Meaning of the name of "Chengdu"
"Becoming Capital"
Population
9,807,400 people live in the 12,000 sq. km region under the administrative control of Chengdu, of which 2,930,00 million live in the downtown area.
Location
In the northwestern part of the Sichuan Basin, about 1600 km (1000 miles) due west of Shanghai.
History
Chengdu was founded during the time of the Qin in the 3rd century BC, before the Qin's conquered all of China in 221 BC. Already at that time it was considered to be important enough to be given the name Chengdu, which could be translated as "Perfect City" or "Becoming Capital". Its location on a fertile but dry plain led the Qin to establish the world's first large-scale irrigation system, based on the diversion of the Min River. Still in operation today, this irrigation system is said to support the world's densest agrarian population. During the Han dynasty which followed, Chengdu first picked up its nickname "Brocade City", as it became the center of a thriving silk brocade industry.
Under the Qin and into the Han dynasty Chengdu was the seat of the commandery of Shu. After the collapse of the Han dynasty in 220 AD and the disintegration of imperial control, Chengdu became the capital of the kingdom of Shu. It was renamed Yizhou after it was brought under imperial control again during the Tang dynasty (618-907), but broke away again to become the capital of the Early and Later Shu kingdoms in the 10th century. At this time the merchants of Chengdu became the first in the world to use paper money. Chengdu has continued to prosper as an important city throughout its history, despite periods of strife under the Mongols in the the 13th century and under the rebel Zhang Xiangzhong in the 17th century.
World War II brought an unexpected wave of prosperity to Chengdu as the Guomindang (Chinese Nationalist) party under Chiang Kai-shek fled to Sichuan Province to escape the invading Japanese forces. They brought with them businesspeople, workers and academics, who founded many of the industries and cultural institutions which continue to make Chengdu an important center. The industrial base is very broad, including light and heavy manufacturing, aluminum smelting and chemicals. The textile industry remains important, with cotton and wool milling added to the traditional silk brocade and satin production. There are three universities in Chengdu, including Sichuan University, and many scientific and technical schools, plus an institute for the education of members of the Tibetan minority and a school of traditional Chinese medicine.
Language
Chengdu natives speak a dialect of Southern Mandarin Chinese. Because of the dialect's soft tones, Chinese joke that it is the speech of baby girls, whereas the more rough-sounding dialect of nearby Chongqing is that of baby boys.
Culture
The famous Tang dynasty poet Du Fu lived in Chengdu, and his thatched cottage remains one of the city's most popular tourist attractions.
In her memoir Wild Swans , Jung Chang tells of her coming of age during the Great Cultural Revolution of 1966-76 while living in Chengdu.
Only 150km away from Chengdu, in the Himalaya Mountains, are some of the last wild giant pandas left on earth. Just outside of Chengdu is the Panda Research Center where scientists hope to breed enough captive pandas to ensure the survival of the species.
Food
Chengdu's cuisine has been described as "one of China's most outstanding". The many local specialties include Grandma Chen's Bean Curd (Chen Mapo Dofu) with minced meat, chilli oil and wild pepper sauce and Husband and Wife Beef Slices .
Folklore
The sky is almost always cloudy in Chengdu and the people are shorter than average for China, so the locals say that they are so small because the sky is so low!
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