Chengdu is the capital of Sichuan province, and is the cultural and economic hub of the vast, fertile southwestern plain. It is China's fourth-largest city, and an economic powerhouse with a booming IT sector and 14 straight years of double-digit economic growth behind it. There is another Chengdu as well: a city of profound cultural and historic significance with great charm and a welcoming atmosphere. The warm climate and abundant natural resources have attracted visitors for many years: Sichuan is one of the most fertile areas in China, earning it the nickname "the land of milk and honey". The rich soil is mainly made up of silt deposits from the Min and Tuo rivers, which flow into the mighty Yangtze and are responsible for its famous yellow coloring.

The history of Chengdu spans over 2,300 years and, unlike many cities in China, it has retained both its name and status since it was established; as it has always been the capital of Sichuan. It was an important stopover on the Southern Silk Road and today is a vital transportation hub for southwest China. Not only is it a useful stop on most trips around Sichuan by rail, air or road, the city is also a useful base from which to enter Tibet.

Chengdu can provide both traditional Chinese entertainment and the bar scene that many international travelers have come to expect. Watching a performance of Sichuan Opera at any of the city's theaters can be followed by a few hours of bar hopping in the vibrant venues around the Traffic Hotel or Paul's Palace, or session singing the night away at one of the city's KTV clubs. Any visitors to Chengdu should be sure to go to the local restaurants to sample the Sichuan food for which the city is famous. Although, in the West, Sichuan food has a reputation for being quite hot, in reality the food is very varied, concentrating on the precise use of spices in a variety of savory dishes.

Chengdu and the surrounding towns have been a cradle of invention for centuries. The first paper money, called Jiaozi, was printed here and the process for making traditional Chinese lacquer was also invented in Chengdu. The annual Dujiangyan Drawing-Off Festival celebrates the building of the oldest water conservation and flood mitigation project in the world, as the Dujiangyan project dates back to around 250 BC. Visitors can also make the trip to the The Dujiangyan Irrigation Project to see this remarkable example of ancient Chinese engineering. Sichuan was also the home of an ancient civilization whose artifacts were unearthed at Sanxingdui near the end of the 20th century outside of Chengdu. The artifacts uncovered are the work of a previously unknown bronze-age civilization.

One of Sichuan's great claims to fame is the giant panda, and Chengdu's Panda Breeding Research Center provides an opportunity to see these animals up close and learn about China's efforts to preserve them. The city has a number of fine temples, among the best being the Qingyang Temple and the Wenshu Temple. The city has many parks, arguably the prettiest of which is Renmin Park, where visitors can sip tea at an elegant tea house, wander through the bonsai gardens or watch tai-chi experts practice. Chengdu Zoo is really worth a visit too: the pandas here live in superbly-designed enclosures resulting in the institution being named by the United Nations as one of the 500 most humane zoos in the world.

Further afield lies the Giant Buddha of Leshan, the tallest stone Buddha in the world. And if you can possibly spare the time for the 450-km trip, a visit to the Jiuzhaigou scenic area is an unforgettable experience, with snow-capped mountains, crystalline lakes and beautiful forests.

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