Welcome to Chengdu
Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan Province, stands among China's most enduring and culturally rich cities. With over 2,300 years of unbroken history and the rare distinction of never changing its name, it embodies the convergence of tradition and innovation. Cradled by the fertile Chengdu Plain, the city has long been celebrated as the "Land of Abundance," a legacy sustained by the ancient Dujiangyan irrigation system—a UNESCO World Heritage site that has nourished its fields for more than two millennia.
Today, Chengdu thrives as a nexus of academic and technological advancement. Home to renowned institutions such as Sichuan University and the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, it has become a leading hub in artificial intelligence, biomedicine, and aerospace engineering, while its cultural economy flourishes in media, gaming, and the creative industries.
As the birthplace of the giant panda and the cradle of Sichuan cuisine, Chengdu offers both scholarly rigor and refined hospitality. Its international airport and rapidly expanding rail network connect it to the world, making it an ideal venue for global academic dialogue—where the wisdom of the past and the promise of the future converge.
- **Chengdu Natural History Museum**
Located in Chengdu, the Chengdu Natural History Museum, co-built with Chengdu University of Technology, opened to the public in 2022. Six permanent exhibition halls cover geology, minerals, dinosaurs, and biodiversity. Highlights include the Hechuan Mamenchisaurus skeleton, Asia's largest complete dinosaur fossil, and nearly 70,000 specimens of rocks, minerals, and wildlife.
- **Chuan Opera Face-Changing (Bian Lian)**
Bian Lian, or face-changing, is a signature skill of Sichuan Opera from southwestern China. Performers instantly swap colorful painted masks in a split second, using hidden silk layers and deft hand movements. This secret technique, passed down within troupes, dazzles audiences and ranks among the world's most spectacular theatrical arts.
- **Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding**
The Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, founded in 1987, is a world-renowned conservation center in Chengdu, China. Home to over 200 giant pandas, it focuses on breeding, research, and habitat protection. Visitors can watch adorable pandas eating bamboo, playing, and napping in enclosures while learning about wildlife conservation.
- **Dujiangyan**
Built in 256 BC by Li Bing near Chengdu, Dujiangyan is an ancient dam-free irrigation system. It diverts the Minjiang River through three parts: Fish Mouth Levee, Flying Sand Weir, and Bottle-Neck Channel. Still working after 2,200 years, it irrigates the Chengdu Plain and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.