Brief description
Chengdu is the capital of Sichuan province, and is the cultural and economic hub of the vast, fertile southwestern plain. It is China's fourth-largest city, and an economic powerhouse with a booming IT sector and 14 straight years of an important stopover on the Southern Silk Road and today is a vital transportation hub for southwest China. Not only is it a useful stop on most trips around Sichuan by rail, air or road, the city is also a useful base from which to enter Tibet.double-digit economic growth behind it. There is another Chengdu as well: a city of profound cultural and historic significance with great charm and a welcoming atmosphere. The warm climate and abundant natural resources have attracted visitors for many years: Sichuan is one of the most fertile areas in China, earning it the nickname "the land of milk and honey". The rich soil is mainly made up of silt deposits from the Min and Tuo rivers, which flow into the mighty Yangtze and are responsible for its famous yellow coloring.
The history of Chengdu spans over 2,300 years, and unlike many Cities in China, it has retained both its name and status since it was established, as it has always been the capital of Sichuan. It was an important stopover on the Southern Silk Road and today is a vital transportation hub for southwest China. Not only is it a useful stop on most trips around Sichuan by rail, air or road, the city is also a useful base from which to enter Tibet.
Chengdu can provide both traditional Chinese entertainment and the bar scene that many international travelers have come to expect. Watching a performance of Sichuan Opera at any of the city's theaters can be followed by a few hours bar hopping in the vibrant venues around the Traffic Hotel or Paul's Palace or session singing the night away at one of the city's KTV clubs. Any visitors to Chengdu should be sure to go to the local cuisine restaurants to sample the Sichuan food for which the city is famous. Although in the West Sichuan food has a reputation for being quite hot, in reality the food is very varied, concentrating on the precise use of spices in a variety of savory dishes.
Chengdu and the surrounding towns have been a cradle of invention for centuries. The first paper money called Jiaozi was printed here and the process for making traditional Chinese lacquer was also invented in Chengdu. The annual Dujiangyan Drawing-Off Festivalcelebrates the building of the oldest water conservation and flood mitigation project in the world, as the Dujiangyan project dates back to around 250 BC. Visitors can also make the trip to the The Dujiangyan Irrigation Project to see this remarkable example of ancient Chinese engineering. Sichuan was also the home of an ancient civilization whose artifacts were unearthed at Sanxingdui near the end of the 20th century outside of Chengdu. The artifacts uncovered are the work of a previously unknown bronze-age civilization.
One of Sichuan's great claims to fame is the giant panda, and Chengdu's Panda Breeding Research Center provides an opportunity to see these animals up close and learn about China's efforts to preserve them. The city has a number of fine temples, among the best being the Qingyang Temple and the Wenshu Temple. The city has many parks, arguably the prettiest of which is Renmin Park, where visitors can sip tea at an elegant tea house, wander through the bonsai gardens or watch tai-chi experts practice. Chengdu Zoo is really worth a visit too,the pandas here live in superbly-designed enclosures has resulted in the institution being named by the United Nations as one of the 500 most humane zoos in the world.
Further afield lies the Giant Buddha of Leshan, the tallest stone Buddha in the world. And if you can possibly spare the time for the 450-km trip, a visit to the Jiuzhaigou scenic area is an unforgettable experience, with snow-capped mountains, crystalline lakes and beautiful forests.

Location /Climate
Chengdu sits in the west section of the Sichuan basin, and has a humid climate. Though the summers are quite hot, reaching an average of 25C, the days are notoriously cloudy and sudden showers are common. In winter, the temperature rarely falls below 5C.

Area & Population
Chengdu city is 12,430 thousand square kilometers with a population of just over 10 million, 5.73 million of whom live in the urban areas. Chengdu has several ethnic minority groups, the largest of which are Hui and Tibetan.

History
Chengdu's history dates back over 3,600 years. It is believed that in the early part of the 4th century BC, the Shu State moved its capital to the site of present-day Chengdu. During the Qin Dynasty, the city was founded, a protective 25-meter tall wall was built, and the city's reputation as a commercial hub and center for arts and crafts trades became established.the city was known as Brocade City in reference to the silk brocade industry which was already thriving at that time. By the Song Dynasty, the entire city consisted of five rather large commercial centers plus a large market where people could sell their goods along with popular night markets. The city was a vital political and commercial center for southwest China, and was chosen as the capital by Gongsun Shu, king of Western Han Dynasty, by Liu Bei, an emperor of the Three Kingdoms period, and by Meng Zhixiang, Emperor of the Later Shu in the 10th century AD. Chengdu has been the location of government for Sichuan province since the Yuan dynasty.
Chengdu has long been known for its handicrafts. From the Warring States to the Han Dynasty, Chengdu's lacquer wares had particular fame, and the city has been synonymous with silk and silk brocade since the earliest times: colored silk from Sichuan was already a famous Sichuan product by the time of the Han Dynasty. Most of China's silk trade with the Middle East up to the time of the Tang dynasty was based on silk from Chengdu.
Chengdu has a great history of openness and has thrived on its ability to absorb and promote cultural influences. When Kaiming, the king of the ancient Shu state, moved his capital to Chengdu in the 4th century BC, he brought with him new cultural influences. After the unification of China by the Qin Kingdom, another new culture was introduced, with a new wave of merchants bringing in knowledge of business management and industry. Yang Xiou, a governor of Sichuan in the Sui Dynasty, brought with him a group of master monks, thus making Sichuan an important center for Buddhist studies. Two Tang emperors made imperial visits to Sichuan, bringing poets, painters, artists and talented people from many walks of life. In the Qing Dynasty , a large number of people from Hubei Province and Guangxi Province moved to Sichuan, which helped to foster innovation and communication in economy and culture. All of these influences contributed to the uniqueness of Sichuan's achievements, from opera, painting, and poetry to Sichuan cuisine and snacks. During the Anti-Japanese War, many associations, societies and prominent people moved to Chengdu, adding to the city's influence as a cultural center. After the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949, when three important railways were under construction in southwest China, a large number of professionals and other technicians were transferred to Chengdu to offer help.