Picture Stories - Chengdu - Sichuan Province, China

Chengdu, the capital of present day Sichuan Province in western China has a very long history of military, agricultural, educational, scientific and cultural achievements since its beginnings more than 2 millennia ago. It is located on the western edge of the prosperous Sichuan Basin (or Plains) which was once known as the ‘Land of Plenty’ or ‘Kingdom of Heaven’. The basin was an essential part of ancient Shu Kingdom and Emperor Liu Bei of the fallen Han Dynasty (206BC-220AD) made it the capital of his new and renamed kingdom - ‘Shu-Han’ during the Three Kingdoms Period (220-280AD). China’s first official-run school Wenweng Shi House was established here during the Han Dynasty and in the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127) period, paper money began to be circulated widely, making it the first to do so in the world.

Today, Chengdu maintains its prestige as one of the metropolitan cities in China economically as well as culturally. It is modern, yet remain steadfast in traditional values. It has the reputation of being one of the top most ‘livable’ cities in China and also described in an American newspaper article as the ‘party city of China’. Residents’ enjoy easy-going and carefree lifestyles and make no secret of their love for leisurely pursuits in a hard-working country.

A typical foggy morning in Chengdu. The city has the lowest level of annual sunlight in the whole of China (also less than that of London). The signboard indicates Quanjing Lu (Road) and marks out ‘panda area’. The famous Wolong Nature Reserve is situated approximately 120 km from the city.

The Ming or Jin River was the source of a great civilization for over 2,000 years. It supported an important industry of which Chengdu was famous for during ancient times – the making of silk brocades. Hence the river was also called ‘Jin Jiang’ or ‘Brocade River’ and the city, ‘Jin Cheng’ or ‘Brocade City’.

‘Wangjianglou’ or ‘River-Viewing Pavillion’ in Wangjianglou Park is an architectural masterpiece constructed during the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). It overlooks the Ming River and commands great views of the city. The park also showcases beautiful centuries-old gingko trees which are the symbol tree of Chengdu.

Wangjianglou Park was built to commemorate the famous female poet Xue Tao of the Tang Dynasty (618-907). Besides the pavilion, another gem of the park is the bamboo garden which has a collection of more than a hundred species. Xue Tao loves bamboo and a white marble statue of her now adorns the garden.

Wuhou Si or Temple of Marquis Wu commemorates the famous prime minister and military strategist Zhuge Liang of the Three Kingdoms Period (220-280). It was originally built during the Northern and Southern Dynasties (420-589). Over different periods, variations were made. Today, it is merged with the temple and mausoleum site of Emperor Liu Bei.

Chengdu retains its reputation as a great cultural centre till present day. Sichuan opera combines performances of ‘quyi’, Peking opera, comic acrobatics, musical instrumentals and dancing. Opera themes are often based on both factual and legendary episodes of the Three Kingdoms Period.

‘Changing face’ performances impress almost everyone at the theatres. A highly skilled master can ‘change face’ under the very nose of audiences without using his hands as many as 14 times in 30 seconds. It is an artform that originated from Sichuan

It is said that the residents of Chengdu are reputed for their ‘laid-back attitude’ and love for the ‘good life’. There are more tea houses and bars here than in Shanghai despite having less than half the later’s population.

Top tourist city award for Chengdu. Besides its own attractions in rich cultures and famous historical sites, it is the gateway to many interesting destinations in remote western China. There are nature reserves, scenic landscapes and domains of minority ethnic groups embedded in the high mountains continuing into Tibetan territory.

Demonstration on the intricacies of making silk fabrics from cocoons of silkworms. Once known as ‘Brocade city’, Chengdu can still boasts of high quality silk products to tourists today.

Pandas are natives of the north-western mountains of Sichuan province. Although the city zoo has some pandas, the Wolong Nature Reserve is a great sanctuary for rare and endangered animals and trees. It includes the Giant Panda Research Centre set-up in 1963 which is now opened to public.

Dujiangyan Dam is an engineering marvel built by Li Ping more than 2,000 years ago. It ‘tamed’ the Ming River, a tributary of the Yangtze by redirecting more water into the Sichuan Basin during dry months and drain away excesses when threatened with flooding. It is located in Dujiangyan City, one of the 4 county-level cities within Chengdu.