Chengdu Facts

Giant Pandas in Chengdu Breeding and Research Center

Name: Chengdu (成都; Chéngdū (/chung-dew/)
Meaning: 'become a capital city'
Previous names: Daxu, Daxi

Features

Leisurely life pace and many parks and tea houses make it one of China's most livable megacities.
An emerging city for international investment in western China.
Home of Giant Pandas

Panda: Panda Breeding and Research Center, Bifengxia Giant Panda Base
Ancient: Wenshu Monastery, Du Fu Thatched Cottage, Dujiangyan Irrigation Project, Jinsha Ruins, Jinli Old Street, Wu Hou Temple, Wide and Narrow Alleys, Lizhuang Ancient Town, Wangjiang Pavilion Park, Qingyang Palace
Museums: Sanxingdui Museum in Guanghan, Wenchuan Earthquake Museum
Amusement: Chengdu Happy Valley, Chengdu Zoo
Performance: Magical Face Change of Sichuan Opera
Hiking and Natural: Qingcheng Mountain, Emei Mountain

Most famous food: Sichuan hotpot. Sichuan cuisine is generally red hot and peppery or dry hot.
Most popular souvenirs and local products: brocade, embroidery, silk prints, laquerware, Tibetan style ornaments, carvings, Sichuan opera masks.

Sanxingdui Ruins

A growing industrial city in the southwest of China.

~3000 BC: Just north of Chengdu, an unknown Bronze-age people constructed Sanxingdui and Jinsha
316 BC: The Qin Empire conquered the area
221 AD: The famous Liu Bei captured the city. It became the base for his empire in the Three Kingdoms era
1241: The Mongols captured Chengdu from the Song Empire
1949: The Communists captured the city from the Nationalist government

Significance of city: It is the second largest city in the western part of China and one of the cities in China with the most potential for international investment in the 2010s
Nearby cities: Chongqing (268 km/166 mi), Leshan (140 km/87 mi)
Municipality terrain: plain with rivers
Average altitude: 500 m (1,640 feet)
Main rivers: Jin River and Funan River

Municipality location: 30.47N to 31.01N, 103.42 to 104.35E; southwestern China.
Municipality Population: (2010) 14,000,000
Municipality Area: 12,132 sq km (4,684.2 sq mi)
Metro area: 1,617 sq km (624.3 sq mi)
Metro population: 6,730,749
Metro population density: 4,162/sq km (10,781/sq mi)
North to south distance: 166 km (103 mi)
East to west distance: 192 km (119 mi)
City center: Tianfu Square (30.65N, 104.06E)

Chunxi Shoppint Street in Chengdu

Average GDP (nominal): (2010) 43,417 RMB (6,442 USD)
Development: developing; fast growing
Industry: 50% tertiary industry (services), 45% secondary (automobile, electronics, construction), 5% primary (agriculture)
CBD: 30.65N, 104.06E
Shopping Streets: Chunxi Road

Chendu Shuangliu International Airport served 25 million customers in 2010. It is China's sixth largest airport and important air transportation hub in western China.
1 north-south subway line with stations
2 main ring roads
4 train stations
1 high speed rail line to Dujiangyan