Chengdu

City Introduction

Time goes by very slowly in Chengdu. This is a slow city; indolence and leisure are the characters here; in Chengdu, the time flies quickly. It is very comfortable to stay here. Let your holiday be too short. In Chengdu, it is not suitable for skimming through a book. In Chengdu it is better not be in a rush. Just experience the prosperity here with wandering time.

There are rich cultural landscapes in Chengdu; the natural landscape is also unique. Like Quiet Qingcheng Mountain; Antique Jinli Street; magnificent Xiling Snow Mountain and peaceful Pingle Ancient Town. Chengdu, a quiet and prosperous city, has not only a profound cultural heritage, but also a beautiful natural scenery as well as slow pace of life-truly a charming city.

History and Culture

Chengdu has a long history which has the reputation of “land of abundance”.

Archaeological discoveries at the Sanxingdui and Jinsha sites have established that the Chengdu region was inhabited over four thousand years ago and was an important center of a unique ancient culture during the period of Shang and Zhou Dynasties. In the early 4th century BC, the 9th king of the state of Shu, Kaiming IX, moved his capital from today's nearby Pixian to the city's current location, and is said to have named the city Chengdu.

The State of Shu was conquered by the State of Qin in 316 BC, and a new city was founded by the Qin General, Zhang Yi (who as a matter of fact had argued against the invasion). This can be seen as the beginning of the Chinese Chengdu.

Natural Environment

The vast plain on which Chengdu is located in has an elevation ranging from 450 meters to 720 meters. Northwest Chengdu is bordered by the high and steep Longmen Mountain and in the west by the Qionglai Mountains, the elevation of which exceeds 3,000 m (9,800 ft) and includes Miao Jiling (5,364 m, 17,598 ft) and Xiling Snow Mountain (5,164 m, 16,942 ft). The western mountainous area is also home to a large primitive forest with abundant biological resources and a giant panda habitat. East of Chengdu stands the low Longquan Mountain and the west bordering area of the hilly land of middle reaches of Min River, an area noted by several converging rivers. Since ancient times, Chengdu has been known as "the Abundant Land" owing to its fertile soil, favorable climate, and novel Dujiangyan Irrigation System.

Chengdu is located at the western edge of the Sichuan Basin and sits on the Chengdu Plain; the dominating terrain is plains. The prefecture ranges in latitude from 30° 05' to 31° 26' N, while its longitude ranges from 102° 54' to 104° 53' E, stretching for 192 kilometers (119 mi) from east to west and 166 km (103 mi) south to north, administering 12,390 square kilometers (4,780 sq mi) of land. Neighboring prefectures are Deyang (NE), Ziyang (SE), Meishan (S), Ya'an (SW), and the Ngawa Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture (N). The urban area, with an elevation of 500 m (1,600 ft), features a few rivers, three of them being the Jin, Fu, and Sha Rivers. Outside of the immediate urban area, the topography becomes more complex: to the east lies the Longquan Range and the Penzhong Hills; to the west lie the Qionglai Mountains, which rise to 5,364 m (17,598 ft) in Dayi County. The lowest point in Chengdu Prefecture, at 378 m (1,240 ft), lies in the southeast in Jintang County.

Climate

Chengdu has a monsoon-influenced humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cwa) and is largely mild and humid. It has four distinct seasons, with moderate rainfall concentrated mainly in the warmer months, and relieved from both sweltering summers and freezing winters. The Qin Mountains (Qinling) to the far north help shield the city from cold Siberian winds in the winter; because of this, the short winter is milder than in the Lower Yangtze. The 24-hour daily mean temperature in January is 5.6 °C (42.1 °F), and snow is rare but there are a few periods of frost each winter. The summer is hot and humid, but not to the extent of the "Three Furnaces" cities of Chongqing, Wuhan, and Nanjing, all which lie in the Yangtze basin. The 24-hour daily mean temperature in July and August is around 25 °C (77 °F), with afternoon highs sometimes reaching 33 °C (91 °F); sustained heat as found in much of eastern China is rare. Rainfall is common year-round but is the greatest in July and August, with very little of it in the cooler months.

Chengdu also has one of the lowest annual sunshine totals nationally, with less sunshine annually than much of Northern Europe, and most days are overcast even if without rain. This is especially so in the winter months, when it is typically interminably grey and dreary, compounding the poor air quality. With monthly percent possible sunshine ranging from 16 percent in December to 38 percent in August, the city receives 1,073 hours of bright sunshine annually. Spring (March–April) tends to be sunnier and warmer in the day than autumn (October–November). The annual mean is 16.14 °C (61.1 °F), and extremes have ranged from −5.9 °C (21 °F) to 37.3 °C (99.1 °F).

Best Season for Tourism

The best time to visit Chengdu is from March to June and September to November.

Two periods see pleasant temperatures and less rain, which is the best season to go outside. Though July and August is hottest months here, but mountains nearby such as Qingcheng Mountain, Xiling Snow Mountain, Jiulong Channel, Jiufeng Mountain and Tiantai Mountain are ideal summer resort. In winter, you can appreciate snowy scenery from Xiling Mountain, making Chengdu a nice place to go to in southern China.

Holiday Arrangement

Consistent with national Holidays.

New Year’s Day: Jan 1st —Jan 3rd

Spring Festival: Feb 7th —Feb 13th

Tomb-Sweeping Festival: April 2nd —April 4th

Labor Day: April 30th —May 2nd

Dragon Boat Festival: June 9th —June 11th

Mid-Autumn Festival: Sep 15th —Sep 17th

National Day: Oct 1st —Oct 7th