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 Chengdu,
located in the
western plain of the Sichuan Basin, the
capital city of Sichuan Province, is a popular
historical and cultural city with a history of
over 3,000 years whereby it is a very relaxing
place just to stroll around due to its lush
surroundings. Covering an area of 11,900 square
kilometers and having a population of over 10.2 million, Chengdu,
means the perfect metropolis in Chinese,
has jurisdiction over nine districts,
four cities (county-level cities) and six
counties. It is also known as the land of
abundance and boasts of plentiful
Photo: The City of Chengdu
products,
pleasant climate, large number of scenic areas
and historical sites, excellent folk customs and
picturesque rural scenery, making visitors enjoy
themselves so much that they feel like staying
forever. Chengdu first came about during the
late Warring States period and has the
distinction as being the place to issue the
first paper money in the world and visitors come
from all over the world to visit the many famous tourist attractions in Chengdu.
 This city is currently experiencing
modernization with skyscrapers and trendy
departmental stores slowly replacing the old wooden
buildings. However, there are still sufficient
greenery to make this famous city an enjoyable
place to wander on foot. It is a city with non-stop activities
as shown by its bustling markets, commercial
districts, shopping malls and the ever popular
restaurants serving delicious Sichuan cuisine.
The main part of the city is at the square that
separates Renmin Lu (Renmin Road) which houses
the administrative buildings, Sichuan Exhibition
Centre and a Giant Panda Breeding Research Base sports stadium.
If you are sightseeing in this city, you will
have stay for at least a week to visit all the
famous places of interest in Chengdu.
 Chengdu, being one of the most fascinating city in China, has many
places of scenic and historical interest such as
the Zhuge Liang's Shrine, Du Fu's Thatched
Cottage and the UNESCO World Heritage Site of
Mount Qingcheng (Qingcheng Mountain) and Dujiangyan Irrigation
System. Famous tourists attractions in Chengdu
are the Huanglongxi Old Town Scenic Zone, Jinsha
Ruins, Qingyang Palace, Sanxingdui and Xiling
Snow Covered Mountain. Other places of interest
that will interest you include the Chengdu Zoo,
Giant Panda Breeding Research Centre, Green Ram
Temple at Wenhua Gongyuan, Monument to the
Martyrs of the Railway Protection Movement at
the People's Park, Sichuan Provincial Museum,
Sichuan University Museum, Tomb of Wang Jian,
Wenshu Temple which is the largest
Photo: Mount Qingcheng
Buddhist
temple in Chengdu, Wuhou Temple at Nanjiao
Gongyuan and the Zhaojue Si Temple. Furthermore,
Chengdu also acts as a tourist communication hub.
From here, tourists can travel eastwards to
the Three Gorges on the Yangtze River, westwards
to mysterious Tibet and striking Jiuzhaigou
Valley and Huanglong or northwards to Xian
to view the terracotta warriors and horses.
Visitors can also travel southwards to Mount
Emei and Leshan where visitors can watch the
Giant Buddha. To help plan for your vacations,
a travel guide on Chengdu's transportation,
hotels, recreation, restaurants, shopping,
travel services, useful telephone numbers and
places of interest can be found below. Use these
helpful travel tips to Chengdu to make your stay in
Sichuan a memorable adventure.
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