Oh, such a lovely and meaningful haiku from Basho! I love it so much. Maybe the poet thought of the ancient Kyoto while standing in the street lonely and hearing the calling of a cuckoo suddenly in Kyoto. In fact I've ever had the similar experience. I still remember clearly how I was wrapped up in my reveries when visiting Beijing. Even in Beijing/I long for Beijing/Lamb Spine Hot Pot(which I guess should be a traditional food from Mongol nationality or Muslim/Hui nationality; now the majority/92% of Chinese population is Han nationality like me.)
When I saw the huge signs of the "Lamb Spine Hot Pot/羊蝎子" on a row of large stalls in the whole street, I couldn't help relating them to the magnificent Mongolian Empire/Yuan dynasty owning the biggest territory whose capital is also Beijing. At that time those Mongolian nobles in white clothes must be indulging themselves with such food.
Yeah, I have an image of Chengdu in my mind, but I'm sure that it is not the same as the present Chengdu. In my book it is just the charm of visiting the famous historical and cultural city -- how many memories are there in it! Not long ago I have just learnt a new English word: palimpsest. I feel we can say that the scenic historical city is a palimpsest of artistic images from the different generations of poets.
I am really so honored and inspired to talk about such kind of topics with you.