About Chengdu

Chengdu is the original city name which dates back to its founding over 2000 years ago. Chengdu is the capital of southwestern China's Sichuan province, as well as one of the largest cities and the most important economic, financial, commercial, cultural, transportation, and communication centers in Western China with a population of more than 14 million. The city is famed for its cuisine, and is also home to the famous Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, a conservation center where visitors can view endangered giant pandas in a natural habitat. Chengdu also hosts more than 260 Fortune 500 companies. In 2006, it was named China's 4^th most livable city by China Daily. The fertile Chengdu Plain, on which Chengdu is located, is also known as the “Country of Heaven,” a phrase also often translated as “The Land of Abundance.”

Sichuan Province is located in southwestern China and contains a stretch of Asia’s largest river, the Yangtze River. The region is renowned for its cuisine, and also the home of giant pandas. Sichuan is ranked 4^th largest province in China with a population of over 81 million including 4 ethnicities. The name of the province is an abbreviation “four circuits of rivers.” The region and its vicinity was the cradle of unique local civilizations which can be dated back to at least the 15th century BC. Sichuan consists of two geographically very distinct parts. The eastern part of the province is mostly within the fertile Sichuan basin. The western Sichuan consists of the numerous mountain ranges forming the easternmost part of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Sichuan has been historically known as the "Province of Abundance." It is one of the major agricultural production bases of China. Sichuan's beautiful landscapes and rich historical relics have also made the province a major center for tourism.