Sichuan

Sichuanis aprovinceinSouthwestern China, occupying theSichuan BasinandTibetan Plateau—between theJinsha Riverto the west, theDaba Mountainsto the north, and theYunnan–Guizhou Plateauto the south. Its capital city isChengdu, and its population stands at 83 million. Sichuan neighborsQinghaiandGansuto the north,ShaanxiandChongqingto the east,GuizhouandYunnanto the south, andTibetto the west.
During antiquity, Sichuan was home to the kingdoms ofBaandShuuntil their incorporation by theQin. During theThree Kingdomsera (220–280),Liu Bei's state ofShuwas based in Sichuan. The area was devastated in the 17th century byZhang Xianzhong's rebellion and the area's subsequentManchuconquest, but recovered to become one of China's most productive areas by the 19th century. DuringWorld War II, Chongqing served as the temporary capital of theRepublic of China, and washeavily bombed. It was one of the lastmainlandareas captured by thePeople's Liberation Armyduring theChinese Civil War, and was divided into four parts from 1949 to 1952, with Chongqing restored two years later. It suffered gravely during theGreat Chinese Famine(1959–1961) but remained China'smost-populous provinceuntil Chongqing was again separated from it in 1997.
TheSichuanese peoplespeak distinctivedialectsofMandarin Chinese. TheSichuan pepper, with its distinctive flavor and numbing effect, is prominent in modernSichuan cuisine, featuring dishes, includingKung Pao chickenandmapo tofu, that have become staples of Chinese cuisine around the world. 
There are manypandastations in the province and large reserves for these creatures, such as theChengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding.
Sichuan is the6th-largest provincial economyof China, the largest inWestern China, and the second-largest among inland provinces afterHenan. As of 2021, its nominal GDP was CN¥5,385 billion (US$847.68 billion), ahead of that of Turkey ($815 billion).If it were its own country, Sichuan would be the18th-largest economyand19th-most populousas of 2021.
It is commonly assumed that the nameSichuanmeans 'fourrivers'; infolk etymology, this is usually taken to mean four of the province's major rivers: theJialing,Jinsha(orWu),Min, andTuo.According to historical geographerTan Qixiang, 'four rivers' is an erroneous interpretation of the name.The name of the province is a contraction of the phrases 'Four PlainCircuits' (四川路;Sìchuān lù) and 'Four Circuits of Chuanxia' (川峽四路;chuānxiásìlù),referring to the division of the existingimperialadministrative circuit in the area into four during theNorthern Song dynasty, which wereYizhou,Lizhou,Zizhou, andKuizhou.The wordchuan(川) here means 'plain', not its typical meaning of 'river' as popularly assumed.In addition to itspostal mapandWade–Gilesforms, the name has also been irregularly romanized asSzű-chuanandSzechuen.
In antiquity, the area of modern Sichuan including the now-separated Chongqing Municipality was known to the Chinese asBa–Shu, in reference to theancient stateofBaand theancient kingdom of Shuthat once occupied theSichuan Basin.Shucontinued to be used to refer to the region to the present day; several states formed in the area used the same name, for example, theShuof theThree Kingdomsperiod (220–280), andFormer ShuandLater Shuof theTen Kingdomsperiod (907–979).Currently, both characters forShuandChuanare common abbreviations for Sichuan.
The region was formerly referred to as "West China" or "Western China" byProtestant missions.
TheSichuan Basinand adjacent areas of theYangtzewatershed were a cradle of indigenous civilizations dating back to at least the 15th century BC, coinciding with theShangin northern China. The region had its own distinct religious beliefs and worldview. The earliest excavated culture found therein is theBaodun culture(c.2700–1750 BC) excavated in theChengdu Plain.
The most important native states were those of Ba and Shu.
Bastretched into Sichuan from theHan ValleyinShaanxiandHubeidown theJialing Riveras far as its confluence with theYangtzeatChongqing.
Shuoccupied the valley of theMin, includingChengduand other areas of western Sichuan.The existence of the early state of Shu was poorly recorded in the main historical records of China. It was, however, referred to in theBook of Documentsas an ally of the Zhou.Accounts of Shu exist mainly as a mixture of mythological stories and historical legends recorded in local annals such as theChronicles of Huayangcompiled in theJin dynasty (266–420),and the Han-dynasty compilationChronicle of the Kings of Shu[zh].These contained folk stories such as that ofEmperor Duyu[zh]who taught the people agriculture and transformed himself into a cuckoo after his death.The existence of a highly developed civilization with an independent bronze industry in Sichuan was excavated in 1986 at a small village namedSanxingduiinGuanghan, Sichuan.This site, believed to be an ancient city of Shu, was initially discovered by a local farmer in 1929 who found jade and stone artifacts. Excavations by archeologists yielded few significant finds until 1986 when two major sacrificial pits were found with spectacular bronze items as well as artifacts in jade, gold, earthenware, and stone.This and other discoveries in Sichuan contest the conventional historiography that the local culture and technology of Sichuan were undeveloped in comparison to the technologically and culturally "advanced"Yellow Rivervalley of north-central China.
The rulers of the expansionist state ofQin, based in present-dayGansuandShaanxi, were the first strategists to realize that the area's military importance matched its commercial and agricultural significance. The Sichuan basin is surrounded by theHengduan Mountainsto the west, theQin Mountainsto the north, andYungui Plateauto the south. Since the Yangtze flows through the basin and then through the perilous Three Gorges to eastern and southern China, Sichuan was a staging area for amphibious military forces and a haven for political refugees.
Qin armies finished their conquest of the kingdoms of Shu and Ba by 316 BC. Any written records and civil achievements of earlier kingdoms were destroyed. Qin administrators introduced improved agricultural technology.Li Bing, engineered theDujiangyan irrigation systemto control theMin River, a majortributaryof the Yangtze. This innovative hydraulic system was composed of movable weirs which could be adjusted for high or low water flow according to the season, to either provide irrigation or prevent floods. The increased agricultural output and taxes made the area a source of provisions and men for Qin's unification of China.
Sichuan was subjected to the autonomous control of kings named by the imperial family of the Han dynasty. During the 11 years hiatus between 25 and 36 AD, Sichuan was controlled by theChengjiaKingdom. Following the declining central government of theHan dynastyin the second century, the Sichuan basin, surrounded by mountains and easily defensible, became a popular place for upstart generals to found kingdoms that challenged the authority of Yangtze Valley emperors over China.
In 221, during the partition following the fall of theEastern Han– the era of theThree Kingdoms–Liu Beifounded the southwest kingdom ofShu Han(蜀漢; 221–263) in parts of Sichuan, Guizhou, and Yunnan, withChengduas its capital. Shu-Han claimed to be the successor to the Han dynasty.
In 263, theCao Weiof North Chinaconqueredthe Kingdom of Shu-Han as a step on the path to reuniting China.Salt productionbecomes a major business inZiliujing District. During theSix Dynastiesperiod of Chinese disunity, Sichuan began to be populated by non-Hanethnic minority peoples, owing to the migration ofGelao peoplefrom theYunnan–Guizhou Plateauto the Sichuan basin.
Sichuan came under the firm control of a Chinese central government during theSui dynasty, but it was during the subsequentTang dynastythat Sichuan regained its previous political and cultural prominence for which it was known during the Han. Chengdu became nationally known as a supplier of armies and the home ofDu Fu, who is sometimes called China's greatest poet. During theAn Lushan Rebellion(755–763),Emperor Xuanzong of Tangfled fromChang'anto Sichuan which became his refuge. The region was torn by constant warfare and economic distress as it was besieged by theTibetan Empire.
In theFive Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period, Sichuan became the heart of theShu kingdomwith its capital inChengdu. In 925, the kingdom was absorbed intoLater Tangbut would regain independence underMeng Zhixiangwho foundedLater Shuin 934. Later Shu would continue until 965 when it was absorbed by theSong.
During theSong dynasty(960–1279),Sichuanesewas able to protect themselves fromTibetanattacks with the help of the central government. There were rebellions against the Song by Li Shun in 994 and Wang Jun in 1000. Sichuan also saw cultural revivals like the great poetsSu Xun(蘇洵),Su Shi, andSu Zhe.Although paper currency was known in the Tang dynasty, in 1023 AD, the first truepaper moneyin human history (交子;jiāozǐ) was issued inChengdu.
It was also during the Song dynasty that the bulk of the nativeBa peopleof eastern Sichuan assimilated into the Han Chinese ethnicity.
In the 12th and 13th centuries, the Southern Song dynasty established coordinated defenses against theMongolianYuan dynasty, in Sichuan andXiangyang. The Southern Song state monopolized the Sichuan tea industry to pay for warhorses, but this state intervention eventually brought devastation to the local economy.The line of defense was finally broken through after the first use offirearmsin history during the six-yearBattle of Xiangyang, which ended in 1273. Allegedly there were a million pieces of unspecified types of skeleton bones belonging to war animals and both Song and Yuan soldiers who perished in the fighting over the city, although the figure may have been grossly exaggerated.The recorded number of families in Sichuan dropped from 2,640,000 families,as recorded from the census taken in 1162 AD, to 120,000 familiesin 1282 AD.Possible causes include forced population transfer to nearby areas, evacuation to nearby provinces, census under-reporting or inaccuracy, and war-related deaths.One instance of the deportation of Sichuanese civilians to Mongolia occurred in the aftermath of a battle in 1259 when more than 80,000 people were taken captive from one city in Sichuan and moved to Mongolia.
The Ming dynasty defeatedMing Yuzhen's Xia polity which ruled Sichuan.
During theMing dynasty, major architectural works were created in Sichuan. Buddhism remained influential in the region.Bao'en Templeis a well-preserved 15th-century monastery complex built between 1440 and 1446 during theZhengtong Emperor's reign (1427–64). Dabei Hall enshrines a thousand-armed wooden image ofGuanyinand Huayan Hall is a repository with a revolvingsutracabinet. The wall paintings, sculptures, and other ornamental details are masterpieces of the Ming period.
In the middle of the 17th century, the peasant rebel leaderZhang Xianzhong(1606–1646) fromYan'an,ShaanxiProvince, nicknamedYellow Tiger, led his peasant troop from north China to the south and conquered Sichuan. Upon capturing it, he declared himself emperor of the Daxi dynasty (大西王朝). In response to the resistance from local elites, he massacred a large number of people in Sichuan, killing around one in three people.As a result of the massacre as well as years of turmoil during theMing-Qing transition, the population of Sichuan fell sharply, requiring massive resettlement of people from the neighboringHuguang Province(modern Hubei and Hunan) and other provinces during the Qing dynasty.
Sichuan was originally the origin of the Deng lineage until one of them was hired as an official in Guangdong during the Ming dynasty but during the Qing plan to increase the population in 1671 they came to Sichuan again. In 1904Deng Xiaopingwas born in Sichuan.
During theQing dynasty, Sichuan was merged withShaanxiandShanxito create "Shenzhuan" during 1680–1731 and 1735–1748.The current borders of Sichuan (which then includedChongqing) were established in the early 18th century. In the aftermath of theSino-Nepalese Waron China's southwestern border, the Qing gave Sichuan's provincial government direct control over the minority-inhabited areas of Sichuan west ofKangding, which had previously been handled by anamban.
Alandslide damon theDadu Rivercaused by an earthquake gave way on 10 June 1786. The resulting flood killed 100,000 people.
In the early 20th century, the newly foundedRepublic of Chinaestablished the Chuanbian Special Administrative District (川邊特別行政區) on the province's territories to the west of theSichuan Basin. The Special District later became the province ofXikang, incorporating the areas inhabited byYi,Tibetan, andQiangethnic minorities to its west, and eastern part of today'sTibet Autonomous Region.
In the 20th century, asBeijing,Shanghai,Nanjing, andWuhanhad all been occupied by the Japanese during theSecond Sino-Japanese War, the capital of the Republic of China had been temporarily relocated toChongqing, then a major city in Sichuan. An enduring legacy of this move is those nearby inland provinces, such asShaanxi,Gansu, andGuizhou, which previously never hadmodern Western-style universities, began to be developed in this regard.The difficulty of accessing the region overland from the eastern part of China and the foggy climate hindering the accuracy of theJapanese bombingof the Sichuan Basin made the region the stronghold ofChiang Kai-shek'sKuomintanggovernment during 1938–45 and led to theBombing of Chongqing.
TheSecond Sino-Japanese Warwas soon followed by the resumedChinese Civil War, and the cities of East China are obtained by the Communists one after another, the Kuomintang government again tried to make Sichuan its stronghold on the mainland, although it already saw some Communist activity since it was one area on the road of theLong March. Chiang Kai-shek himself flew to Chongqing fromTaiwanin November 1949 to lead the defense. But the same month Chongqing switched to the Communists, followed by Chengdu on 10 December. The Kuomintang generalWang Shengwanted to stay behind with his troops to continue the anticommunist guerilla war in Sichuan, but was recalled to Taiwan. Many of his soldiers made their way there as well, viaBurma.
The People's Republic of China was founded in 1949, and it split Sichuan into four areas and separated Chongqing municipality. Sichuan was reconstituted in 1952, with Chongqing added in 1954, while the formerXikangprovince was split betweenTibetin the west and Sichuan in the east.
The province was deeply affected by theGreat Chinese Famineof 1959–1961, during which period some 9.4 million people (13.07% of the population at the time) died.
In 1978, whenDeng Xiaopingtook power, Sichuan was one of the first provinces to experiment with the market economic enterprise.
From 1955 until 1997, Sichuan had been China's most populous province; the population hit the 100 million mark shortly after the 1982 census figure of 99,730,000.This changed in 1997 when theSub-provincial cityof Chongqing as well as the three surrounding prefectures ofFuling,Wanxian, andQianjiangwere split off into the newChongqing Municipality. The new municipality was formed to spearhead China's effort to economically develop its western provinces, as well as to coordinate the resettlement of residents from the reservoir areas of theThree Gorges Damproject.
In 1997, when Sichuan split, the sum of the two parts was recorded to be 114,720,000 people.As of 2010, Sichuan ranks as both the3rd largest(the largest among Chineseprovinces with a population greater than 50 million) and 4th most populous provincein China.
On 12 May 2008,an earthquakewith a magnitude of 7.9/8.0 hit just 79 km (49 mi) northwest of the provincial capital of Chengdu. Official figures recorded a death toll of over 87,000 people, and millions of people were left homeless.
Sichuan consists of twenty-oneprefecture-level divisions: eighteenprefecture-level cities(including asub-provincial city) and threeautonomous prefectures:
The twentyprefecturesof Sichuan are subdivided into 183county-level divisions(53districts, 17county-level cities, 109counties, and 4autonomous counties). At the end of the year 2017, the total population is 83.02 million.
Sichuan consists of two geographically very distinct parts. The eastern part of the province is mostly within the fertileSichuan basin(which is shared by Sichuan with Chongqing Municipality). The western Sichuan consists of numerous mountain ranges forming the easternmost part of theTibetan Plateau, which are known generically as theHengduan Mountains. One of these ranges, theDaxue Mountains, contains the highest point of the provinceGongga Shan, at 7,556 m (24,790 ft) above sea level. The mountains are formed by the collision of the Tibetan Plateau with theYangtze Plate. Faults here include theLongmenshan Faultwhich ruptured during the 2008 Sichuan earthquake. Other mountain ranges surround the Sichuan Basin from north, east, and south. Among them are theDaba Mountains, in the province's northeast.
TheYangtze Riverand its tributaries flow through the mountains of western Sichuan and the Sichuan Basin; thus, the province is upstream of the great cities that stand along the Yangtze River further to the east, such asChongqing,Wuhan,Nanjing, andShanghai. One of the major tributaries of the Yangtze within the province is theMin Riverof central Sichuan, which joins the Yangtze atYibin. There are also a number of other rivers, such as theJialing River,Tuo River,Yalong River,Wu River, andJinsha River, and any four of the various rivers are often grouped as the "four rivers" that the name of Sichuan is commonly and mistakenly believed to mean.
Due to great differences in terrain, the climate of the province is highly variable. In general, it has strongmonsoonalinfluences, with rainfall heavily concentrated in the summer. Under theKöppen climate classification, theSichuan Basin(includingChengdu) in the eastern half of the province experiences ahumid subtropical climate(KöppenCwaorCfa), with long, hot, wet summers and short, mild to cool, dry, and cloudy winters. Consequently, it has China's lowest sunshine totals. The western region has mountainous areas producing a cooler but sunnier climate. Having cool to very cold winters and mild summers, temperatures generally decrease with greater elevation. However, due to its high altitude and its inland location, many areas such as Garze County and Zoige County in Sichuan exhibit asubarctic climate(KöppenDwc)- featuring extremely cold winters down to −30 °C and even cold summer nights. The region is geologically active with landslides and earthquakes. Average elevation ranges from 2,000 to 3,500 meters; average temperatures range from 0 to 15 °C.The southern part of the province, including Panzhihua and Xichang, has a sunny climate with short, very mild winters and very warm to hot summers.
Sichuan bordersQinghaito the northwest,Gansuto the north,Shaanxito the northeast,Chongqingto the east,Guizhouto the southeast,Yunnanto the south, and theTibet Autonomous Regionto the west.
Giant pandaslive inbamboo forestsand low mountainous areas such as theMinshan Mountainsin Sichuan.The majority of the panda population lives in Sichuan, with their range spreading intoShaanxiandGansu. As it is abundant where they live, pandas' diet consists of 99% bamboo, with small other plants, or small animals consisting of the other 1%. As the panda is native to China, they have become a national symbol of China.
The politics of Sichuan is structured in a dual party-government system like all other governing institutions inmainland China.
The governor of Sichuan is the highest-ranking official in the People's Government of Sichuan. However, in the province's dual party-government governing system, the Governor has less power than the Sichuan Communist Party of China'sParty Committee Secretary, colloquially termed the "Sichuan CCP Party Chief".
Sichuan is the6th-largest provincial economyof China, the largest inWestern Chinaand the second largest among inland provinces afterHenan. As of 2021, its nominal GDP was 5,385 billion yuan (US$847.68 billion), ahead of the GDP of Turkey of 815 billion.Compared to a country, it would be the18th-largest economyas well as the19th most populousas of 2021.As of 2021, its nominal GDP per capita was 64,357 RMB (US$10,120).In 2021, the per capita net income of rural residents was 17,575 yuan (US$2760). The per capitadisposable incomeof the urbanites averaged 41,444 yuan (US$6510).
Sichuan has been historically known as the "Province of Abundance". It is one of the major agricultural production bases of China. Grain, including rice and wheat, is the major product with output that ranked first in China in 1999. Commercial crops include citrus fruits, sugar cane, sweet potatoes, peaches, and grapes. Sichuan also had the largest output of pork among all the provinces and the second largest output of silkworm cocoons in 1999. Sichuan is rich in mineral resources. It has more than 132 kinds of proven underground mineral resources including vanadium, titanium, and lithium is the largest in China. The Panxi region alone possesses 13.3% of the reserves of iron, 93% of titanium, 69% of vanadium, and 83% of cobalt in the whole country.Sichuan also possesses China's largest proven natural gas reserves (such as theDazhouandYuanba gas fields), the majority of which are transported to more developed eastern regions.
Sichuan is one of the major industrial centers of China. It was a major recipient of China's investment in industrial capacity during theThird Frontcampaign.In addition to heavy industries such as coal, energy, iron, and steel, the province has also established a light industrial sector comprising building materials, wood processing, food, and silk processing.ChengduandMianyangare the production centers for textiles and electronics products.Deyang,Panzhihua, andYibinare the production centers for machinery, metallurgical industries, and wine, respectively. Sichuan's wine production accounted for 21.9% of the country's total production in 2000.
Great strides have been made in developing Sichuan into a modern hi-tech industrial base, by encouraging both domestic and foreign investments in electronics and information technology (such as software), machinery and metallurgy (including automobiles), hydropower, pharmaceutical, food and beverage industries.
The auto industry is an important and key sector of the machinery industry in Sichuan. Most of the auto manufacturing companies are located in Chengdu, Mianyang,Nanchong, andLuzhou.
Other important industries in Sichuan includeaerospaceand defense (military) industries. A number of China's rockets (Long March rockets) andsatelliteswere launched from theXichang Satellite Launch Center, located in the city ofXichang.
Sichuan's landscapes and rich historical relics have also made the province a center for tourism.
TheThree Gorges Dam, the largestdamever constructed, was built on theYangtze Riverin nearbyHubeiprovince to control flooding in the Sichuan Basin, neighboringYunnanprovince, and downstream. The plan is hailed by some as China's efforts to shift towards alternative energy sources and to further develop its industrial and commercial bases, but has been denounced for mass resettlement, loss of archeological sites, and ecological damage.
Chengdu Hi-tech Comprehensive Free Trade Zone was established with the approval of theState Councilon October 18, 2010, and passed the national acceptance on February 25, 2011. It was officially operated in May 2011. Chengdu High-tech Comprehensive Free Trade Zone is integrated and expanded from the former Chengdu Export Processing Zone and Chengdu Bonded Logistics Center. it is located in the Chengdu West High-tech Industrial Development Zone, with an area of 4.68 square kilometers and divided into three areas A, B, and C. The industries focus on notebook computer manufacturing, tablet computer manufacturing, wafer manufacturing, chip packaging testing, electronic components, precision machining, and the biopharmaceutical industry. Chengdu Hi-Tech Comprehensive Free Trade Zone has attracted the top 500 multinational enterprises such as Intel, Foxconn, Texas Instruments, Dell, Morse, and so on.
In 2020, the Chengdu Hi-Tech Comprehensive Free Trade Zone achieved a total import and export volume of 549.1 billion yuan (including the Shuangliu Sub-zone), accounting for 68% of the province's total foreign trade import and export volume, ranking first in the national comprehensive insurance zone import and export volume for three consecutive years.
Chengdu Economic and Technological Development Zone (Chinese:成都经济技术开发区; pinyin:Chéngdū jīngjì jìshù kāifā qū) was approved as state-level development zone in February 2000. The zone now has a developed area of 10.25 km(3.96 sq mi) and a planned area of 26 km(10 sq mi). Chengdu Economic and Technological Development Zone (CETDZ) lies 13.6 km (8.5 mi) east of Chengdu, the capital city of Sichuan Province and the hub of transportation and communication in southwest China. The zone has attracted investors and developers from more than 20 countries to carry out their projects there. Industries encouraged in the zone include mechanical, electronic, new building materials, medicine, and food processing.
ChengduExport Processing Zone(Chinese:成都出口加工区; pinyin:Chéngdū chūkǒu jiāgōng qū)) was ratified by the State Council as one of the first 15 export processing zones in the country in April 2000. In 2002, the state ratified the establishment of the Sichuan Chengdu Export Processing West Zone with a planned area of 1.5 km(0.58 sq mi), located inside the west region of the Chengdu Hi-tech Zone.
Established in 1988, Chengdu Hi-tech Industrial Development Zone (Chinese:成都高新技术产业开发区; pinyin:Chéngdū Gāoxīn Jìshù Chǎnyè Kāifā Qū) was approved as one of the first national hi-tech development zones in 1991. In 2000, it was open to APEC and has been recognized as a national advanced hi-tech development zone in successive assessment activities held by China's Ministry of Science and Technology. It ranks 5th among the 53 national hi-tech development zones in China in terms of comprehensive strength.
Chengdu Hi-tech Development Zone covers an area of 82.5 km(31.9 sq mi), consisting of South Park and West Park. By relying on the city sub-center, which is under construction, South Park is focusing on creating a modernized industrial park of science and technology with scientific and technological innovation, incubation R&D, modern service industry, and Headquarters economy playing leading roles. Priority has been given to the development of the software industry. Located on both sides of the "Chengdu-Dujiangyan-Jiuzhaigou" golden tourism channel, the West Park aims at building a comprehensive industrial park targeting industrial clustering with complete supportive functions. West Park gives priority to three major industries i.e. electronic information, biomedicine, and precision machinery.
Mianyang Hi-Tech Industrial Development Zone was established in 1992, with a planned area of 43 km(17 sq mi). The zone is situated 96 kilometers away from Chengdu and is 8 km (5.0 mi) away from Mianyang Airport. Since its establishment, the zone accumulated 177.4 billion yuan of industrial output, 46.2 billion yuan of gross domestic product, and fiscal revenue of 6.768 billion yuan. There are more than 136 high-tech enterprises in the zone and they accounted for more than 90% of the total industrial output.
The zone is a leader in the electronic information industry, biological medicine, new materials, and the production of motor vehicles and parts.
For millennia, Sichuan's rugged and riverine landscape presented enormous challenges to the development of transportation infrastructure, and the lack of roads out of the Sichuan Basin contributed to the region's isolation. Since the 1950s, numerous highways and railways have been built through the Qinling in the north and the Bashan in the east. Dozens of bridgesacross the Yangtzeand its tributaries to the south and west have brought greater connectivity with Yunnan and Tibet.
Chengdu Shuangliu International Airportis the 4th-busiest airport in mainland China. It was among the world's top 30 busiest airports in 2015, and the busiest in western and central China. It was also the fifth-busiest airport in terms of cargo traffic in China in 2013. Chengdu airport is the hub ofSichuan Airlines,Chengdu Airlines,Shenzhen Airlines,Tibet Airlines,China Southern Airlines,China Eastern Airlines,Lucky Air, andAir China. Alongside Shuangliu Airport,Chengdu Tianfu International Airporthas opened in 2021.
Chengdu airports are also 144-hour transit visa-free airports for foreigners from 53 countries.
On 3 November 2007, the Sichuan Transportation Bureau announced that theSuining-Chongqing Expresswaywas completed after three years of construction. After the completion of the Chongqing section of the road, the 36.64 km (22.77 mi) expressway connectedChengdu-Nanchong Expresswayand formed the shortest expressway fromChengdutoChongqing. The new expressway is 50 km (31 mi) shorter than the pre-existing road between Chengdu and Chongqing; thus journey time between the two cities was reduced by an hour, now taking two and a half hours. The Sui-Yu Expressway is a four-lane overpass with a speed limit of 80 km/h (50 mph). The total investment was 1.045 billionyuan.
China Railway Chengdu Groupis headquartered in Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan Province, managing railway systems in Sichuan, Chongqing, and Guizhou. Sichuan's major railways in Sichuan include theBaoji–Chengdu,Chengdu–Chongqing,Chengdu–Kunming,Neijiang–Kunming, Suining–Chongqing, and Chengdu–Dazhou railways.High-speed railwaysin Sichuan include theChengdu–Chongqing high-speed railway,Xi'an-Chengdu high-speed railway,Chengdu-Guiyang high-speed railway, and Chengdu–Kunming high-speed railway. A suburban railwayconnects Chengdu and Dujiangyan.
The majority of the province's population isHan Chinese(95% of the provincial population), who are found scattered throughout the region except for the far western areas. Thus, significant minorities ofTibetan,Yi,Qiang, andNakhi peoplereside in the western portion that is impacted by inclement weather and natural disasters, environmentally fragile, and impoverished. Sichuan's capital ofChengduis home to a large community of Tibetans, with 30,000 permanent Tibetan residents and up to 200,000 Tibetanfloating population.TheEastern Lipo, included with either the Yi or theLisu people, as well as theA-Hmao, also are among the ethnic groups of the provinces.
Sichuan was China'smost populous provincebeforeChongqingbecame a directly controlled municipality; it is currently the fourth most populous, after Guangdong, Shandong, and Henan. As of 1832, Sichuan was the most populous of the 18 provinces in China, with an estimated population at that time of 21 million.It was the thirdmost populous sub-national entityin the world, afterUttar Pradesh,India, and theRussian Soviet Federative Socialist Republicuntil 1991, when theSoviet Unionwas dissolved. It is also one of the only eight subnational divisions to ever reach 100 million people (Uttar Pradesh, Russian RSFSR,Maharashtra, Sichuan,Bihar,Shandong,Guangdong, andPunjab). It is currently ranked 10th.
The predominant religions in Sichuan areChinese folk religions,Taoist traditions, andChinese Buddhism. According to surveys conducted in 2007 and 2009, 10.6% of the population believes and is involved incults of ancestors, while 0.68% of the population identifies asChristian.According to the Japanese publicationTokyo Sentakuin 1999, there were 2 million members ofYiguandao(Tiandao) in Sichuan, equal to 2.4% of the province's population.
The reports did not give figures for other types of religion; the vast majority may be either irreligious or involved in Chinese folk religion, Buddhism, etc.Tibetan Buddhismis widespread, especially in areas inhabited by ethnic Tibetans. Sichuan is one of the cradles of the earlyHeavenly Masters' Taoist religious movements.
According to "Vestiges of Zoroastrianism in Medieval Sichuan" by Yao Chongxin, professor at Sun Yat-sen University,Zoroastrianismflourished during the period ofTang(618–907),Former Shu(907–925),Later Shu(934–965), andSong(960–1279).
AChabad Jewish Centerwas established inChengduin 2012, after moving five times, a permanent location was secured atWuhou District.
TheSichuanese people(Sichuanese:巴蜀人Basuren;IPA:[pa˥su˨˩zən˨˩]; alternatively川人,川渝人,四川人or巴蜀民系) are a subgroup of Han Chinese living in mostly Sichuan province and the neighboringChongqingmunicipality. Beginning from the 9th century BC,Shu(on theChengdu Plain) andBa(which had its first capital atEnshi CityinHubeiand controlled part of theHan Valley) emerged as cultural and administrative centers where two rival kingdoms were established. Although eventually, theQin dynastydestroyed the kingdoms of Shu and Ba, the Qin government accelerated the technological and agricultural advancements of Sichuan making it comparable to that of theYellow RiverValley. The now-extinctBa–Shu languagewas derived from Qin-era settlers and represents the earliest documented division from what is now calledMiddle Chinese.
During theYuanandMingdynasties, the population of the area was reduced through wars and thebubonic plague, and settlers arrived from the area of modern Hubei, replacing the earlier common Chinese with a new standard.
TheLi BaiMemorial, located inJiangyou, is a museum in memory of Li Bai, a Chinese poet ofTang China(618–907) built at the place where he grew up. The building was begun in 1962 on the occasion of the 1200th anniversary of his death, completed in 1981, and opened to the public in October 1982. The memorial is built in the style of the classic Tang garden.
In 2003, Sichuan had "88 art performing troupes, 185 culture centers, 133 libraries, and 52 museums". Companies based in Sichuan also produced 23 television series and one film.
The Sichuanese once spoke their variety of Spoken Chinese called Ba-Shu Chinese, or Old Sichuanese before it became extinct during the Ming dynasty. Now most of them speak Sichuanese Mandarin. The Minjiang dialects are thought by some linguiststo be a bona fide descendant of Old Sichuanese, but there is no conclusive evidence whether Minjiang dialects are derived from Old Sichuanese or Southwestern Mandarin.
The languages of Sichuan are primarily members of three subfamilies of theSino-Tibetan languages.
The most widely used variety of Chinese spoken in Sichuan isSichuanese, which is thelingua francain Sichuan,Chongqing, and parts of theTibet Autonomous Region. Although Sichuanese is generally classified as a dialect ofMandarin Chinese, it is highly divergent in phonology, vocabulary, and even grammar fromStandard Chinese.TheMinjiang dialectis especially difficult for speakers of other Mandarin dialects to understand.
Garzê Tibetan Autonomous PrefectureandNgawa Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecturein western Sichuan are populated byTibetansandQiang people. Tibetans speak theKhamsandAmdo Tibetan, which areTibetic languages, as well as variousQiangic languages. The Qiang speak Qiangic languages and often Tibetic languages as well. TheYi peopleofLiangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecturein southern Sichuan speak theNuosu language, which is one of theLolo-Burmese languages; Yi is written using theYi script, asyllabarystandardized in 1974. TheSouthwest University for Nationalitieshas one of China's most prominentTibetologydepartments and the Southwest Minorities Publishing House prints literature in minority languages.In the minority-inhabited regions of Sichuan, there is bilingual signage and public school instruction in non-Mandarin minority languages.
Commonly known as "Shu brocade" (蜀錦) in Chinese, Sichuan brocade is referred to as the "mother of brocade in China" given its age.This technique of embroidery originates in the capital city ofChengduduring the time of theAncient Kingdom of Shu. It enjoyed high popularity throughout the regions along theSilk Road, which stimulated an "exoticization" of the embroidery designs during the 1st millennium, with most of the patterns imported fromSogdiaand other parts ofCentral Asia.According to theBook of Sui, in the year 605 AD, the head of the Sichuan ateliers producing silks in the "western style" was a certain He Chou, a name which betrays his Sogdian origins.Most of the silk products unearthed inXinjiang(Chinese Turkestan) andQinghai(Tuyuhun Kingdom) confirmed to be manufactured in Sichuan.
Sichuan is well known for its spicy cuisine and use ofSichuan peppersdue to its humid climate.
The Sichuanese are proud of their cuisine, known as one of the Four Great Traditions ofChinese cuisine. The cuisine here is of "one dish, one shape, hundreds of dishes, hundreds of tastes", as the saying goes, to describe its acclaimed diversity. The most prominent traits of Sichuanese cuisine are described by four words: spicy, hot, fresh, and fragrant.Sichuan cuisine is popular in the whole nation of China, and so are Sichuan chefs.
Another famous Sichuan delicacy ishot pot. Hot pot is a Chinese soup containing a variety of East Asian foodstuffs and ingredients, prepared with a simmering pot of soup stock at the dining table. While the hot pot is kept simmering, ingredients are placed into the pot and cooked at the table. Typical hot pot dishes include thinly sliced meat, leaf vegetables, mushrooms, wontons, egg dumplings, tofu, and seafood. The cooked food is usually eaten with a dipping sauce.
As of 2022, Sichuan hosts 134 institutions of higher education, ranking first in theWestern Chinaregion and fifth among all Chinese provinces afterJiangsu,Guangdong,HenanandShandong.
UNESCOWorld Heritage Sitesin Sichuan province and Chongqing municipality include:
As of July 2013, the world's largest building, theNew Century Global Centeris located in Chengdu. At 328 ft (100 m) high, 1,640 ft (500 m) long, and 1,312 ft (400 m) wide, the Center houses retail outlets, movie theaters, offices, hotels, the Paradise Island waterpark, an artificial beach, a 164 yd (150 m)-longLEDscreen, skating rink, pirate ship, fake Mediterranean village, 24-hour artificial sun, and 15,000-spot parking area.
Professional sports teams in Sichuan include: