Chengdu City (People's Republic of China). Attractions and interesting places of Chengdu: photos and description Where is Chengdu

The capital of Sichuan province, the city of Chengdu (China) is a global transport and economic center of the Middle Kingdom, one of the five most densely populated megacities of the Middle State.

Historical chronicles

Sinologists still have no consensus about the time of the formation of the settlement in the Mingjiang River valley. The date that suits everyone is located in the fork from 2300 to 3000 years. The first documented mention of Chengdu is associated with the city's acquisition of the capital status of the Shu kingdom in the era of the Three Kingdoms.

For three thousand years Chengdu as a mythical Phoenix, it flashed (shone) dazzlingly, then fell into ruins and ashes. The majestic chronicle of the Sichuan administrative center is best conveyed by nicknames, aliases, labels.

Interesting! Since the 200s, the city has been famous for its heavy silk fabric with embroidered gold patterns.

A symbol of luxury and wealth, brocade is still included in the basic list of products produced in the province: Chengdu rightfully bears its middle name "Jincheng" (Brocade City).

History has given Chengdu another definition: "Paradise Basin". Sichuan chernozems are fertile, peasants working on the land are hardworking. The world knows the most ancient Dujiangyan irrigation network invented and implemented in the region.

There are many names and nicknames, they reflect the glorious history of Chengdu:

• the homeland of the jiao paper money;
• flower hibiscus garden city;
• the oldest center of engraving and printing of the Celestial Empire;
• alma mater of the Sichuan branch of traditional Chinese opera;
• the birthplace and fruitful everyday life of the great Chinese writers Li Bo and Du Fu;
• center of the tea industry. Manding Ganlu, Moli Hua Cha with hints of jasmine, the famous Zhu Ye Qing are just the tip of the iceberg of the famous tea varieties cultivated and harvested on the highland plantations of the region.

Location

Chengdu is located in the southwest of mainland China, in the western part of the Sichuan tract. The modern city includes eleven prefectures and five counties on a total area of \u200b\u200b14,312 square kilometers.

Population

The official statistics of the PRC declares sixteen million people inhabiting the metropolis in 2010. In urban prefectures and adjoining rural counties, in addition to the Han people (the main population of the country), 54 other small ethnic groups live.

Paradise weather

Sichuan province is a classic subtropics with a clear seasonality. Chengdu's climate canon is a tropical monsoon.

The region is warm and humid throughout the year: the average annual temperature ranges between 12 and 16 degrees Celsius. Early spring, sweltering summer, gorgeous autumn and damp warm winter.

Chengdu has a "resort weather" between March and June. The “high” season is the period between mid-September and November. Hottest period: July and August.

Road routes

One gets to the metropolis by plane or by rail. Car traffic is also possible, but it is too long and cumbersome.

High-speed rail transport

Chengdu has four train stations. The best transit options are direct connections from Beijing or Shanghai.

• Shanghai-Chengdu Express: 1,700 km, 160-350 km / h. From 6,000 to 14,000 rubles.
• Standard flight Beijing-Chengdu: 1517 km, 140 km / h, 4900 rubles.

The negative side of this movement is the high cost of tickets.

Chengdu air harbor

Chengdu Airport is based in Shuangliu District, a suburb of Chengdu. A direct flight "Sichuan Airlines" flies from the Russian capital to Chengdu: the flight time is about eight hours. Issue price: from 30 to 47 thousand rubles.

You can get to the metropolis from the air harbor:

• by taxi: 50-60 yuan;
• by bus: 12 RMB;
• monorail (CRH) 12-15 RMB.

Metro

The Chengdu metro system consists of five branch lines with a total length of 140 km. The fare is 2 to 10 RMB.

An elevated monorail also belongs to the grid of metro lines, which really improves the traffic of the urban colossus. In 2018, a new line to the airport was inaugurated.

Map of picturesque and remarkable places

Chengdu is the center of an ancient province, there are quite remarkable tourist places in the city and the surrounding areas.

The most popular and unique sightseeing hits of the Sichuan region are located outside the city: inquisitive travelers should plan their travel schedule in advance, stock up on a map.

The Chengdu travel guide is striking in its thickness. In the city itself, there are many temples, museums, traditional centers of cultural and spiritual heritage. Outside the metropolis, travelers will find parks and protected areas, a unity with the beautiful nature of Sichuan province.

"The tract of magnificent pandas"

The Sichuan climate is comfortable for giant pandas.

Interesting! The state nursery "Valley of Bamboo Bears" was organized in the nineties of the last century as part of the national program for the rescue of an endangered species.

The employees of Panda Park are doing an excellent job with the task set by the government of the country: visitors to the park can observe prosperous adult animals and cubs in free green areas.

It costs 58 RMB to visit the park. The park is open to the public from 7.30 to 18.00 seven days a week. The reserve can be reached by metro line 3 (Xiongmao dadao station) or by taxi.

Repository of the origins of Taoism

A stunning collection of Tao culture documentation (ancient manuscripts and scrolls) is kept in the green goat pantheon in Chengdu. The collection of Tao Zang is the last surviving library of Taoism, a literary and scientific artifact of the world philosophical and religious teaching.

The construction of the pantheon is associated with the Zhou era. The name of the central pagoda is associated with the legendary dictum of Lao Tzu: "Look out for the green goat after a century of Tao practice." The temple complex is considered by UNESCO as an object of classical architecture.

The sanctuary is open to the public from 8:00 am to 6:00 pm, for only RMB 10 per person. You can get there by metro: Provincial People's Hospital station, the second line.

Park areas and gardens

The green lungs of the metropolis are an independent tourist value. Exotic nature and fauna, accompanying spectacles and entertainment.

"New century"

The monumental urban giant "New Century" is a universal urban building. The architectural masterpiece is included in the Guinness register as the world's largest integral structure.

The giant occupies 1.76 million square meters. The huge spaces of the building house business offices, conference halls, auditoriums of local educational institutions, three shopping malls, two five-star hotels, a cinema and an oceanarium.

Tianfu Square

The central square of the city (80,000 square meters), in addition to the business card, is the cultural, historical and transport heart of the huge metropolis.

The square is decorated with a huge monument to Mao Tse Tung and a magnificent fountain. Along the perimeter there are numerous shopping areas and boutiques with expensive brands, entertainment complexes and a metro station. Experienced guides recommend planning a visit to Tianfu in the evening, with the grandiose lighting turned on.

Chunxi Pedestrian Road

Chunxi Shopping Street transforms everyday shopping into a world-class commercial tour. In addition to the exotic surroundings, the pedestrian avenue enchants travelers with an amazing assortment. More than seven hundred shopping centers, department stores, malls and small boutique shops are concentrated on 220 thousand square meters.

The shopping highway is located in the center, you can walk to establishments or "fly" along the second metro line to the Chunxi Road stop.

Natural Park

Jiuzhaigou is a nature park in the Sichuan mountains. The reserve is famous throughout the world for lakes, waterfalls and stunning mountain views.

It is better to allocate two days to visit the park: one for the road and accommodation in a hotel, the second for "unity with nature."

The price of the visit ranges from $ 26 to $ 50 seasonally. The reserve is open from 8.00 to 17.00 seven days a week.

Monument of Buddha in Leshan

The mountain settlement Leshan (140 km from the metropolis) is famous all over the world for its giant (71m) statue of Buddha. Statistical guides of the Median State classify the colossus as the largest object carved into the mountain range.

The colossus was cut in the rock for 90 years: the carving from the rock started in 713 and finished in 803. Inspection price of all objects: 90 yuan.

Qingchengshan peak

Qingchengshan is the birthplace of Taoism. The first Tao monastery was founded in the mountainous regions of the region.

A whole complex of Taoist temples, pantheons and pagodas is located in the Qingchengshan Mountains. Those wishing to get acquainted with the everyday life and life of modern monks will have to make a three-hour trek to the top. There is also an alternative: the cable car for 60 yuan. The Tao Sanctuary is open daily from 8:00 to 17:00.

Accommodation and accommodation

The megalopolis Chengdu offers travelers the widest choice of hotels of various comfort and prices.

Hostels and youth campsites will provide tourists with good conditions for $ 10-25 per day. The hotel will be more expensive, pretentious and much more comfortable:

• three stars / double / 45-50 dollars per night;
• four stars / double / 80-90.

The atmosphere of luxury and unforgettable bliss will be provided by five-star grandees. For a suite at the Millennium Hotel, they will ask for $ 120 per day.

Where and how to eat?

Professional chefs and restaurateurs consider the Sichuan culinary school to be the most popular and beloved in the world.

The Sichuan culinary tradition is famous throughout the world for its enchanting aromas, fiery intensity and pungent spices. Famous all over the world - hot pot, Ma Po bean curd, Gong Bao Ji Ding Chengdu (fragrant chicken with nuts), Ma La Tang ("burning tongue chowder").

Local gastronomic delights are available in restaurants and on the street. An exemplary hot-sweat is served at the famous Huangcheng Laoma on Kintai Road. Shizilou and Tanyutou are famous for excellent local menus.

Gifts and souvenirs

Chengdu is an iconic place for gift and souvenir shopping.

Interesting! Walking through the shops, stalls and street markets of Chengdu is a great pastime, therapy and relaxation.

The list of souvenirs and gifts with a local flavor is incredibly wide: for every taste and wallet. All guidebooks and tour guides recommend purchasing:

• brocade Shu. Two millennia of production history and unconditional popularity throughout the world;
• bamboo products and crafts. Local craftsmen skillfully weave bamboo stems and porcelain. Stylish and very original;
• traditional medicine preparations, dietary supplements. Chengdu is the center of traditional medicine, the city's pharmacists practice the most ancient recipes;
• excellent tea grown on high mountain plantations.

The most popular shopping outlets and street bazaars are located along Zongfu Road, Chunxi and Luomashi.

Conclusion

Chengdu is a beautiful city of wealth, the capital of success. The global metropolis is a good place to visit: here you can enjoy the beauties of nature, architectural and historical monuments, learn a lot about the great Celestial Empire, organically combining the archaic of antiquity and ultramodern data of progress.

The largest museum of this kind in Southeast Asia. Located 9 kilometers from the town of Zigong (Sichuan), in the Dashanpu area. This is one of the largest dinosaur remains in the world.

Today the museum, opened in 1987, is a large 3-storey building with a bizarre shape. The total area of \u200b\u200bmuseum expositions exceeds 65 thousand square meters.

The museum has three large thematic exhibitions. The first tells about the history of the evolution of dinosaurs and gives a general idea of \u200b\u200bthe life and development of giants on our planet.

The second part is the recovered dinosaur skeletons found in Dashanpu. Some of them are very well preserved. The most interesting exhibit is the fully preserved skeleton of a dinosaur that lived about 175 million years ago. Its height exceeded 10 meters, and its weight was 4 tons.

The third exposition is located directly at the site of dinosaur bones. Here you can see how prospecting works are being conducted and even touch the remains of ancient lizards.

Coordinates: 29.39494000,104.82773400

Big Buddha

Leshan's main attraction is the world's largest Buddha statue carved into the rock. The Big Buddha is located in the Lingyunshan Mountains. The height of the statue is 71 meters - only the index finger is 8 meters long. Its construction began in 713 and the work lasted 90 years.

The seated Buddha's head is at the level of the mountain top, and his feet touch the river. All proportions of the human body are skillfully conveyed and even the face of the Buddha was able to give an expression of calm and kindness. Near the statue - on the southern and northern walls - there are more than 90 stone images of bodhisattvas carved.

In 1996 Leshan Big Buddha was included in the UNESCO World Cultural and Natural Heritage Catalog.

Coordinates: 29.54583300,103.77342200

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Turquoise lake

Jiuzhaigou National Park is located in the east of China in the Sichuan province. Its name is translated as "the valley of nine villages". This park is famous for the fact that it has more than a hundred lakes and the water in them is crystal clear green, blue and turquoise colors, since all these lakes were formed as a result of melting glaciers. In 1992, the park was included in the UNESCO World Heritage Site, and since 1997 it has been declared a biosphere reserve.

Jiuzhaigou is located in the highlands, and due to the abundance of water and hills, many lakes and waterfalls are formed on its territory, which amaze tourists with their views.

More than a hundred species of animals live on the shores of these lakes and throughout the park. The forests here are mostly mixed and are especially beautiful in autumn when they are colored yellow, orange and red. Among the plants here you can find numerous bamboos, rhododendrons and others.

Coordinates: 33.25562800,104.24391700

Mount Emeishan is considered the eternal residence of the Bodhisattva Samantabhadra. This mountain along with the other three is the sacred mountain of the Chinese Buddhists.

The first Buddhist temple on the mountain was built in the 1st century. It was called "The Temple of Ten Thousand Years". The most valuable monument of the temple is the statue of the sacred Bodhisattva Samantabhadra on an elephant, made in the 9th-10th centuries. By the twentieth century, there were already more than 100 temples on the mountain, but most of them were damaged during the "cultural revolution". About 20 temples have survived to this day, which can be reached by cable car and two trails. Hiking to the top will take 2-3 days.

Now Mount Emeishan is very popular with Chinese pilgrims. Their number is so great that special rooms in temples for spending the night are allocated and rented for tourists.

Next to the mountain is the tallest statue in the world - Leshan Big Buddha, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Coordinates: 29.73181200,103.36083400

Jiuzhaigou Valley

The Jiuzhaigou Valley is renowned for its mesmerizing mountain landscapes and flowering meadows. In addition to natural beauty, the valley is home to several pristine mountain lakes and ancient villages, which have become popular tourist destinations.

The valley is located in the north of Sichuan province on the territory of an amazingly beautiful national park-reserve. The valley is fifteen kilometers long.

Since ancient times, there are nine villages in the valley, and the most tourist ones are Heye, Shchuzheng and Dzechawa.

Local residents of these villages offer to see how various handicrafts, dishes and much more are made. The decor items you like can be bought in souvenir shops, and in small cafes you will be offered to try traditional Chinese dishes.

Coordinates: 33.02478500,103.98834200

Jiuzhaigou national park

Not far from the Chinese province of Sichuan, there is one place of indescribable beauty. Such paints, such paintings, such views can be seen only in well-processed photographs. But Jiuzhaigou National Park is a very real place where people from all over the world come to see the incredible wonders of Asian nature with their own eyes.

This place is called the Valley of Nine Villages, because there are nine Tibestan settlements. The park is famous for its multi-level waterfalls, valleys and lakes. The most popular places here are Panda Falls, Swan and Grass Lakes, and the Ancient Forest.

This national park looks most amazing in the fall, because the local forests wear a yellow-red color, which, combined with the bright blue and green waters of local lakes, is a stunning picture. Here it is - a corner of harmony with nature and with oneself.

Coordinates: 33.22941500,103.91157900

Panda Research Center

You can watch the leisurely panda bears at the Chengdu Panda Research Center. Pandas live in spacious enclosures, where natural conditions have been recreated for them, there are rooms for feeding, sleeping, and treatment. The grown-up bears are set free.

Due to the fact that these animals reproduce slowly, they are threatened with extinction - which is why Chinese scientists have taken them under their protection. It is believed that no more than 1000 individuals live in natural conditions. The Great Panda Sanctuary is located 150 km from Chengdu.

Coordinates: 30.73246700,104.14609900

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Baogo monastery

The Baoguo Si Temple is located in the sacred Eme Mountains. Despite the fact that other Buddhist temples are located in these mountains, Baogo is considered the most striking example of local Emei architecture.

Baogo was formed during the Ming Dynasty. They began to build it in 1573, but the construction was delayed - the gates of the monastery opened only in 1620. In the middle of the eighteenth century, it underwent reconstruction, the result of which has survived to this day.

Baogo Temple boasts sights steeped in history. One of them is a statue of a seated porcelain Buddha, whose age is over 600 years. Another attraction is the seven-meter bronze tower, which is engraved with thousands of Buddha images and ancient sutras.

Coordinates: 29.56810600,103.44356300

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More sights of Sichuan

Chengdu is unreasonably little known abroad. But it is here that some features of the Chinese exotic have been preserved, which in other places have disappeared without a trace: open-air teahouses with specialists in various services: masseurs, shoe shiners, and - not a joke! - professional ear cleaners.

Although the city is large, it is easy to navigate. From the central square of Tianfu - with the exhibition hall and the statue of Mao, the main streets diverge radially in all directions of the world. The city center is surrounded by a system of concentric ring roads. The rivers crossing the city center also help to navigate.

The main river is Fuhe, but it is better known flowing near the city center of Nanhe, especially under its poetic name "Brocade River" (Jinjiang). To a certain extent, it gives the city a picturesque look thanks to the embankments and open-air teahouses, although the river itself is not very impressive. It is much more interesting to walk along the secondary streets, because away from the main transport axes and modern supermarkets, you can see a lot of traditional life: vegetable markets, street restaurants and many small shops.

Chengdu and the surrounding area boast a rich history. As a traditional center of the Red Basin in the IV century. BC e. it became the capital of the Shu empire. In the era of the division of the empire, Chengdu again became the capital of separate kingdoms. Thanks to the diligence of its inhabitants, who knew how to weave exquisite silk fabrics, Chengdu earned the name Brocade City (Jincheng), which it carries to this day. The salt and tea trade and the papermaking and printing industry also contributed to its prosperity. Since the X century. the city bears another beautiful name: Hibiscus City (Chinese rose). To justify this old name, the city administration is making efforts to grow this plant.

Arrival and departure, urban transport

The main station, from where trains run to Xi'an and Beijing, is located in the north of the city. Express buses also leave for Nunzia. Trips to other cities are best booked in hotels. But it is cheaper to do it at bus stations such as Xinnanmen Keyunzhan (east of Traffic Hotel) and Ximen Qichezhan (northwest of the center); from both there are daily buses to Dujiangyan and Qingchengshan Mountain. A useful bus route is no. 16, which runs from the main station along the major north-south axis to the south station. In 2010, the first metro line was opened with a length of 31.6 km.

Chengdu ("Brocade City") is the administrative center of the southwestern province of Sichuan, China's main giant panda nursery region.

Chengdu is an ancient city founded in the 4th century. BC, when it was the capital of the kingdom of Shu, and later six more kingdoms. Already in ancient times, Chengdu was an important political and commercial center. At the beginning of our era, the city was known throughout the Celestial Empire for its rich brocade, which was considered the best in the East. During the reign of the Song dynasty, paper money was circulated here for the first time in the world.

Modern Chengdu is one of the largest industrial centers in Western China. The appearance of the city has radically changed, one day-old historical Buddhist and Taoist monuments have survived to this day.

One of the main attractions of Chengdu and the province as a whole is the nurseries of giant pandas - China's "national treasure".

What to see attractions in Chengdu

The most famous cult monument in China, dedicated to the period of the Three Kingdoms; was founded in 223, however, most of the buildings date back to the Qing period.

One of the most popular places in Chengdu is located 12 km north of the city. This is a huge center and nursery, where giant pandas live in natural conditions. There is also a museum exhibition dedicated to the evolution, habitats, reproduction and protection of pandas. Also here, under the guidance of the center, a 2-day volunteer work is possible. Listed in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Jiuzhaigou National Park in Chengdu attracts tourists with its unique beauty, unusual mysterious oriental landscapes, and names that are unusual for the European ear: Grass Lake, Sleeping Dragon Lake or Five Flowers Lake.

4. Leshan. A small town at the southern foothills of Lingyunshan Mountain, 120 km southwest of Chengdu. In ancient times, it had a reputation for being the most beautiful landscape in Sichuan. Today Leshan is one of the most popular destinations in the province, thanks to the giant stone Big Buddha and the Emeishan Mountains.

The largest Buddha statue in the world, carved from a solid rock in Lingyunshan Mountain, at 71 m. It inspires awe with its size, grandeur and impartial face. Listed in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

One of the sacred mountains of China, dedicated to Bodhisattva Pusyan; is located 160 km southwest of Chad. The highest peak of Emeishan is called the Peak of Ten Thousand Buddhas and reaches a height of 3,099 m. Even during the Tang Dynasty, the mountain became a pilgrimage site among Buddhists because of more than 200 sanctuaries built here during this time. 20 churches and monasteries have survived to this day. Among them are Jindingsi Temple, Ten Thousand Years Temple, Golden Peak, Jining Pavilion. Included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Weather in Chengdu

Chengdu has a humid subtropical climate. Comfortable for people living and for farming. The Qinling Mountains protect the city from the penetration of northern air masses from Siberia, so the winter in Chengdu is milder than in the lower part of the Yangtze. The average January temperature is 5.6 ° C; snow falls extremely rarely, although short-term frosts are sometimes possible. Summers are humid and rather hot, but not as hot as in cities down the Yangtze. Average temperatures in July and August are about 25 ° C, although during the day they can reach 33 ° C and higher. Persistent heat waves are also quite rare. The greatest amount of precipitation falls from June to September.

How to get there

The Chengdu Metro was officially opened in Chengdu on October 1, 2010. It consists of four lines, construction and planning of other lines, including the circular one, is underway. There are about 400 bus routes in the city and metropolitan area.

Shuangliu International Airport is located about 16 km from the city center. It is the 5th busiest airport in mainland China; in 2012 traffic amounted to 31.6 million passengers. It operates flights to most major cities in the country, as well as international flights to cities such as: Hong Kong, Osaka, Seoul, Singapore, Taipei, Tokyo, Kuala Lumpur, Phuket, Bangkok, etc. In 2009, an agreement was signed to improve the airport infrastructure, which would allow Shuangliu to increase its traffic to 40 million passengers by 2015. The major airline Chengdu Airlines is based at the airport. There is also a long-term plan to build another airport with five runways. With the plan, the journey from the new airport to downtown Chengdu would take less than 30 minutes.

Brief video overview of Chengdu

Chengdu is the capital of Sichuan province, a major economic center of China and at the same time one of the most ancient cities in the country. Modernity and history are intricately intertwined here with each other, creating a unique flavor of the city. In Chengdu and its environs, many monuments of past eras have been preserved, including temples of different religions, Buddhist sculpture and the house of the great poet Du Fu, who composed more than two hundred of his masterpieces in it. In addition, there is a panda breeding center in the vicinity of Chengdu, open to tourists. Chengdu is also famous as a place where you can taste Sichuan cuisine, whose delicious dishes are gaining more and more popularity in China.
Geography. The city of Chengdu is located in the southwestern part of China, in the valley of the Minjiang River and is the administrative center of Sichuan province. It is a major transport hub and engineering center, with a population of four million people, and including the suburbs, more than eleven million.

Climate

Chengdu has a subtropical humid climate with short winters and long summers. Summers are hot and humid here, during the daytime the air temperature is on average +29 C (sometimes it can rise to +33 C). In winter, the air sometimes cools to zero, but snowfalls are rare in Chengdu. The greatest amount of rain falls in July - August. In addition, Chengdu is characterized by cloudy weather and fogs. A warm, pleasant spring lasts from March to April, and an equally short, but cooler autumn - from October to November.

History

Chengdu arose in the 4th century BC. e. Until 316 BC e. Chengdu was the capital of the Shu kingdom, in the era of the Three Kingdoms from 221 to 263 - the capital of the Shu Han kingdom, and during the five dynasties in 908-965 - the capital of the Later Shu (Later Shu) kingdom. At the beginning of n. e. Chengdu was famous for the production of brocade and was also called Jincheng ("city of brocade").
In 1644-46. Chengdu was occupied by Zhang Xianzhong's rebel army. From the second half of the 17th century, after the conquest of China by the Manchus, it became the administrative center of the Sichuan province. In September 1911, the Sichuan Uprising of 1911 took place here. Until December 27, 1949, Chengdu was ruled by the Kuomintang.
As a result of its own history, Chengdu is still known as the City of Lace (Jin Chen) or the City of Hibiscus (Rong Chen). After 14 colleges were built in the city, among which was Sichuan University (1927), the city received the status of a cultural center. ...
After the Cultural Revolution, the tradition of Chengdu tea houses was revived.

What to see

• Giant Panda Sanctuary... Panda Center is located 18 km from the center of Chengdu in the suburban area. The park recreates the natural habitat of giant pandas. The area of \u200b\u200bthe park is about 37 hectares. In addition to pandas, other rare animals live here. The park area is 96% covered with trees. You can see many giant pandas of different ages. In the nursery, they live in spacious open-air cages and chew on fresh bamboo - it's not for nothing that the panda is declared a national treasure of China, they treat it here as a treasure. Also on the territory of the park there is a large museum, opened in 1993. The museum has more than 2000 exhibits of various representatives of the fauna of Sichuan province.
• Qingchengshan Mountain possesses 37 vertices. This is one of the places of pilgrimage for the Taoist pilgrims. Several palaces, towers and pavilions are hidden in the bosom of this mountain.
• Celestial Master's Cave(Tianshi Dun). The legendary founder of the Dao religion, Zhang Daolin, preached his teachings here, and it was from that time that the cave began to bear the name of the cave of the heavenly master. The temple was built during the Sui Dynasty, but it was rebuilt during the Qing Dynasty. Here you can see a terracotta statue of Zhang Daolin and three 90 cm statues depicting three rulers who lived in China in ancient times: Fuxi, Shengong, and Xianyuan.
• Valley of Nine Villages (Jiuzhaigou). The valley is located 110 km from Huanglong and was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1992. The valley is distinguished by the surrounding wooded hillsides, but the main attraction of the valley are 108 ponds clean as a tear. The valley looks most beautiful in the fall, when the foliage changes color.
• Du Fu's cottage. The house of Dufu, a famous poet of the Tang Dynasty, is located in the west of the city, on the banks of the Huanhuaxi River. Du Fu (712-770) is one of the most prominent Chinese poets of the Tang era (618-907), whose work is still considered the pinnacle of Chinese poetry. According to legend, little Du Fu wrote his first poem when he was only 7 years old, and even then his talent was highly appreciated. The poet traveled a lot, at one time he was an adviser to Emperor Suzong, was imprisoned for criticizing the ruler and died in his junk boat in Hunan in 770, having spent his last years wandering like "a lone seagull between sea and sky." The poet came to Chengdu in 759, after fleeing from the war-mired Chang'an, which was at that time the capital. In the new place, the poet built himself a modest hut with a thatched roof and lived there for four years, during which he wrote 240 of the 1,400 works that have come down to us. After the poet left the city, the hut was abandoned, and only three centuries later, another famous Chinese poet, Wei Zhuang, ordered to build a park on this place, paying tribute to the talent of Du Fu. Since then, the park has been completed and rebuilt several times, and major renovations, which determined the modern appearance of the complex, were carried out in 1500 and 1811. The garden surrounding the thatched roof buildings deserves special attention. In addition to dense bamboo, magnolias, camellias, azaleas, laurels, apple trees, plums and about 25 other tree species grow here. The modest-looking pavilions house a memorial hall, Du Fu monastery and a small museum, where you can get acquainted with the biography and creative activities of the great poet. In the premises you can also see the statues of the poet, his books published during the reign of different dynasties, stone steles and other objects reminiscent of an outstanding person.
• The ancient village of Huanglusi. 30 km southeast of Chengdu in Shaunliu County, among the picturesque landscapes lies the ancient village of Huanglongxi, which has a history of more than 2000 years. The name of the ancient town is literally translated from the Chinese language as “mountain stream of the yellow dragon”. The history of the city began in the Western Han era (206 BC - 24 AD), and in the era of the Three Kingdoms (220-280), the city became an important military post associated with Chengdu, the capital of the Shu kingdom at that time. Today this place attracts tourists not only with its extraordinary picturesqueness, but also with the opportunity to get acquainted with the old Chinese culture and customs. The city has seven ancient streets, built in the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) eras, where houses have been well preserved to this day. The streets are paved with stone slabs, houses are decorated with pillared porches and engraved frames, roofs are covered with tiles. This is one of the few places in China that has retained its medieval appearance. In many houses, taverns are now open, where you can have a delicious lunch and taste the local specialty drink - soy curdled milk. Tea houses, which are found everywhere, also deserve special attention. The colorful bamboo-lined rooms serve the finest Sichuan teas. On the main street, you can see three ancient temples - Gulong, Zhenjiang and Chaoyin, where temple holidays are celebrated annually (June 9 and September 9 according to the lunar calendar). Visitors to the city can not only walk along the streets and see Minsk and Qing buildings, but also take a river walk, during which their path will lie along the ancient houses on stilts reflecting the inhabited culture of the Shu people. Another attraction of Huanglongxi is six thousand-year-old ficuses. The surrounding areas of the city also have interesting caves, a former battlefield and rock burials from the Han era, recently discovered and of great interest to historians.
• The ancient settlement of Sanxingdui.Several decades ago, in the suburb of Chengdu, 16 km from Xindu, a sensational discovery was made that amazed the whole world, and historians had another unsolved mystery of China. Some sources claim that the discovery was made by archaeologists looking for Shan settlements, while others, as usual, adhere to a more romantic version that an ordinary peasant stumbled upon a sensation while working in the field. Be that as it may, in 1986, in a suburb of Chengdu, real treasures were discovered in the ground - elephant tusks, gold, bronze and jade items and sculptures, specially broken before burial. During the excavations that followed the discovery, a whole settlement from the period of 3000 BC was found. - 1000 BC, which once belonged to a developed civilization, but for some unknown reason abandoned. Historians suggest that this city may have been the capital of the semi-mythical Ba-Shu culture. The fact that Sanxingdui is located at the same latitude as Mount Everest, the Bermuda Triangle and the Mayan civilization - one of the most mystical places on the planet - makes this lost settlement and the discovered artifacts mysterious. Although, without that, the finds that can be viewed in the Sanxingdui Museum inspire a sense of awe and horror. Huge bronze statues of human height froze in bizarre poses with outstretched arms and bulging eyes, large masks with strange, non-Asian, some kind of alien faces spreading in a frightening grin, give historians new ground for thinking about the mysterious dead civilization. Among the main finds are a golden rod with the image of human heads and eight "heavenly" bronze trees 3.6 m high, cast in bronze. Experts say that the technique of making such a tree is extremely complicated, and it took more than three years to restore one such exhibit using the most modern technologies, so how the ancient craftsmen managed to create such a miracle is a real mystery. Presumably, a tree entwined with a dragon, which has human palms with knives instead of paws, symbolizes the Universe, and its fruits are the Sun, Moon and stars. The Sanxingdui Museum is open daily from 8:30 am to 5:00 pm.
• Pagoda of souls... On the Lingyunshan Mountain there is a pagoda of souls (Lingbao Ta), the height of the building is 38 m, it dates back to the reign of the Sunn dynasty. From here a beautiful view of the surroundings opens.
• Chengdu Mosque, located in the south of the city, was partially destroyed during the Japanese air raids in 1941. The prayer hall, 15.7 m long and 11.7 m wide, lined with enamel tiles, remained intact. The crossbar bears the inscription "The seventh year of the Qianlong Empire", which means that the mosque was built in 1742.
• Monastery of Precious Light (Baoguang Si) is located in the small town of Xudu, 189 km from Chengdu. It is believed that the monastery was built during the Han Dynasty. More than 20 buildings (pagoda, 5 temples and 16 courtyards) are scattered over an area of \u200b\u200b8 hectares, almost all of them were built in 1670.
• Wang Jian's grave, ruler of the early Shu empire, also known as the "eternal mausoleum" is located in the northwest of the city. The 15-meter building is divided into three palaces. In the central hall is the decorated king's sarcophagus, and in the next hall is the stone statue of Wang Jian.
• Wangjianlou Park. The park became famous for the famous poet Xue Tao (769-834), who lived here. There is a 30-meter four-story tower "View of the River" in the park. Nearby there is a functioning fountain from the Tang Dynasty. It is believed that the poet used the waters of the fountain to make red paper. There are several buildings in the park, all built in her honor: the poetry recitation tower (Yinshi Lou), the paper washing pavilion (Wanjian Ting) and the lace washing tower (Zhou Lou). The poet was very fond of bamboo, so a grove of 140 different varieties of bamboo was planted here in her honor.
• Park of Culture... In the cultural park (Wenhua Gongyuan), located in the west of the city, there is an old Taoist Qingyang temple dating back to the Tang Dynasty (618-907). Modern buildings date back to the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911).
• Manjushri Temple... The temple is located in the north of the city and covers an area of \u200b\u200b5 hectares. The temple complex includes five temples of stone and wood, built on the ruins of a monastery during the southern dynasties. The Shofa Tang Hall contains 10 bronze statues of Buddhist guardian gods. And in the Cangjing Lou Hall there are bronze statues of Buddha and Buddhist saints.
• Prince Wu Temple... The first temple was built by Li Xiong in 302 in honor of Zhuge Liang, a strategist and statesman famous to this day. Zhuge Liang was also Chancellor of the Shu Han Empire. For his merits, Liang was awarded the title of prince in 223. In the central hall of the temple there is a gilded clay statue of Zhuge Liang, in front of which there are three bronze drums. Two small sculptures flanking Zhuge Liang's figure depict his son and grandson. It also houses a temple dedicated to Liu Beiyu, ruler of the Shu Han Empire. Nearby there is a mound, under which his remains are buried. In the covered side corridors, 28 terracotta statues of ministers, generals and high officials of the Shu Han state are displayed. In front of each of the statues is a small stele that tells about the life of this person.
• Dragon Slayer Temple (Fulong Guan). At the northern end of a small island on the river stands the Dragon Slayer Temple. According to legend, the Minjiang River overflowed its banks so often because a cunning dragon made his lair in its waters. Li Bing and his son were able to capture the dragon by chain, so there was no need to fear floods. It is not known exactly when the first temple in honor of the dragon conqueror was built, it is only known that the modern building belongs to the Qing dynasty. The stone statue of Li Bin was carved in 168, its height is 2 m, and the weight is 4.5 tons, the year and month of the sculpture can be read on the chest of the statue.
• Leshan - a small town 120 km from Chengdu, at the southern foothills of Lingyunshan Mountain. In ancient times, Leshan was called Jiazhou and had a reputation for being "the most beautiful scenery in Sichuan." It was known for its abundance of flowering Chinese apple trees and was also called Xianggu - "fragrant city". Currently, Leshan is one of the most visited cities in the province due to the attractions located in the area - the Emei Mountains and the giant stone Buddha.
• Great Buddha Leshan. A colossal stone statue of Maitreya can be seen in the city. The height of the statue is 71 m, it was carved from solid rock. Buddha sits at the confluence of three rivers - Qingyi, Min and Dadu, which, according to legend, were once stormy capricious streams and brought many troubles to the local residents. In the 8th century AD, one of the monks named Haitun decided to help people and came up with a beautiful solution - to hollow out a huge idol in the mountain, and cover the streams that interfered with navigation and worried the peasants with pebbles obtained from the mountain during construction. It took the novice 20 years to raise the necessary funds in order to begin to implement his plan. It is said that towards the end of his life, in an unsuccessful attempt to obtain the necessary amount from the authorities to continue the work, Haitun became blind and other monks continued his work. The grandiose construction began in 713 and lasted 90 years, ending in 803 with the participation of the local ruler Wei Gao. The Big Buddha inspires awe with its size, grandeur and impartial face, moreover, its view captures more and more, as the boat approaches it. Being at the feet of the Buddha, the height of a 23-storey building, you feel like a tiny grain of sand. For almost a century that has gone into the construction of the colossus, numerous monastic cloisters were also built in the vicinity, which are now of historical and cultural value. In 1996, Buddha and Mount Etayshan were inscribed by UNESCO on the World Cultural Heritage List. The statue is the largest Buddha statue in the world..
• Mount Emeishan, dedicated to Bodhisattva Pusyan, is located 160 km southwest of Chengdu. The highest peak of Emeishan is called the Peak of Ten Thousand Buddhas, it reaches a height of 3099 m. The mountain is revered by Chinese Buddhists as one of the four holy mountains (other mountains: Mount Wutaishan in Shanxi province, Mount Jiuhuashan in Anhwei province and Mount Putoshan in Zhejiang province). The first Taoist temple was built on the mountain during the reign of the Han Dynasty (25-220). During the Tang Dynasty, the mountain became a pilgrimage site for Buddhists due to the more than 200 shrines built here during this time. 20 churches and monasteries have survived to this day, the plans of the local government include their complete restoration. Translated from the Chinese language, the name of the mountain "emei" means "beautiful", "lovely", and one legend is associated with this name. Tradition says that a long time ago there was a plain and a small town in which there was a Buddhist monastery. Once a stranger approached the doors of the monastery and asked the monk for permission to spend the night, to which he received consent. The wanderer turned out to be an artist and in the morning, in gratitude to the monk, painted on four canvases after a lovely girl. However, the mysterious artist warned the novice that the paintings should be hidden in a chest and not removed from there until 49 days had passed. With these words he left. The monk, left alone, took out the canvases and hung them on the walls, unable to hide such beauty in a chest. Having admired the paintings, he went to pray, and returning to his cell, to his great surprise, he found that the beauties miraculously left the paintings and appeared before his eyes in their full splendor. The unrestrained minister of the monastery immediately forgot the Buddhist precepts forbidding sleeping under the same roof with a woman, and tried to grab one of the written beauties, when suddenly, as soon as he touched the skirt of the most beautiful girl, she immediately turned into a mountain peak! Three other girls, seeing what happened, did not want to leave their girlfriend and also turned into mountains. Since then, these four beautiful peaks, dressed in lush forests and pearl clouds, have stood in this place, known as the Emei Mountains: one at a distance and three side by side.
• Dujiangyan Ancient Irrigation Structures... The Dujiangyan complex is a shining pearl of the irrigation construction of ancient China. Despite its venerable age - more than 2200 years - the complex still serves people. Dujiangyan is located at the foot of the Yulei Mountains, located in the western part of Guanxian County, Sichuan Province, and is the highest point in the northwest of the Chengdu Plain. The large complex of irrigation facilities in Dujiangyan is considered an original scientific object and testifies to a breakthrough in the irrigation construction of ancient China, during which a method was taken to drain water without the help of a dam. The structures are located at the junction of the plain. In its main part, the complex is formed by three structures: the Fenshuyuiju dividing dam ("The mouth of a fish"), the Feishayan flood channel ("Flying sands"), the Bao Pingkou drainage structure ("The neck of the magic bottle"). These structures, being closely related to each other, interact in a single complex, limiting and regulating each other, together they constitute a carefully planned and rationally located hydraulic facility, simultaneously performing irrigation, flood control and transport functions. Dujiangyan is located in an extremely scenic area full of historical sites. Large-scale irrigation facilities, majestic mountains, beautiful gardens, stirring legends, Fulong Temple (Lying Dragon), Erwan Temple (Two Heroes), and the suspension bridge attract numerous domestic and foreign tourists. In 2000, the Qingchengshan Mountains and the Dujiangyan complex of structures were included in the UNESCO List of World Cultural and Natural Heritage.

What to buy

The most famous souvenirs in Chengdu are Sichuan brocade, lacquerware, embroidery and bamboo-covered porcelain. The cost of brocade varies from 80 to 200 yuan, depending on the size. Small porcelain bamboo vases cost between 30 and 50 yuan, and large ones between 500 and 600 yuan. All souvenirs can be found at Songxianqiao, the largest handicraft market. It is opposite the Qingyang Temple.
In the evenings, the Antique Market is open on Renming Nan Lu Street, opposite Jingjiang Hotel. There you can find very beautiful souvenirs such as wood carvings or calligraphy. Since the Sichuan province in the west borders on Tibet, there is also a Tibetan market. In the southwest part of Chengdu city, opposite Wuhou Temple, you will find many Tibetan souvenirs.
Shu Brocade Factory and Academy. Address: East Caotang Street 1
Sichuan antiques shop. Address: Shudu Avenue, Shaocheng Street, 6 e
Factory of bamboo products. Address: Jiefang Street 12
Sichuan arts and crafts shop. Address: Sichuan Exhibition Hall, Renminzhong lu Street, 16..
Factory of varnished products. Address: Jinhe Street, 81
Hehuachi Wholesale Center. Address: third section of the second ring road

Where and what to eat

Local Sichuan cuisine is widespread in Chengdu and is becoming more and more popular throughout China. It is characterized by the abundant use of pepper and other hot spices. Frying, steaming, stewing are among the main culinary techniques of Sichuan cuisine, but the complete list of techniques will consist of no less than 20 items. Beef is more popular in Sichuan cuisine than in other provincial cuisines. It is cut into thin slices and fried quickly, but sometimes it is steamed and dipped in rice flour for a thick gravy. The most famous Sichuan dishes are fish-flavored pork (yuxiang zhus), spicy chicken cubes with peanuts (gongbao jidin), pork cooked in a spicy sauce (hueiguo zhoupian).
If Sichuan cuisine is not to your taste, then Chengdu has a large number of excellent restaurants that offer cuisine from other regions of China, Asia and Europe. In addition, there is a McDonald's chain in Chengdu.

• Restaurant "Imperial City Old Ma" (Huangcheng Laoma). This restaurant belongs to a chain of restaurants that are open throughout China for the most paying customers. Address: Shenlong Street, 14.
• Tanya's Fish Head Restaurant. This restaurant got its name after its creator named Tan. The restaurant has become famous for its gourmet fish heads prepared in the hot pot style.
• Yulin Chuanchuan Xiang Restaurant. The name of the restaurant comes from the name of the dish, which is especially popular among the female half of Chengdu residents. It can be very expensive or very inexpensive. In principle, this is still the same "Hot pot (hot pot)" with the only difference that the ingredients - vegetables, meat, poultry, shrimps - are not just dipped into the cauldron, but strung on a small bamboo skewer and one end dipped into the boiling bouillon. You can think of this as a quick version of "Hot Pot" - instead of a long leisurely meal with friends, you just buy a certain set on a skewer. Chuanchuan Xiang can be bought on the street and ordered at an expensive restaurant.
• Chengdu Restaurants for Muslims
• Yuexiangcun niurou restaurant. This restaurant is located in the center of Chengdu. Prices are reasonable. The restaurant specializes in beef dishes. Address: Dongcheng Gennan Street, 66.
• Tianfanlow Restaurant. Address: Xiyu Street 108, mosque building.
• Shanshui Pavilion Vegetarian Teahouse Restaurant. Address: No.56, Zijing Nan Road, Wuhou District.