Miscellaneous

1.     About Sichuan Province

Sichuan is a province in southwestern China. The province covers an area of 485,000 square kilometers and boasts a population of 87 million people. Sichuan is bordered by the Tibetan Plateau to the west, and the Three Gorges Dam and the Yangtze River to the east. It is home to more than 30 percent of the world's highly-endangered Giant Pandas. Known as the "Land of Abundance", Sichuan has a wide variety of beautiful landscapes. It is also home to several World Natural & Cultural Heritage sites, including the Leshan Giant Buddha and the face-changing tricks of the Chuan Opera. Time now to slow down a bit, pour yourself a cup of tea, and enjoy the beauty of Sichuan.

2.     About Chengdu

As the capital of Sichuan Province and the center of science, finance, and transportation of southwest China, Chengdu is the most important city in west china. It has a history of more than 2500 years, and is full of historical sites and ancient legends. The fertile Chengdu Plain, on which Chengdu is located, is also known as the "Country of Heaven" (天府之国), a phrase also often translated as "The Land of Abundance".

3.     Scenic spots

We recommend the following several places that you might be interested in when you stay at Sichuan:

3.1    Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding

The giant panda is a rare and beloved animal that only inhabits the six major mountain ranges in Sichuan, Shaanxi and Gansu provinces of China. With a population of less than 2000, the species is included on the endangered list by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora and is protected by China’s Wildlife Protective Law as the special-class protected animal. Giant pandas are appreciated and cherished by humans the world over; their familiar black and white faces and rounded ears endearing them to children and adults alike. Because of its prominent scientific research value, endangered status, and delightful viewing value, the giant panda is considered a national treasure of China. Though small in number, giant pandas have visited many countries and served as envoys of friendship from China to the world. Chengdu has been the ancestral homeland to giant pandas since ancient times.

Website: http://www.panda.org.cn/english/

 

3.2    Jiuzhai Valley National Park

More than just spectacular scenery, Jiuzhai Valley National Park is home to nine Tibetan villages, over 220 bird species as well as a number of endangered plant and animal species, including the giant panda, Sichuan golden monkey, the Sichuan takin and numerous orchids and rhododendrons. Jiuzhai Valley is locally known as Jiuzhaigou (Chinese for "Nine Village Valley"). It is a national park located in the Min Shan mountain range, Northern Sichuan in South Western China. It is best known for its fabled blue and green lakes, spectacular waterfalls, narrow conic karst land forms and its unique wildlife. It was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1992; the park joined the Man and Biosphere Conservation Network in 1997.

Website: http://www.jiuzhai.com/language/english/index.html

 

3.3    Sanxingdui Museum

The Sanxingdui Museum is located in the northeast corner of the ruins of Sanxingdui, which is at the bank of Duck River in the west of Guanghan City, Sichuan Province, known as a famous historical and cultural city. It is 38 kilometers north from Chengdu and 26 kilometers south from Deyang. It is a large modern thematic museum. The foundation of the museum was laid in August 1992 and it was formally opened to the public in October 1997.

For more information: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sanxingdui_Museum

 

3.4    Jinsha Site

The Jinsha Site was found in February 2001 in urban Chengdu. It covers 5 square-kilometers, and dates back to 12th to 7th century B.C. (approximately 2900 – 3200 years ago). It was the capital of the ancient Shu Kingdom, which is considered to be the ancient civilization center along Yangtze River. It is the first major archaeological discovery in China at the beginning of the 21st century, and also a significant archaeological event following the discovery of the Sanxingdui site in Sichuan Province. Therefore, it has become one of the Ten Major Archaeological Discoveries of China in 2001.

Website: http://www.jinshasitemuseum.com/en/enindex.html

 

3.5    Dujiangyan Irrigation System

Dujiangyan is an irrigation infrastructure built in 256 BC during the Warring States period of China by the Kingdom of Qin. It is located in the Min River in Sichuan province, China, near the capital Chengdu. It is still in use today to irrigate over 5,300 square kilometers of land in the region.The Dujiangyan along with the Zhengguo Canal in Shaanxi Province and the Lingqu Canal in Guangxi Province are known as "The three great hydraulic engineering projects of the Qin Dynasty".

For more information: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dujiangyan

 

3.6    Jinli Street

Jinli (Chinese: 锦里古街) is a street in Chengdu, Sichuan, China. The street is about 550 meters long. It is a part of the Temple of Marquis, and the buildings are in the Qing Dynasty style. The theme is Three Kingdoms Culture, a traditional folk custom. There are many bars, inns, snack stores and souvenir shops. The street was renovated in 2004.[1] In 2005, Jinli was named as “National Top Ten City Commercial Pedestrian Street”. In 2006, Jinli was named as “National Demonstration Base Of The Cultural Industry” by the Ministry of Culture. There are approximately 18,000,000 people visit it. Especially in Spring Festival, more people come to visit "Big Temple Fair".

For more information: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jinli