Coordinates: 30°39′35″N 104°03′48″E / 30.65972°N 104.06333°E / 30.65972; 104.06333

Chengdu 成都
—  Sub-provincial city  —
成都市
Chengdu's official city logo, a design based on the ancient artifact Golden Sun Bird
Nickname(s): 蓉城 (The Hibiscus City)
Location of Chengdu City (yellow) in Sichuan province and the PRC
Chengdu Location in China
Coordinates: 30°39′49″N 104°04′00″E / 30.66361°N 104.0666667°E / 30.66361; 104.0666667
Country	People's Republic of China
Province	Sichuan
Established	311 BC
City seat	Qingyang District
Divisions  - County-level	9 districts, 4 county-level cities, 6 counties
Government
• Type	Sub-provincial city
• CPC Party Chief	Huang Xinchu (黄新初)
• Mayor	Ge Honglin (葛红林)
Area
• Sub-provincial city	12,132 km2 (4,684 sq mi)
• Urban	2,129 km2 (822 sq mi)
• Metro	1,617 km2 (624 sq mi)
Elevation	500 m (1,600 ft)
Highest elevation	5,364 m (17,598 ft)
Lowest elevation	378 m (1,240 ft)
Population (2010)[1]
• Sub-provincial city	14,047,625
• Density	1,200/km2 (3,000/sq mi)
• Urban	7,677,100
• Urban density	3,600/km2 (9,300/sq mi)
• Metro	6,730,749
• Metro density	4,200/km2 (11,000/sq mi)
• Major Nationalities	Han
Time zone	China Standard (UTC+8)
Postal code	610000-611944
Area code(s)	28
GDP (nominal) Total (2010)	¥ 555.13 billion (US$82.119 billion)
GDP (nominal) Per Capita (2010)	¥ 43,417 (US$6,442)
License Plate Prefix	川A 川O (Government)
Website	http://www.chengdu.gov.cn

Chengdu (Chinese: 成都; Sichuanese: Cen²du¹; pinyin: Chéngdū), formerly transliterated Chengtu, is the capital of Sichuan province in Southwest China. It holds sub-provincial administrative status. The urban area houses 14,047,625 inhabitants: 7,123,697 within the municipality's nine districts^[2] and 6,730,749 in the surrounding region.

Chengdu is one of the most important economic, transportation, and communication centers in Western China. According to the 2007 Public Appraisal for Best Chinese Cities for Investment, Chengdu was chosen as one of the top ten cities to invest in out of a total of 280 urban centers in China.^[3] It was recently named China's 4th-most livable city by China Daily.^[4]

The fertile Chengdu Plain, on which Chengdu is located, is also known as the "Country of Heaven" (天府之国, Tiānfǔzhiguó), a phrase also often translated as "The Land of Abundance". The discovery of the Jinsha site suggests the area of Chengdu had become the center of the bronze age Sanxingdui culture around the time of the establishment of the state of Shu, prior to its annexation by Qin in 316 BC.

City nicknames and logo[link]

Nicknames[link]

Chengdu is the original city name which dates back to its founding over 2000 years ago. However, its following nicknames are well known in China.

• The City of Hibiscus: Róngchéng, 蓉城

In the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period (907-960), Mengchang, the king of the Later Shu Kingdom, ordered the planting of hibiscus on the fortress wall surrounding the city. After this, Chengdu started being called the City of Hibiscus. Nowadays, the hibiscus is still the city flower of Chengdu, but the last city wall was torn down in the 1960s, along with the Royal Palace situated in the middle of the city, where the statue of Mao Zedong now stands.

• The Brocade City: Jinchéng, 锦城

In the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD 23), brocade produced in Chengdu enjoyed great popularity among the royal and elite class in China. An emperor created the office of Jin Guan (锦官) to oversee brocade production in Chengdu. Since then, Chengdu has been called "Jin Guan Cheng" (锦官城) meaning "Brocade Official's City", or in its short form, "Jin Cheng" (锦城) meaning "Brocade City."

• The Turtle City: Guichéng, 龟城

According to the ancient legend, when Chengdu was built in AD 310, the chief architect Zhang Yi followed the routes of a turtle to decide the city's borders. It coincides with the fact that the city does resemble the shape of a turtle on a map.

Logo[link]

Chengdu unveiled its city logo in 2011. The design was inspired by the Golden Sun Bird artifact excavated from Jinsha Ruins.^[5]

History[link]

The archaeological excavations in Sanxingdui-Jinsha Ruins demonstrate Chengdu's importance as a gathering place for ancient peoples for at least four thousand years. More than three thousand years ago, during the period of Shang and dynasties, it became the center of Shu culture. Two thousand and three hundred years ago, Kaiming IX, the king of ancient Shu, established the location as a capital city called Chengdu (literally means 'becoming capital') after the Chinese saying "It takes one year to form a community, two years to form a town, and three years to form a capital". Over time, Chengdu became the capital of six separatist feudal reigns. Chengdu is the only major city in China that has never changed its location or name for more than 2000 years.^[6]

The archaeological site of Jinsha proved that Chengdu, as the capital of Shu, was established around 1200 BCE

As a central city for at least 2000 years, Chengdu’s influence has gradually expanded from the Sichuan basin to Western China. At its height, Chengdu was once named "One of the Five Metropolis" in China and was equally famous with Yangzhou in history. During the Three-Kingdom period, Zhuge Liang, the prime minister of Shu kingdom, called Chengdu "the land of abundance". Li Bai, the famous poet during the Tang Dynasty, eulogized the city as "Chengdu lies above empyrean". Su Shi, the eminent writer during the Song Dynasty, hailed Chengdu as "the southwestern metropolis". In the Eastern Han Dynasty, brocade production was advanced here, giving Chengdu the name "the brocade city". During the Latter Shu Kingdom, it got the name "the hibiscus city" since hibiscus trees were planted throughout the city walls, quite a site during their yearly blossom.^[7]

In the early 4th century BC, the 9th king of the state of Shu moved his capital to the city's current location from today's nearby Pixian. The Song Dynasty geographical work Tai Ping Huan Yu Ji states that the king was inspired by King Tai of Zhou's statement that a settlement needed "one year to become a town; two years to become a capital."^[8] Following this, the king named the new city Cheng Du: literally, "become the capital". There are, however, several versions of why the capital was moved to Chengdu, and more recent theories of the name's origin point to it as stemming from, or referring to, earlier non-Han inhabitants and/or their languages.

Dujiangyan Irrigation System built in 256 BC still functions today

After the conquest of Shu by the State of Qin in 316 BC, a new city was founded by the Qin general Zhang Yi (who as a matter of fact had argued against the invasion). This can be seen as the beginning of the Chinese Chengdu.

During the partition following the fall of the Eastern Han Dynasty, i.e. the era of the Three Kingdoms, Liu Bei founded the southwest kingdom of Shu-Han (蜀汉; 221-263) with Chengdu as its capital.

During the Tang Dynasty, both the "Poet God" Li Bаí (李白) and the "Poet Sage" Dù Fǔ (杜甫) spent some part of their lives in Chengdu. Du Fu constructed the celebrated "Caotáng" (thatched cottage or grass-hut) in the second year of his four-years stay (759-762). But today's Caotang, a rather sumptuous house in the traditional style, was only constructed in 1078 in memory of Du Fu. As early as the Tang dynasty more than 1,200 years ago, Chengdu became one of the foremost commercial cities in China, second only to Yangzhou.

The tomb of Wang Jian, founder of Former Shu Kingdom based in Sichuan

Chengdu was also the birthplace of the first widely used paper money in the world (Northern Song Dynasty, around A.D. 960). The Qingyang Gong Taoist temple was built in Chengdu in the ninth century, meaning "Green Goat".

Two rebel leaders, one around the end of the Song Dynasty, the other near the end of the Ming Dynasty, set up the capitals of their short-lived kingdoms here, called Dàshu (大蜀) and Dàxi (大西), respectively. In the 13th century, Marco Polo wrote about several bridges in China and the Anshun Bridge (or an earlier version of it) in Chengdu was one of them. He referred to Chengdu as "Sindafu" ("Cheng-Tu_Fu") as the capital of the province of the same name.^[9][10][11]

In 1279 the Mongols sacked Chengdu, killing 1.4 million inhabitants in the process.

During the Second World War the Kuomintang (KMT, Chinese Nationalist Party) government under Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek fled to Sichuan province to escape the invading Japanese forces. They brought with them businesspeople, workers and academics, who founded many of the industries and cultural institutions which continue to make Chengdu an important center.

In 1944 the American XX Bomber Command launched Operation Matterhorn, an ambitious plan to base B-29 Superfortresses in Chengdu and strategically bomb the Japanese Home Islands. Because the operation required a massive airlift of fuel and supplies over the Himalayas, it was not a significant military success, but it did earn Chengdu the distinction of launching the first serious retaliation against the Japanese homeland.

During the Chinese Civil War, Chengdu was the last city on the Chinese mainland to be held by the Kuomintang-controlled government. R.O.C. President Chiang Kai-shek and his son Chiang Ching-kuo directed the defence of the city from Chengdu Central Military Academy until 1949, when the city fell into Communist hands. The People's Liberation Army took the city on December 10 and the remnants of the Nationalist Chinese government fled to Taiwan.

The industrial base is very broad, including light and heavy manufacturing, aluminum smelting and chemicals. The textile industry remains important, with cotton and wool milling added to the traditional manufacturing of silk brocade and satin.

Chengdu is the headquarters of the Chengdu Military Region.

On May 12, 2008, a magnitude 8.0 earthquake struck causing damage to the area, killing about 80,000 people and injuring 26,413 as of May 12, 2008. 4,021 of the casualties and most of the property damage were from Dujiangyan and Pengzhou, two cities within the administration of Chengdu, the sub-provincial city. Chengdu did not suffer any discernible damage.^[12] The reason why many people died in the surrounding areas had to do with poor construction. Though only 75 kilometers (47 mi) from the epicenter, Chengdu itself was built to earthquake specification, and most buildings there remained intact.

Demography[link]

The municipality is home for 14,047,625 inhabitants at the 2010 census whom 7,123,697 in the city considerered as urban. The built up area is home to 6,730,749 million inhabitants and emcompasses 7 out of 9 urban districts (all but Longquanyi District and Qingbaijiang District still separated of core built up area + Pi county being urbanized quickly)

Cityscape[link]

The basic layout of Chengdu dates back to the Qing Dynasty. Most rivers, bridges, streets and alleys were well preserved until 1949 when the new construction started.

The ancient fortress wall[link]

The ancient fortress wall of Chengdu, 10 meters high and 11 km long, was built during the Qing Dynasty. Surrounding the city, the wall's bottom measures 10 meters wide while the top measures 6 meters wide, almost equivalent to the width of a street. 8,122 crenels, four octagons and four turrets were built on the wall.

Four gates were constructed on all sides of the wall, with hibiscus trees planted outside. Thus, the city acquired its nickname 'The city of hisbicus.'Locals were only allowed to climb the wall during the Spring festival when it was believed to help drive away illness and bad luck for the coming year.

The fortress wall was torn down after Mao Zedong's only visit to Chengdu in 1958. After touring the city, he suggested the wall be dismantled because of its 'ugliness and inconvenience to traffic'. The wall was demolished afterward and now only remains as scattered ruins across the city.

The most complete remaining piece of the ancient fortress wall is a hundred-meter section south of Wu Ding Qiao and northwest of Bei Jiao Chang.

City in a city[link]

Shaocheng (Small City), also known as Manchu City, was built within the fortress wall. It was a "city in a city" established by the imperial court of the Qing Dynasty for Manchu soldiers and their families in 1718. People's Park, once known as Shaocheng Park, was used as a military warehouse for Qing soldiers.

The Shaocheng wall was demolished in 1911 after the Xinhai Revolution, which ended thousands of years of Chinese feudalism.

Today, only a few remnants of the original city can be found in Kuanxiangzi and Zhaixiangzi alleys.

Geography[link]

Chengdu Plain in Spring

The vast plain on which Chengdu is located has an elevation ranging from 450 meters to 720 meters.

Northwest Chengdu is bordered by the high and steep Longmen Mountain and in the west by the Qionglai mountainous areas, the elevation of which exceeds 3,000 meters and includes Miao Jiling (5,364 m.) and Xiling Snow Mountain (5,164 m.). The western mountainous area is also home to a large primitive forest with abundant biological resources and a Giant Panda habitat.East of Chengdu stands the low Longquan Mountain and the west bordering area of the hilly land of middle reaches of Minjiang River, an area noted by several converging rivers.Since ancient times, Chengdu has been known as "the Abundant Land" owing to its fertile soil, favorable climate, and novel Dujiangyan Irrigation System.

Chaoyang Lake in Chengdu's suburb

Chengdu is located at the western edge of the Sichuan Basin and sits on the Chengdu Plain; the dominating terrain is plains. The prefecture ranges in latitude from 30° 05' to 31° 26' N, while its longitude ranges from 102° 54' to 104° 53' E, stretching for 192 kilometres (119 mi) from east to west and 166 kilometres (103 mi) south to north, administering 12,390 square kilometres (4,780 sq mi) of land. Neighbouring prefectures are Deyang (NE), Ziyang (SE), Meishan (S), Ya'an (SW), and the Ngawa Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture (N). The urban area, with an elevation of 500 metres (1,600 ft), features a few rivers, three of them being the Jin, Fu (府河), and Sha Rivers. Outside of the immediate urban area, the topography becomes more complex: to the east lies the Longquan Range (龙泉山脉) and the Penzhong Hills (盆中丘陵); to the west lie the Qionglai Mountains, which rise to 5,364 metres (17,598 ft) in Dayi County. The lowest point in Chengdu Prefecture, at 378 metres (1,240 ft), lies in the southeast in Jintang County.

Climate[link]

Chengdu has a monsoon-influenced humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cwa) and is largely mild and humid. It has four distinct seasons, blessed with abundant rainfall, and relieved from both sweltering summers and freezing winters. Its favorable climate contributes to the development of agriculture and animal husbandry, making Chengdu a comfortable place for sustained human habitat.

The Qin Mountains to the far north help shield the city from cold Siberian winds in the winter; because of this, the short winter is milder than in the Lower Yangtze. January averages 5.6 °C (42.1 °F) Snow is rare but there are a few periods of frost each winter. The summer is hot and humid, but not to the extent of the "Three Furnaces" (三大火炉) cities of Wuhan, Nanjing, and Chongqing, all which lie in the Yangtze basin. July and August average around 25 °C (77 °F), with afternoon highs sometimes reaching 33 °C (91 °F); sustained heat in the likes of some cities in Southeastern China is rare. Rainfall is common year-round but is the greatest in July and August, with very little of it in the cooler months. Chengdu also has one of the lowest sunshine totals in China (less sunshine annually than London), and most days are cloudy and overcast even if without rain. This is especially so in the winter months, when it is typically interminably grey and dreary, compounding the poor air quality. Spring (March–April) tends to be sunnier and warmer than autumn (October–November). Extremes have ranged from −5.9 °C (21 °F) to 40.0 °C (104.0 °F).^[13]

Administrative Divisions[link]

Chengdu is a sub-provincial city. It has direct jurisdiction over 9 districts (区 qu), 4 county-level cities (市 shi) and 6 counties (县xian) :

Map	#	Name	Hanzi	Hanyu Pinyin	Population (2010)[1]	Area (km²)	Density (/km²)
	City Core
	1	Qingyang District	青羊区	Qīngyáng Qū	828,140	66	12,548
	2	Jinjiang District	锦江区	Jǐnjiāng Qū	690,422	61	11,318
	3	Jinniu District	金牛区	Jīnniú Qū	1,200,776	108	11,118
	4	Wuhou District	武侯区	Wǔhóu Qū	1,083,806	77	14,075
	5	Chenghua District	成华区	Chénghuá Qū	938,785	109	8,613
	Suburban districts within city limit
	6	Longquanyi District	龙泉驿区	Lóngquányì Qū	767,203	558	1,375
	7	Qingbaijiang District	青白江区	Qīngbáijiāng Qū	381,792	392	974
	8	Xindu District	新都区	Xīndū Qū	775,703	481	1,613
	9	Wenjiang District	温江区	Wēnjiāng Qū	457,070	277	1,650
	Satellite cities
	10	Dujiangyan	都江堰市	Dūjiāngyàn Shì	657,996	1,208	545
	11	Pengzhou	彭州市	Péngzhōu Shì	762,887	1,420	537
	12	Qionglai	邛崃市	Qiónglái Shì	612,753	1,384	443
	13	Chongzhou	崇州市	Chóngzhōu Shì	661,120	1,090	607
	Rural
	14	Jintang County	金堂县	Jīntáng Xiàn	717,225	1,156	620
	15	Shuangliu County	双流县	Shuāngliú Xiàn	1,158,516	1,067	1,086
	16	Pi County	郫县	Pí Xiàn	756,047	438	1,726
	17	Dayi County	大邑县	Dàyì Xiàn	502,198	1,327	378
	18	Pujiang County	蒲江县	Pújiāng Xiàn	239,562	583	411
	19	Xinjin County	新津县	Xīnjīn Xiàn	302,199	330	916

Traditional Culture[link]

Jinli historical district of Chengdu

Cultural heritage[link]

Some of China's most important literature comes from Chengdu. Chengdu has been home to literary giants, such as Sima Xiangru and Yang Xiong, two masters of Hanfu, a mixture of descriptive prose and verse during the Han Dynasty; Li Bai and Su Shi, the most eminent poets of the Tang and Song Dynasties respectively; Yang Shen’an, a famous scholar of the Ming Dynasty; and Guo Moruo and Ba Jin, two well-known modern writers. Chang Qu, a historian of Chengdu during the Jin Dynasty, compiled the earliest local historical records, the Record of Hua Yang State. Zhao Chongzuo, a poet in Chengdu during the Latter Shu Kingdom, edited Among the Flowers, the first anthology of Ci in China’s history. Meng Chang, the king of Latter Shu Kingdom, wrote the first couplet for Chinese Spring Festival, which says, “A harvest year accepts celebrations, good festivals foreshadow long springs.” During the period of the Five Dynasties, Huang Quan, a painter in Chengdu, initiated the Fine-Brush Flower-and-Bird Painting school with other painters. At that time, “Hanlin Painting Academy” was the earliest royal academy in China. Wen Weng, administer of Chengdu during the Western Han Dynasty, established the first local public school named Shishi (literally a stone house), in the world. The school site has not changed for more than 2,000 years, which remains the site of today’s Shishi High School.^[14]

The saying "Shu opera towers above all other performances in the world" reflects the achievement of Sichuan Opera and Zaju (an ancient form of comedic drama involving dancing, singing, poetry, and miming). In the city, the first named opera “Bullfighting” was written in the Warring States Period. The first detailed recorded opera was staged in the royal court of Shu Kingdom during the Three Kingdom Period. China’s first clearly recorded Zaju was also performed in Chengdu. Tombs of witty Han Dynasty poets were excavated in Chengdu. And face-changing masks and fire breathing remain hallmarks of the Sichuan Opera.

Language[link]

The native language in Chengdu is Sichuanese (四川话), otherwise referred as Sichuan dialect. More precisely, "Chengdu Dialect" (成都话/成都方言) is widely used in lieu of "Sichuanese" due to the largely different accents of Sichuanese speakers residing elsewhere.

Culinary art and tea culture[link]

Teahouse in Chengdu

People from Chengdu (or Sichuan/Chongqing, in general) tend to eat spicy food. Local specialties include Grandma Chen's Tofu (Mapo doufu), Chengdu Hot pot, and Dan Dan Mien (literally meaning, "Noodles carried on a pole" (Dan Dan Noodles). All three dishes are spicy. Mapo Doufu and Dan Dan Mien contain Sichuan peppers (huājiāo; 花椒; literally "flower pepper") to give them additional flavor. An article^[15] by the Los Angeles Times (2006) called Chengdu "China's party city" for its carefree lifestyle. Chengdu outnumbers Shanghai in the number of tea houses and bars despite having less than half the population. The inhabitants have a reputation in China for having a laid-back attitude and for knowing how to enjoy life.

Sichuanese cuisine features careful pairings of boldness and subtlety in dishes, snacks, banquets, and hotpot. A characteristic adage goes: 'one dish, one style; one hundred dishes, one hundred flavors; flexible use of hot chilis and delicate flavors.' Of thousands of dishes, every one has a story behind it.

The local snacks in Chengdu are known for creative ingredients, skilled preparation, wide variety, and cheap prices. Tastes range from sweet and spicy to sour and hot in a range of cooking techniques including frying, stewing, baking, steaming and boiling. Some of the more common snacks found across town include noodles, wontons, dumplings, pastries, tangyuan (sweet rice balls), drinks, salads, and soups.

With over a thousand years of history, Chinese tea culture is perhaps best exemplified by the bamboo chairs and wooden tables found in the hundreds of tea houses throughout Chengdu, with jasmine tea being served as the local staple. As early as the Western Han period, both tea trade and tea culture were very prosperous in Sichuan with Chengdu as the starting point of the Southern Silk Road.

Home of the Giant Pandas[link]

Pandas, in Chengdu

As China’s National Treasure, the giant panda is one of the rarest animals in the world. The total number is estimated to be 1,500, including those living in the wild, 80% of which are in Sichuan Province.

A breeding center for giant pandas was founded in the north suburbs of Chengdu. It is the only one of its kind in the world that's located in a metropolitan area. In order to better protect wild giant pandas, Chengdu has established nature reserves in Dujiangyan City, Chongzhou City, and Dayi County. Sichuan Wolong Giant Panda Nature Reserve, the biggest of its kind in the world, is only 130 kilometers outside Chengdu.

The western world came to know giant pandas only after a French missionary named David first discovered this species in Sichuan in 1869.^[16] Now, the somewhat clumsy giant panda is a symbol representing the World Wildlife Fund. They are also a messenger of friendly communication between Chengdu and international cities. Currently, giant pandas are also reared in U.S.A, Germany, Austria, Japan, Thailand as well as Mexico.

Chengdu has established the world renowned breeding and research base for giant pandas, which attracts almost 100,000 visitors each year. Covering tens of hectares with bamboo groves and a native-like habitat, the base is the only one of its kind located in an urban area. A museum is open to the public throughout the year.

Kung Fu Panda 2[link]

In 2008, after the release of the Hollywood blockbuster Kung Fu Panda, DreamWorks CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg and other DreamWorks members visited the city of Chengdu. In addition to seeing live pandas, crew members learned about the local culture. Katzenberg has stated that Kung Fu Panda 2 incorporates many elements of Chengdu in the film. The film's landscape and architecture also found inspiration from those found at Mount Qingcheng, a renowned Taoist mountain. In an interview with Movieline, Berger stated that ‘we never really thought of this as a movie set in China for Americans; it's a movie set in an mythical, universalized China for everyone in the world'.

Effort to reintroduce pandas into the wild[link]

On January 11, 2012 six captive-bred pandas were released to a "semi-wild" environment in Dujiangyan, Chengdu. Scientists believe that success in the reintroduction project would potentially help save the endangered giant panda. Retired NBA basketball star and animal activist Yao Ming attended the ceremony.

World natural and cultural heritage sites[link]

Mount Qingcheng[link]

Mount Qingcheng is amongst the most important centres of Taoism (Daoism) in China. It is situated in the suburbs of Dujiangyan City and connected to downtown Chengdu 70 km away by the Cheng-Guan Expressway.

With its peak 1,600 meters above sea level, Mount Qingcheng enjoys a cool climate, but remains a lush green all year round and surrounded by hills and waterways. Mount Qingcheng's Fujian Temple, Tianshi Cave, and Shizu Hall are some of the existing more well-known Taoist holy sites. Shangqing Temple is noted for an evening phosphorescent glow locally referred to as "holy lights".

Dujiangyan Irrigation System[link]

The Dujiangyan Irrigation System (58 km away from Chengdu proper) is the oldest existing irrigation project in the world with a history of over 2000 years diverting water without a dam to distribute water and filter sand with an inflow-quantity control. The irrigation system contains floods and droughts throughout the Plain of Chengdu.

Sichuan Giant Panda sancturaries[link]

Sichuan Giant Panda sanctuaries

Covering a total of 9,245 km² over 12 distinct counties and 4 cities, Sichuan Giant Panda Sanctuaries, lie on the transitional alp-canyon belt between the Sichuan Basin and the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. It is the largest remaining continuous habitat for giant pandas and home to more than 80% of the world’s wild giant pandas. Globally speaking, it is also the most abundant temperate zone of greenery. The reserves of the habitat are 100–200 km away from Chengdu.

The Sichuan Giant Panda sanctuaries are the most well-known of their kind in the world, with Wolong Nature Reserve, generally considered as the "homeland of pandas". It is a core habitat with unique natural conditions, complicated landforms, and a temperate climate with diverse wildlife. Siguniang Mountain, sometimes called the "Oriental Alpine" is approximately 230 kilometers away from Chengdu, and is composed of four adjacent peaks of the Traversal Mountain Range. Among the four peaks, the fourth and highest stands 6,250 meters above sea level, and is perpetually covered by snow.

Major historic and cultural interests[link]

Culture of poetry and the Three Kingdoms[link]