When you're on the flight to the city of Chengdu perhaps you'll ask one of the passengers sitting beside you: "How long does it take to Chengdu now ?" He'll answer: "When you hear the loud sound of playing mahjong, you're arriving in the city." Indeed, playing mahjong is a very popular pastime for Chengdu people, but as a provincial capital of Sichuan Province, China, it consists of various specialties like tea culture (which is quite akin to Hangzhou in eastern China), the ever famous and taste-teasing Sichuan spicy cuisine, belles and the leisurely life of its people. If you read the simple-sketched map of Chengdu, you may find it looks like a roughly-knitted net for which there are many ring roads inside the city,which is very interesting. Chengdu is also the home of lovely giant pandas and the city of cotton-rose hibiscus.
Geography
The provincial capital of Sichuan Province in western China is located in the west of the Sichuan Basin and in the center of Chengdu Plain; Chengdu covers a total area of 12.3 thousand sq. km (4,749 sq. mi). The elevation of the area is just 500 m above the sea level, with high grounds surrounding like Wushan Mountain in the east, Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau in the south, Tibetan Plateau in the west and Bashan Mountain in the north, for such a special topology, so the ancient Chengdu was culturally isolated from the outside world, and known as "a country that is blocked by mountains on the four sides". But benefiting from the great Dujiangyan Irrigation Project which was constructed in 256 B.C., Sichuan Province is reputed as "Tian Fu Zhi Guo" (Heavenly State), literally "a place richly endowed with natural resources". Chengdu, as the capital, is extremely productive. The Min and Tuo Rivers, two branches of the Yangtze River, connected to forty other rivers, supply an irrigation area of more than 700 sq. km (270.27 sq. mi) with 150 to 180 million kilowatts of water power with abundant mineral resources, the land is extremely fertile.
The administration area of Chengdu is divided into seven urban districts, four cities of county administrative level and eight counties with two new high -tech zones.
Climate
Due to its unique geographical environment and position, Chengdu belongs to central subtropical monsoon climate, with no extreme heat and cold, but wet throughout the year, no high winds, less sunshine and low air pressure. In spring, the temperature rises fast but cold days are common. In summer, the weather is hot and very rainy. In autumn, it is rainy also while the temperature drops quite quickly. And in winter, very cool and still feeling wet but not much frost and snow. Thus giving you the overall feeling of Chengdu's weather is good apart from the very warm and humid summer, cloudy sky, some miserable winter days and extreme foggy conditions.
There are some useful facts about Chengdu's climate. The annual average temperature: 18.4 degrees Celsius, the highest and the lowest recorded temperatures are 38.6 and -3.7 degrees Celsius respectively. The coldest month is January and the hottest month is July that the mean daily temperatures are 6.8 and 28.5 degrees Celsius respectively; and the annual average relative humidity is 84% (which means that you'd feel so wet all year round).
Population
According statistics, the total population in Chengdu is estimated around 12.21 million. Unlike the other parts of the Sichuan Province where many ethnic minorities like Tibetan, Qiang, Miao, Hui, Mongolian, Tujia and Manchu are living, Han Chinese is the vast majority nationality group in Chengdu. The fast growing of the population in the city thus makes Chengdu become a metropolitan.
Chengdu History
The history of Chengdu can be traced back 2,400 when the first emperor built his capital here and named the city. Through thousands of years its original name has been kept and its position as the capital and as the significant center of politics, commerce and military of the Sichuan area (once called Shu) has remained unchanged. Since the Han (206B.C.-220) and Tang (618-907) Dynasties when its handicraft industry flourished, Chengdu has been famous for its brocades and embroideries. Shu embroideries still enjoy a high reputation for their bright colors and delicate designs, ranking among the four main embroideries in China. Chengdu was the place where the bronze culture, an indispensable part of ancient Chinese culture, originated, the place where the Southern Silk Road started, and the place where the earliest paper currency, Jiaozi (not the dumpling!), was first printed. It is listed among the first 24 state-approved historical and cultural cities and owns 23 state and provincial cultural relic units.
Chengdu Attractions
In addition to its profound historical and cultural background featuring historic places of interest such as the Thatched Cottage of Du Fu , Wuhou Memorial Temple and Wenshu Monastery , etc, natural beauty abounds in surrounding areas such as in the Jiuzhaigou Scenic Area and Huang Long Valley (Yellow Dragon Valley) . The natural habitat of giant pandas, Chengdu Panda Breeding and Research Center , supports the world's only giant panda breeding and research base.
Sampling the famous Sichuan cuisine is a must on a trip to Chengdu. Enjoying the food as well as the culture, shopping and having tea at a teahouse afford a deeper understanding of Chengdu.
Improved land and airlines extending nationwide provide greater convenience. Chengdu is also the main inland access city to Tibet.
Chengdu Geography
The provincial capital of Sichuan Province in western China is located in the west of the Sichuan Basin and in the center of Chengdu Plain; Chengdu covers a total area of 12.3 thousand sq. km (4,749 sq. mi). The elevation of the area is just 500 m above the sea level, with high grounds surrounding like Wushan Mountain in the east, Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau in the south, Tibetan Plateau in the west and Bashan Mountain in the north, for such a special topology, so the ancient Chengdu was culturally isolated from the outside world, and known as "a country that is blocked by mountains on the four sides". But benefiting from the great Dujiangyan Irrigation Project which was constructed in 256 B.C., Sichuan Province is reputed as "Tian Fu Zhi Guo" (Heavenly State), literally "a place richly endowed with natural resources". Chengdu, as the capital, is extremely productive. The Min and Tuo Rivers, two branches of the Yangtze River, connected to forty other rivers, supply an irrigation area of more than 700 sq. km (270.27 sq. mi) with 150 to 180 million kilowatts of water power with abundant mineral resources, the land is extremely fertile.
The administration area of Chengdu is divided into seven urban districts, four cities of county administrative level and eight counties with two new high -tech zones.
Chengdu Climate
Due to its unique geographical environment and position, Chengdu belongs to central subtropical monsoon climate, with no extreme heat and cold, but wet throughout the year, no high winds, less sunshine and low air pressure. In spring, the temperature rises fast but cold days are common. In summer, the weather is hot and very rainy. In autumn, it is rainy also while the temperature drops quite quickly. And in winter, very cool and still feeling wet but not much frost and snow. Thus giving you the overall feeling of Chengdu's weather is good apart from the very warm and humid summer, cloudy sky, some miserable winter days and extreme foggy conditions.
There are some useful facts about Chengdu's climate. The annual average temperature: 18.4 degrees Celsius, the highest and the lowest recorded temperatures are 38.6 and -3.7 degrees Celsius respectively. The coldest month is January and the hottest month is July that the mean daily temperatures are 6.8 and 28.5 degrees Celsius respectively; and the annual average relative humidity is 84% (which means that you'd feel so wet all year round).
Chengdu Population
According statistics, the total population in Chengdu is estimated around 12.21 million. Unlike the other parts of the Sichuan Province where many ethnic minorities like Tibetan, Qiang, Miao, Hui, Mongolian, Tujia and Manchu are living, Han Chinese is the vast majority nationality group in Chengdu.
The fast growing of the population in the city thus makes Chengdu become a metropolitan.
Related source:
Chengdu on Wikipedia
Chengdu on Youtube
Chengdu on Flicker