Sichuan Province, whose capital city is Chengdu, lies in southwest China and holds three locations listed with UNESCO: the Juizhaigou and Huanglong Scenic Areas, and Emei Mountain. A varied landscapes composed of mountains and plains and featuring waterfalls, ravines, and limestone caves, it is intersected by the Yangtze River system.
Known as ‘the land of abundance’, Sichuan is an agricultural area producing rice, wheat, cotton, rapeseed, meat, fruit, and medicinal herbs, and its major industries are in metals, coal, petroleum, electronics, and textiles. With a rich cultural heritage and many sites of historic significance, Sichuan is home to more than fifteen minority groups, including the Tibetan, Hui, Yi, and Miao peoples, each with different customs and festivals.
The capital of the ‘land of abundance’, Chengdu sits in the Sichuan Basin on Chengdu Plain, and boasts considerable mineral resources and fertile soil. The natural habitat of the giant panda, Chengdu’s productivity is due in part to its irrigation by Dujiangyan Irrigation Project which dates from 256 BC, and its location at the confluence of the Min and Tuo Rivers with their 40 tributaries.
Chengdu Panda Breeding and Research Centre
Of the 1000 giant pandas remaining, 800 reside in Sichuan Province, and the responsibility for protecting these beloved animals has been taken up by the Chengdu Centre, situated just 10 kilometres away from the city. Including a museum, training centre, laboratories and carefully designed living areas for the pandas, the Centre’s 92 acres is also home to many other rare and endangered wild animals.
Three Star Piles Museum
So named because the source for much of the museum’s collection is an archaeological site consisting of three large mounds of earth which are the remains of the wall of an ancient city, the Three Piles Museum lies on the bank of the Jian River, 40 kilometres north of Chengdu City. The museum, which covers nearly an acre, was opened in 1997, has a collection which reveals much about the ancient civilisations and culture of Sichuan, and is a must-see for anyone interested in Sichuan history.
This temple, surrounded by cypresses and classical red walls, was built at an unknown time to honour Zhuge Liang, the Marquis Wuhou of the Kingdom of Shu in the Three Kingdoms Period (220-280). It is located in the south suburb of Chengdu and at the beginning of the Ming Dynasty was combined with the neighbouring temple of Liu Bei, the emperor of Shu.
Also known as ‘the first street of the Shu Kingdom’, Jinli Street was one of the busiest commercial areas during that period (221-263); in 2004 it was restored to its former glory for visitors to enjoy the traditional-style buildings and relax with some local cuisine.
Bronze Goat Taoist Temple
Originally built in the Tang Dynasty (618-907) when Taoism was at its height, this temple, ‘Qing Yang Gong’ in Chinese, was restored in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), and is one of the most famous Taoist temples in China: it lies in the northwest part of Chengdu.
Chengdu Lan Kwai Fong
In 2010, the leisure and enjoyment lifestyle in the form of delicious food and good wine was brought into Sichuan from Hong Kong and Chengdu Lan Kwai Fong soon became the merry land for the youth, businessmen, foreigners and travelers to encounter with each other. The lively atmosphere and the abundant shows constantly play in the four seasons brings Infinite surprise to the public. Lan Kwai Fong is successful to be the fashion zone and the pronoun of the creative Life and the fashionable taste.
Due to its stunning natural beauty, unique landscape of lake groups and waterfalls, and variety of endangered flora and fauna, Jiuzhaigou is recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, among many other similarly prestigious titles. Its altitude ranges from 2,000 to 4,300 metres as it lies on the highest tableland in the world, in the north of Sichuan Province. The Jiuzhaigou Valley Scenic and Historic Interest Area was opened in 1984, bringing this rich area to the notice of tourists and increasing local revenue as a result.
Jiuzhai Valley National Park
A wonderland of outstanding beauty, Jiuzhai Valley lies in Jiuzhaigou County, 450 kilometres north of Chengdu city. The legend goes that the 108 lakes scattered through the area are the broken pieces of a divine mirror dropped by the God Semo. Populated by nine stockade Tibetan villages, the area is also characterised by Qiang and Tibetan folk customs.
Huanglong National Scenic Reserves
Included in the UNESCO World Heritage list in 1992, this area which encompasses the Huanglong and Muni Valleys, is well known for its luxuriant forest, snow-capped peaks, and colourful lakes. The Huanglong valley, which translates as ‘Golden Dragon Valley’ takes its name from the yellow hue of the mineral deposits in the rock of the valley walls, which makes it appear as an immense golden dragon wending its way through the mountains and glaciers of the area.
Famous for its profusion of Chinese flowering crab-apple and known as home to the most beautiful landscape in all Sichuan, Leshan is known in the present time for its wealth of cultural history and unparalleled natural scenery. Its governance covers four districts, four counties, and one county-level city, Emeishan, known as the ‘Scholar-Bureaucrat Shire’ due to its extensive cultural heritage.
Leshan Giant Buddha
This immense statue of the portly Maitreya Bodhisattva is 71 metres high, and the 90 years it took to carve during the Tang Dynasty is testament to the level of skill that went into it. It sits at the confluence of the Rivers Min, Qingyi, and Dadu and its registration as a UNESCO world heritage site is deserved; it is the landmark of the region, and the largest carved stone Buddha in the world.
Standing in the shape of a lady’s eyebrow above Leshan City on Chengdu Plain, Mount Emei is divided into four scenic regions: Baoguo Temple, Wannian Temple, Qingyin Pavilion, and Golden Summit. The latter is a peak of 3079 metres which provides visitors with a view of snow-capped mountains to the west and the vast plain to the east.