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Chengdu
A land of abundance
For ordinary people, the city of Chengdu is mostly linked to what is depicted in a Chinese classic historical novel entitled "The Three Kingdoms." As capital of the Shuhan kingdom in the Three Kingdoms Period (220-280 AD), Chengdu was the place where historical figures such as Liu Bei and Zhuge Liang in the Three Kingdoms Period wrote their famous chapters long ago. The Yangtze River has been running eastward ever since.
However, Chengdu enjoys a much longer history than this, dating over 2400 years ago. As early as around the middle of the fifth century BC, the Kaiming dynasty of the ancient Shu kingdom transferred its capital to Chengdu. The Shu kingdom was then defeated and its territory (what is now Sichuan province) was annexed by the Qin kingdom (later the Qin dynasty of 221-207 BC) in 316 BC. The city was later rebuilt by Qin's General Sima Cuo in 311 BC. During the Han dynasty (206 BC- 220 AD), Chengdu became one of the five most significant cities across the country, and afterward it was upgraded to become the national capital of Shuhan in the Three Kingdoms Period. Chengdu ranked as one of the four most distinguished cities of the nation in the Tang Dynasty (AD 618-907), and its prosperity as the economic and cultural hub of southwest China then is vividly described by Du Fu, a Tang poet. The city wall of Chengdu, which underwent reconstruction three times within the Kangxi years of the Qing dynasty (1644-1911 Ad), has a diameter of' 7 miles (11 km) encircling the city proper and a height of 33 ft (10m). The city consists of three components: Royal Town, Major Town, and Minor Town, each of which boasts a distinctive neighbourhood system. Royal Town looks toward the south, and Major Town is located at an angle of 30 degrees from Royal Town. Minor Town has a system of streets rather like fishing net. Stunned by what he had seen when he came here, Marco Polo praised Chengdu as a magnificent city.
Over the years, the sightseeing district in Chengdu has shaped up around the Huanhua Stream, which runs through many scenic spots such as Du Fu's Caotang (the old residence of Du Fu) and Wuhou's Temple (the memorial temple of zhuge liang, other well known places include the Yong mausoleum (the royal tombs of Emperor Wang jianzhi of the Qianshu kingdom in the Five Dynasties (907-960 AD) - as well as Dujiangyan, an ancient irrigation system on the World Cultural Heritage List.
The architecture of Chengdu's old city combines two sharply different styles: majesty in north China, and prettiness in south China, prompting Zuo Si, a man of letters in the ling dynasty (265-420 AD), to regard it highly as a golden city with stone contours, both beautiful and lofty. The old city moat is surrounded by two winding rivers, which are spanned by attractive corridor bridges and arched stone bridges. The Golden River runs through the city proper, while the Royal River encircles the Royal Town. There are rows upon rows of Siheyuan decorated with black tiles and white walls, and temples are scattered among them in classic elegance, as are verdant trees. Some outstanding buildings to note are the following: the Mingyuan Building in downtown Chengdu (a structure in the grand style), the Wangjiang Building in the southeast of the city (surrounded by groves of bamboo), Wuhou's Temple in the south (with dense cypress trees all round it), and the Caotang Monastery in the south-western part (almost hidden by luxuriant nanmu trees) - as well as the Wenshu Courtyard, the Dachi Temple, and so forth.
Three different kinds of street systems derive from the coexistence of Major Town, Royal Town, and Minor Town, and constitute a striking feature of Chengdu's old city. Down the somewhat sloping terrain of the old city, Major Town's neighbourhoods are based on a square-shape grid, similar to those seen in China's most ancient capitals. Within Major Town, residential houses, government buildings, and schools are all to be found, and are encompassed by various shops. The result is a bustling area surrounding a serene interior. Royal Town is the political and cultural centre of the city. With the official residence of King Shu of the Ming dynasty (1368-1644 AD) at its core, it has developed a street system running from north to south. Minor Town, a residential area full of lanes, is composed of neighbourhoods arranged like fishing net. Both ends of the each lane are connected with the business section, while between the lanes there are quiet and solitary courtyards. As for residential buildings in Chengdu, the vast majority of them are made of wood, modest in appearance, light in structure, and elegant in colour.
More than two thousand years ago, the world famous Dujiangyan irrigation project was constructed by Li Bing, governor of Qin's Shu district. Ever since then Chengdu has developed into "A Land of Abundance" promising its people a favourable climate and bumper harvests.
Location
Chengdu is situated in central Sichuan province, of which it is the capital.
Climate
A subtropical moist monsoon climate, with four distinct seasons each year. The summers are not intensely hot and winters escape extreme cold.
Of Special Interest
The city is representative of the Shuhan culture of ancient China.
Main Attractions
Wuhou Memorial Temple, Du fu’s Caotang, the Qingyang Palace, and Dujiangyan.
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