Interesting Facts about Chengdu
Chengdu is an incredible city which is a fabulous host to tourists from all over the world. Immersed in history, this big city is brimming with culture and art. Before you travel to Chengdu, we're here to inform you of a few interesting facts about the city.
1. Chengdu is the capital city of Sichuan province.
2. Chengdu in Chinese characters is “成都”. In ancient times, Chengdu was called Western Capital, and had some nickenames like City of the Turtle, City of the Brocade Official, City of Brocade etc. Its present nickname is City of Hibiscus.
3. The city logo of Chengdu adopted in 2011 is inspired by the Golden Sun Bird excavated from the Jinsha Ruins.
4. In ancient China, Chengdu was called the "Country of Heaven" for its abundant farm produces.
5. Chengdu is one of the "Three Furnaces" cities (the other two are Wuhan and Nanjing) in China for its hot and humid summer.
6. Hot pot restaurants are widely-distributed throughout Chengdu. Hot pot is a typical part of Chengdu residents' daily diet.
7. Nearly all Chengdu people are crazy about Mahjong. After every day's working, people gather their friends in their home, parks or in the tea houses on the street to play Mahjong. On sunny days, local people like to play Mahjong on the sidewalks to enjoy the sunshine and also the time with friends.
8. Chengdu is the cradleland of ancient Shu civilization. Archaeological discoveries at the Sanxingdui and Jinsha sites have established that the area surrounding Chengdu was inhabited over four thousand years ago. At the time of China's Xia, Shang, and Zhou dynasties, it represented a separate ancient bronze-wielding culture which—following its partial signification—became known to the Chinese as Shu.
9. In Chendu, tea houses can be spotted on almost every city corner. Most locals go to tea houses to play Mahjong with friends. Some luxury tea houses in Chengdu also offer live entertainment such as Sichuan opera shows.
10. Chengdu is home of the giant panda. It has established the world-renowned breeding and research base for giant pandas, which attracts more than 1,000,000 visitors each year.
11. Chengdu is acknowledged for its reputation as a historical city of gastronomy and birthplace of many culinary traditions. Chengdu joined the Creative Cities Network in 2010 becoming the second UNESCO City of Gastronomy.
12. There are two UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Chengdu: Mount Qingcheng and the Dujiangyan Irrigation System.