists harmonized with Louis Vuitton’s signature design, creating a dialogue between heritage and contemporary expression. Poet Zhai Yongming shared her personal reflections on Chengdu, while a specially commissioned track by musician Ma Siwei brought the city’s rhythms to life.
The experience extended beyond the visual and tactile: Louis Vuitton introduced the Journey to China fragrance collection, created by Master Perfumer Jacques Cavallier Belletrud and his daughter Camille. Inspired by China’s rich olfactory heritage and art de vivre, the collection comprises Rain Tea, Ink Mark, and Moon Tale. Each fragrance embodies a distinct cultural ritual: Rain Tea evokes the contemplative precision of the tea ceremony, Ink Mark captures the soulful expression of Chinese calligraphy, and Moon Tale reflects the poetic allure of China’s legends of the Four Great Beauties and flowers. Jacques Cavallier Belletrud explains, “China is made up of a mosaic of cultures – it’s an extraordinary blend of absolute modernity and ancestral traditions reimagined for the current day.”
The fragrance bottles also pay homage to China’s artisanal history. Inspired by vintage apothecary flasks, their silhouette references Chinese snuff bottles—once functional objects for preserving snuff tobacco, later transformed into delicate works of art. Louis Vuitton celebrates this union of beauty and utility, with each bottle reflecting the unique character of its scent. A set of miniature versions, designed for collectors, completes the olfactory journey, embodying the Maison’s nomadic spirit.
This sensory journey continued at the Michelin-one-starred The Hall by Louis Vuitton, where the updated menu infuses Chengdu flavors into refined, contemporary cuisine. From the written word to fragrance, to taste, the “Chengdu Chill” experience offered a multi-dimensional exploration of the city’s spirit: a philosophy of presence, leisure, and discovery that Louis Vuitton translates into travel, design, and now, fragrance.
The Journey to China fragrance collection is available at Louis Vuitton Maison Chengdu until December 31, and the City Guide is downloadable via the Louis Vuitton City Guide App until November 13.
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