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Chengdu, located in the western Sichuan Plain, is the
capital of Sichuan Province. It covers an area of approximately 3
million acres, and it comprises 5 districts, 12 counties with a
total population of 9.6 million. It is a well-known city with a
longstanding history and civilization. Among other interesting facts
about the city, Chengdu is also known as the City of Brocade and the
City of Hibiscus.
Chengdu has many places of interest and is famous for
its traditional arts and crafts, ethnic folklore, and beautiful
landscapes. In 256 BC, during the Warring States Period, the
governor of the Shu Prefecture Li Bing and his son led the people to
build this large water dam to control flooding on the Chengdu
plains. After more than 2,250 years, the dam still plays a
significant role in agriculture on the Chengdu plains. It is a
historical wonder of science and technology. The Dujiang Dam is
located on the Minjiang River in Guanxian, Sichuan Province and is
37 miles from downtown Chengdu.
The Sichuan cuisine is famous for being very
spicy, but in fact only slightly more than 30% of dishes officially
labeled "local" rely on chili pepper. The reputation for hot food
is, however, much older than the use of peppers, which became common
only in the 17-18th century.
Chengdu's cuisine is considered to be one of China's most
outstanding. The many local specialties include Grandma Chen's Bean
Curd (Mapo doufu), Chengdu Hot pot, and Carrying Pole Noodles (Dan
Dan Noodles).
An article by the Los Angeles Times (2006) called Chengdu "China's
party city". Chengdu outnumbers Shanghai in the number of tea houses
and bars despite having less than half the population. The
inhabitants have a reputation both within Sichuan and in China at
large for having a laid back attitude and for knowing how to enjoy
life.
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