Exploring Chengdu's Ancient Streets - Jinli

Chengdu city, located in southwest China's Sichuan province, is known for its laid-back vibe. Jinli Street, situated in downtown Chengdu's main commercial street, is the epitome of the leisurely way of life that the city has come to be associated with. Illuminated by red lanterns which decorate the antique shops and snack stalls lining the narrow flagstone pavement, Jinli is abuzz with life after nightfall


Source: cri

Autumn scenery of Jiajinshan National Forest Park in Sichuan

Photo taken on Oct. 25, 2012 shows the autumn scenery of Shenmulei scenic spot of the Jiajinshan National Forest Park in Baoxing County,  Sichuan Province. (Xinhua/Jiang Hongjing)

Sichuan's Ruoergai Lake

Ruoergai county lies on the northeastern edge of the Qinghai Tibet Plateau, locked in the north of Aba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture of Sichuan Province. Covering a vast area of 10,620 square kilometers, it has an average altitude of 3500 meters and average annual temperature of 1.1 degree celsius.

The county has 12 ethnic groups, including Zang, Han, Hui, Qiang and so on, and Tibetans account for 91.5 percent of the population.

Ruoergai county features rich and unique tourism resources, including the First bay of the Yellow River, the largest plain in Sichuan province, the Blooming Lake, Spotted Deer Nature Reserve in Tiebu, Gers prairie and so on. In addition, it features the world's largest wetland peat plateau and China's most beautiful alpine wetland meadow. It is home to black-necked cranes and Kawa Mama, also called "Ruoergai on the horizon". Visitors can experience traditional Tibetan farming culture and religious culture here.

Source: CRI

Chengdu visa-free policy to lure more tourists

Zhu Zhangyi is excited that his hometown, Chengdu, Sichuan province, will become the fourth Chinese city after Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou to adopt a 72-hour visa-free policy.

"I'm sure it will bring more overseas tourists to Chengdu," said Zhu, deputy curator of the Jinsha Site Museum.

The policy, which will go into effect on Sept 1, will allow transit passengers from 45 countries who have valid visas and a flight ticket to a third country to stay up to 72 hours in Chengdu and cities and counties under its administration, according to the city government.

Those who overstay their visit may be fined, detained or deported from the country, said Chen Yongzhi, deputy chief of Sichuan Armed Police Frontier Corps.

When the policy is implemented, Chengdu will be the first city in an inland region of China to adopt the visa-free plan.

With a population of more than 14 million, the provincial capital of Sichuan received 122 million tourists last year. Around 1.6 million came from abroad, according to government figures.

Tourists have frequently visited the Jinsha Site Museum, located next to the archaeological site of the same name, since it opened in 2007. "Each year, about 1.2 million people visit our museum. But it is regrettable that fewer than 100,000 are from overseas," Zhu said.

In comparison, Hangzhou, the capital of Zhejiang province with a population of 8.8 million, received more than 3.3 million overseas tourists in 2012.

Robert Barsby, a British hotelier in Chengdu, said the visa-free policy will enhance the city's international image. He said it would be convenient for international business travelers to visit the city or access it in transit.

Shuangliu International Airport in Chengdu, the fourth largest in China in terms of passenger traffic, has 22 direct flights to 16 countries and regions around the world. The number of people passing through China via the airport is expected to surpass 2.3 million at the end of this year.

Luo Xiaohu, an officer with the Sichuan Armed Police Frontier Corps, said a major reason why Chengdu was chosen as the first city in an inland region to adopt the visa-free policy is because it has more international flights than any other city in central and western China.

Several foreign general managers at international five-star hotels in the city said they believe the policy may boost the hospitality industry, which has been sluggish since the country's new leadership discouraged government officials from extravagant galas and events this year.

Through the first half of this year, six international five-star hotels in the city, including Shangri-La, Regal Master and the Kempinski, lost 60 million yuan ($9.77 million) in room bookings, compared with the same period last year, said Barsby, general manager of the Regal Master Hotel in Chengdu, who has lived in China for almost 20 years.

Suggested itinerary

Must-see sights during 72 hours in Chengdu:

Day 1

• Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding

On any given day, more foreigners might be found at the center in the northern suburbs of Chengdu than in the entire city.

"Each year, 300,000 foreign tourists visit our base," said Pu Anning, chief of the center's general office.

The base was established in a mountainous area in March 1987 with six sick and hungry pandas. It currently has 121 pandas.

The bamboo forests make the base an ideal site for a half-day visit, which starts at 7:30 am when pandas usually stay outside their dens, eating bamboo and frolicking.

• Temple of the Marquis of Wu

In the afternoon, history buffs can visit the site built for Zhuge Liang (AD 181-234), prime minister of the Shu Kingdom during the Three Kingdoms period (AD 220-280) and now the personification of loyalty and wisdom in China.

The temple is the most widely known of about 100 ancient sites in China related to the Three Kingdoms period.

Statues of civil officials and generals of the Shu Kingdom, most of whom are household names in Chinese culture, are on display at the museum.

• Jinli Street

After visiting the temple, tourists can stroll this nearby street built in the traditional Chinese architectural style.

It offers a variety of local snacks ranging from noodles to dumplings priced from 5 yuan to 10 yuan.

Day 2

• Jinsha Site Museum

On Feb 8, 2001, workers at an apartment construction site in Jinsha in western Chengdu found pieces of ivory and jade in a pile of mud.

Since then, archaeologists have excavated more than 5,000 relics, including items of gold, jade, bronze and stoneware, as well as a metric ton of intact elephant tusks.

Many of the relics are on display in the Jinsha Site Museum.

• Du Fu Thatched Cottage Museum

Upon entering the gardenlike museum near Jinsha, visitors stand on what is considered sacred land in historical Chinese literature.

The museum is dedicated to Du Fu (AD 712-770), a poet who lived in the transitional period coinciding with the decline of the Tang Dynasty (AD 618-907).

Du, who experienced a great deal of hardship, used poems to record social ills, national conflict and chaos caused by war and daily suffering.

About 240 of his 1,400-plus poems Chinese people read today were written in Chengdu when he lived in the thatched cottage for nearly four years.

Near the northern entrance of the museum is a restaurant serving the famous spicy dish of mapo tofu, first served in 1862.

Day 3

• Dujiangyan

For the third and final day, visitors can visit this city under the administration of Chengdu.

The Dujiangyan Irrigation Project is the world's only preserved water conservation project that doesn't have a dam. The project was included in the UNESCO's World Cultural Heritage List in 2000.

Source: By Huang Zhiling ( China Daily)

5 places to travel with nomads in China

Most of China’s dwindling nomadic groups -- the Tibetans, Mongols, Kazakhs and Kyrgyzs -- live on the vast grasslands in the north and northwest.

Yes, they use mobile phones, watch satellite TV and, for part of the year, live in concrete buildings, but that’s that's what makes hanging out with them a precious experience -- the pure nomadic lifestyle is disappearing quickly.

And here is where you can find it in China.

Kyrgyzs, Lake Karakul, Xinjiang

Who they are: The Kyrgyzs (柯尔克孜族) are Turkic people from Kyrgyzstan but some 140,000 live in China.

In summer they live in yurts by the stunning glacier lake Karakul (拉库勒湖) on the Karakoram Highway.

They graze yak, horses and sheep. In the winter they live in brick houses also by the side of the lake across the grasslands.

What to expect: Accommodation is in the families' own yurts and you can take part in herding yak, making food and collecting yak dung fuel. These nomads can organize tours or treks of the countryside by camel, horse or motorbike.

Life has a yurt-like pace. As my host Abiti Kudush repeatedly said, “Karakul is a long way from Beijing.”

Expect plenty of chay (tea), a good fire, friendly conversation, bedding and three meals -- tea and bread for breakfast, homemade noodles for lunch and dinner.

How to travel with them: Book a yurt through a tour company in Kashgar or just show up -- local men will meet the bus with hand-written recommendations from other travelers. I paid RMB 20-30 for accommodation and three meals, other travelers have recently reported paying RMB 40-50.

Contacts: Abiti Kudush lives about a kilometer from the Lake Karakul bus stop in a small clump of yurts by the lake. He can be reached via +86 137 7903 0302.

Tour companies and hotels in Kashgar, in West Xinjiang, organize small groups and customized trips to Lake Karakul. China Southern and Hainan Air operate daily flights between Kashgar and Urumqi.

Kazakhs, Tian Chi lake, Xinjiang


Who they are: Kazakhs (哈萨克族) are one of 47 ethnic groups in Xinjiang and account for approximately seven percent of the local population. Many live in yurts along the shores, hills and valleys of

Tian Chi lake (天池), which is 110 kilometers east of Urumqi.

These Kazakhs are semi-nomadic, relying on animals, tourism and horse shows for their income.

What to expect: Days with Kazakhs can be spent reading, trekking, horse riding or relaxing around the yurt base. Kazakh families are easygoing and happy to oblige with plenty of fuel in the stove, noodles on the table and hot tea.

At night, sit back and enjoy the campfire, the stars and the comfort of the yurt.

How to travel with them: Some tours to Tian Chi (mostly from Urumqi) include a yurt stay, but no pre-booking is required. Dawanzi (大湾子) is a settlement of four to five yurts open to tourists by the southwest lake shore.

Look for Mr. Rachit, a Kazakh nomad who has hosted travelers for years. His family runs a visitor yurt. I paid RMB 50 for accommodation and meals, but more recent travelers put the price closer to RMB 100.
Rachit’s brother Mokhyat operates superb horse treks and may throw in free Kazakh horse-riding lessons en route.

Contacts: Mr. Rachit can be reached via +86 994 831 500 or +86 138 9964 1550.

Tour companies and hotels in Urumqi organize various trips to Tian Chi. 

Mongols, Zhaohe / Hailar / Xilinhot, Inner Mongolia

Who they are: Semi-nomadic Mongolians (蒙古族) occupy the grasslands in northern China around Hohhot (呼和浩特) and Hailar (海拉尔), although most live in the Republic of Mongolia.

Traditionally they raised horses, cows/yaks, sheep, goats and camels, but today many live in townships in the winter. However they still take to the grasslands in summer and keep up their traditional arts, cuisine and horse riding.

What to expect: Organized grassland tours from Hohhot and Hailar often include food, entertainment, traditional dress shows and singing, but travelers are crammed in one ger (Mongol for yurt) on enormous sites at night.

Hosts served mutton, yogurt, dried yak cheese (aaruul), fermented mare’s milk (in season) and possibly baijiu (distilled liquor).

How to travel with them: Take a bus from Hohhot to Zhaohe (昭和) on the Xilamuren Grassland where families will invite you to stay. Alternatively rent a taxi and ask the driver to make arrangements. Food and accommodation cost about RMB 60 per day.

The Hulunbuir grasslands near Hailar and Xilingol grasslands in Xilinhot (锡林浩特) are less visited and here tours (RMB 100-300) and independent travel is possible.

Contacts: Book tours through Tongda Hotel (+86 471 692 6676) and Anda Guesthouse (+86 471 691 8039) in Hohhot or use an online agent such as China International Travel Service.

Hohhot's Baita Airport links to many major cities in China, including Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Chongqing.

Kham Tibetans, Tagong grassland, Sichuan

Who they are: The Kham (康区藏族) are a branch of Tibetans inhabiting the scenic high-altitude grasslands in eastern Tibet, southern Qinghai and western Sichuan.

The semi-nomadic group spends the day moving herds to new pastures on horseback and they dress the part with cowboy hats, swords or knives and braids.

From late spring until fall they live in black yak wool tents on the grasslands but go into town for festivals and casual employment.

What to expect: Travelers hang out with them in various ways, from horse riding and trekking to assisting with animal husbandry, milking, cheese-making or herding.

The nomads serve Tibetan food like yak yogurt and tsampa -- a hard bread made from roasted barley flour -- butter tea and water/beer. They serve copious amounts of butter tea, which is an acquired taste at first but may grow on you after a long day.

How to travel with them: Horse and trekking tours are available in Tagong (塔公) with nomad accommodation. Prices vary as many are custom designed.

Contacts: Sally’s Kham Restaurant and Bar (+86 139 9045 4752) in Tagong organizes tours. Definitelynomadic.com (+86 136 8449 3301) also runs various treks around the region as well as local art workshops.

The nearest traffic hub to Tagong is Kangding (康定). China Eastern flies between the Kangding and provincial capital Chengdu every day.

Tibetans, Langmusi, Amdo, northern Sichuan and southern Gansu

Who they are: Some 25 percent of Tibetans live in Amdo (安多), an area covering northern Sichuan and southern Gansu.

Along with the Kham and Lhasa people, they make up the three main sub-groups of Tibetans.

What to expect: Guide Losang from Plateau Photo Tours says, “Amdo remains the best region to see traditional nomadic life,” but many are being resettled in towns.

Langmusi (郎木寺) is a small village standing 3,800 meters above sea level on the Sichuan and Gansu border. Nomads come into town by horse or motorbike for provisions.
In the rugged valley outside town or on the nearby fertile grasslands, they serve travelers with yak meat, vegetables and yak yogurt with honey on an overnight stay.

How to travel with them: Losang says it’s possible to go solo into Amdo but as nomads live some distance from town he recommends a tour for the greatest ease. Many tours are customized so prices vary.

Contacts: Plateau Photo Tours organizes photography tours in Amdo. It can be reached via info@plateauphototours.com. Other recommended tour companies include Snow Lion Tours (+86 971 816 3350) and Jimpa Travel, which provides tours in English and French (+86 131 9575 9602).

One option to get to Langmusi is via Lanzhou (兰州), provincial capital of Gansu. Take a long-distance bus to Hezuo (合作) from Lanzhou South Bus Terminal, then switch to a second long-distance bus from Hezuo Bus Terminal to Langmusi town.

Source: CNN Go By Joanne Lane

Top 10 attractions in China's Sichuan

Jiuzhaigou Valley

Jiuzhaigou Valley is a nature reserve and national park located in the northern part of Sichuan Province. It is part of the Minshan Mountain range on the edge of the Tibetan Himalayan Plateau, extending over 72,000 hectares.

A branch of the Baihe River, the upper stream of Baishuigou Valley, Jiuzhaigou Valley was named after the nine Tibetan villages located along its length. With an elevation ranging from 2,000 m to 4,500 m, the valley is covered by primary forests and 108 lakes. It is known for its crystal lakes, multi-level waterfalls, colorful forests, snow-capped peaks and Tibetan culture. Over 140 types of birds can be found in the valley, together with many other kinds of endangered animals and plants, including pandas and Sichuan Takins.

Thanks to its beautiful landscape, Jiuzhaigou Valley has been branded a "fairytale world" and a "fairyland on earth." In 1992, UNESCO put the area on its World Heritage Site List and in 1997 named it a World Biosphere Reserve.

Admission:
220 yuan (US$34.77)/person (summer);
80 yuan (US$12.64)/person (winter)

Mount Emei

Sitting on the western rim of the Sichuan Basin, Mount Emei is a scenic area in Emei City, stretching over 15,400 hectares. Its highest peak is Wanfo Peak, with an elevation of 3,099 meters.

Mt. Emei has a steep terrain and boasts some great natural scenery. It is covered by more than 3,000 kinds of plants, including a number of rare trees. Groups of monkeys are often seen by the mountain roads, looking to get some food from the travelers.

As one of the Four Sacred Buddhist Mountains of China, Mt. Emei features some 26 temples, including 8 major ones, which frequently hold Buddhist ceremonies.

Mt. Emei was made a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996.

Admission:
150 yuan (US$23.7)/person (summer);
90 yuan (US$14.22)/person (winter)

Leshan Giant Buddha

The Leshan Giant Buddha, or Lingyun Giant Buddha, is the sculpture of a seated Maitreya Buddha located at the confluence of the Minjiang, Dadu and Qingyi rivers in southern Sichuan Province, close to the city of Leshan. The stone sculpture, carved out from a cliff, faces Mount Emei, with the rivers flowing below its feet.

Built in Tang Dynasty (618–907), it is the largest stone-carved sitting Maitreya Buddha in the world as well as the tallest pre-modern statue in the world (by far).

Mount Emei Scenic Area, including Leshan Giant Buddha Scenic Area, has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1996. It easily rivals other famous stone carvings such as the Sphinx and the Valley of the Kings in Egypt.

Admission:90 yuan (US$14.22)/person

Hailuo Valley

The Hailuo Valley lies at the foot of the Gongga snow-topped peak, situated on the eastern hillside of Gongga Mountain at the eastern edge of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. It is well-known for its low-elevation glacier.

The crystal glacier comes down along the steep hillside and decorates the whole valley with a pure icy white coating. Its huge ice cave and bridge make the scenery resemble a crystal palace straight out of an ancient myth. More particularly, the magnificent grand ice waterfall, over 1,000 meters high and 1,100 meters wide, is 10 times larger than the famous Huangguoshu Waterfall in Guizhou Province.

In this world of ice and snow, there are dozens of hot, warm and cold springs, exuding from underground. The highest temperature of the spring mouth can be up to 90℃. The ancient forest is also an important feature of the valley.

Admission:72 yuan (US$11.38)/person

Southern Sichuan Bamboo Forest

Sixty-eight kilometers southeast of Yibin City, you find an extraordinary natural bamboo forest, covering a total area of 60,000 mu (4,000 hectares), including 500 hills.

The Bamboo Forest scenic area, situated at an elevation ranging from 600 m to 1,000 m, features as many as 58 different bamboo types. Strong and dense, from a distance they seem to resemble a green ocean. The scenic area also features mountains, rivers, karst caves, lakes and falls. In the middle of the forest you find many cultural relics and historical sites, such as the Bamboo Forest Museum, the old folk residences on Mount Xijia and fish fossils.

The scenic area has very enjoyable weather with a year-round average temperature of 15.5℃ (60℉). It is the perfect place to enjoy some fresh air and gaze out over the beautiful landscape. It has been described as "one of the top 10 most beautiful forests in China."

Admission:85 yuan (US$13.43)/person

Mount Qingcheng

Located to the southwest of Dujiangyan, Sichuan Province, Mount Qingcheng can claim to have some strong roots for China's Taoism (Daoism). It is a famous historical mountain and one of the nation's major scenic areas.

The mountain faces the Chengdu Plain, at the back sporting the Minjiang River, and stretches over an area of 200 square kilometers (20,000 hectares). It has 36 peaks, 8 large caves and 72 small caves. Its main peak, Laoxiao Peak, rises up to 1,260 meters. Many temples can be found in the area.

In 2000, UNESCO included Mount Qingcheng, together with the Dujiangyan Irrigation System, on its World Heritage List.

Admission:90 yuan (US$14.22)/person

Dujiangyan  Irrigation System

Dujiangyan is an irrigation infrastructure built by Governor Li Bing of the Qin State in 256 BC, during China's Warring States Period (476-221BC). It is situated on the Min River in Sichuan Province, near its capital Chengdu.

Dujiangyan is the only existing ancient hydro-power project, featuring diversions without a dam, in the world. It is widely regarded as the "ancestor" of the world's hydro-power culture, with a history dating back over 2,200 years. It also functions as a means for preventing floods and plain shipping. It is still in use today, irrigating over 5,300 square kilometers of the region's land.

Dujiangyan is known as one of the "three great hydraulic engineering projects of the Qin Dynasty." The other two are the Zhengguo Canal in Shaanxi Province and the Lingqu Canal in Guangxi Province.

Dujiangyan is also one of China's better-known touristic spots, with many historic sites surrounding the area.

Admission:90 yuan (US$14.22)/person

Huanglong

Located in the southern part of the Minshan Mountain range, Huanglong is a scenic and historic area in northwestern Sichuan, extending over an area of 700 square kilometers (70,000 hectares).

This area is known for its colorful pools created by calcite deposits, especially in Huanglonggou (Yellow Dragon Gully), as well as for its diversity in forest ecosystems, snow-capped peaks, waterfalls and hotsprings. Its highest peak, or Xuebao Peak, measures a height of 5,588 meters and is covered with eternal snow. It is located at the eastern end of China's currently remaining glaciers.

Huanglong is also home to many endangered species, including the Giant Panda and the Sichuan Golden Snub-nosed Monkey. Huanglong was declared a World Heritage Site by the UNESCO in 1992 and listed in the World Human and Biosphere Reserve by the UN in 2000.

Admission:
200 yuan (US$31.6)/person (summer);
60 yuan (US$9.48)/person (winter)

Four Girls Mountain

Located in the Aba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan Province, the Four Girls Mountain consists of four adjacent peaks, covered with eternal snow. Its name stems from a local legend that the place was once slammed by chilling northern winds and in order to protect the local residents, four beautiful girls turned into four peaks to shield the place from the blows.

Just like four girls, the charming peaks are white as ice and pearly colored as jade, spanning an area of over 2,000 square kilometers (200,000 hectares) and earning it the nickname of the "Eastern Alps." The 6,250-meter-high fourth peak is the highest as well as the most captivating one. The heights of the first, second, and third peaks are 5,355 meters, 5,454 meters, and 5,664 meters respectively.

As a nation-level nature reserve, the mountain is home to many species, including golden monkeys and black bears. It flaunts a group of scenic areas where people can go to enjoy some sightseeing, mountain climbing and other recreational outings.

Admission:
Changping Valley: 70 yuan (US$11.06)/person (summer);
50 yuan (US$7.9)/person (winter)
Shuangqiao Valley: 80 yuan (US$12.64)/person (summer);
50 yuan (US$7.9)/person (winter)
Haizi Valley: 60 yuan (US$9.48)/person (summer);
40 yuan (US$6.32)/person (winter)

Yading

Yading is a nation-level reserve in Daocheng County, in the southwest of Sichuan Province. Located in the eastern part of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, it boasts a beautiful alpine valley scenery.

The reserve covers an area of 1,344 square kilometers (134,400 hectares), with Chenrezig being its highest peak at 6,032 meters above sea level. It is known as one of China's oldest and best-preserved alpine ecosystems. The reserve's particular geographical environment, in addition to its alpine springs, carries with it a rather humid climate with rich vergetation covering the land, creating unique scenic sights.

Yading's amazing scenery has won itself the titles of "the last Shangri-La" and "the last pure land on the blue planet."

Admission:150 yuan (US$23.7)/person

Source: Xinhua

Liujiang Ancient Town in Sichuan

Located in Hongya County of Sichuan Province, Liujiang Ancient Town was once dominated by a few wealthy families in the old time. Its well-preserved traditional Chinese garden style residences, together with the nearby mountains and the creeks running through the town compose a beautiful landscape picture. (Source: Xinhua)

Chengdu- In the footsteps of pandas and poets

The famous poet Du Fu has long been called China's Shakespeare, but if literary history has respect for its elders then the Chinese wordsmith has 800 years on the Bard of Avon. The renowned Tang Dynasty (AD 618-907) writer was not originally from Sichuan province, but it was while living a simple life in a thatched house in Chengdu where the poet - revered, learned and recited by all Chinese school children - penned more than 200 pieces of work. Today, the Du Fu Thatched Cottage Museum is just one reason to visit the capital of Sichuan province, which boasts a warm climate year round, but for those with a taste for spice, a mind for history and modern style, the city offers a feast of discovery.

Located in China's southwest , Chengdu is home to around 14 million people with a history that can be traced back more than 2,500 years as an ancient capital.

The title of capital may have disappeared many years ago, but the city's historic significance as a center of regional politics, military and commerce remains forever.

Getting to Chengdu is relatively easy from any city in China with direct flights for less than 2,000 yuan ($320). British Airways recently announced it will start three direct flights a week from London, making the city much more accessible to European travelers eager to get beyond the must-see sights of Beijing and Shanghai.

Located in the city center, the Shangri-La Hotel is ideally situated to traverse the scenic spots and offers great views of the Jinjiang River and Hejiang Pavilion, and it is within crawling distance of one of the city's main bar streets.

The hotel boasts 593 guestrooms and suites with all the latest gadgets and gizmos for the modern traveler: wall-mounted plasma TV screens, free WiFi and the luxury of the Horizon Club, where guests are treated to evening cocktails, canapes and complimentary suit-pressing.

The laid-back city, sometimes called "the land of milk and honey" due to its agricultural wealth, is vast - and just within the city limits there's plenty to see and do.

Take a trip to the heart of the city, where enormous statue of late Chairman Mao Zedong looks over Tianfu Square. At night, the scene features dancing couples, lively music and an impressive water show synchronized to music.

It is also a good place to get your bearings, as it is the very center of the city. The hub of Chengdu's impressive subway system is also located directly under the square.

The People's Park, just two blocks west of the square, offers another one of the region's pastimes, a place where you can sit for hours, sip tea and indulge in some people-watching as locals play mahjong and fish under bonsai trees.

Other great sites include the Temple of Marquis Wu with a shrine dedicated to Zhuge Liang of Three Kingdoms (AD 220-280) period. It is the only temple in China where both the king and his subjects are enshrined.

If you have a little more time, go see the Leshan Giant Buddha, located just over one hour from the city. It's the world's largest stone-carved image of Maitreya Buddha at 71 meters tall.

Work began in the year 713. It was built in the hope that its presence would calm the turbulent and dangerous waters of the passing rivers.

Emei Mountain is just 28 kilometers from Leshan and home to one of the four sacred Buddhist mountains of China.

But no trip to Sichuan would be complete without seeing a giant panda.

The region has long been known for having the largest number of pandas in the world. While it is rare to catch sight of them in their natural habitat, the Chengdu Panda Base houses some 60 giant pandas and is a research center dedicated to the breeding and conservation of the endangered species.

Wenshu Temple, Wangjianglou Park and Qingyang Palace are also major draws for visitors as is a trip to the home of Chuan Opera - one of China's oldest and most popular arts with magic face-changing.

But if you're looking for a quick change of face, you can now travel by high-speed rail between Chengdu and its rival city of Chongqing, which is now one of the four municipalities in China, in around 2 hours for 92 yuan. And the difference is truly a tale of two cities.

Chongqing is called also Mountain City. It was once, and may still be, the fastest growing metropolis on the planet.

The streets of the city seem to zigzag everywhere with stone stairs leading to modern shopping malls in a city that looks and feels prosperous, rich in history and adorned by skyscrapers in every direction.

Cranes and scaffolding dot the skyline as far as the eye can see, as do rows of newly completed apartment buildings that overlook the small boats and cruise ships ferrying tourists along the Jialing and Yangtze rivers.

Cargo vessels carrying coal, building materials and raw minerals once provided the majority of traffic plying the river. Now, the most important inland port in China is the final stop for many luxury cruise ships.

There has always been a healthy inter-city rivalry running between Chengdu and Chongqing, not least over which has the best hotpot.

The other crown that is also long been contested is which of the two cities boasts the best-looking people in China. Both cities clearly have beauty, but as it is always in the eye of the beholder, take a trip and decide for yourself.

Source: By Lee Hannon (China Daily)

Scenery of Jiaodingshan Mountain in Hanyuan, Sichuan

Photo taken from the top of the Jiaodingshan Mountain on Feb. 10, 2013 shows the scenery of the Minya Konka (Gongga Mountain), in Hanyuan County, Sichuan Province. (Xinhua/Jiang Hongjing)

Chengdu to Build 11 Billion Dollar New Airport

(CRI) Regulatory approvals have been given to build a new 11-billion-dollar airport in Sichuan's capital, Chengdu.

The new airport in Southwest China is scheduled to be completed by 2025.

The new Chengdu airport is going to have three runways, and should be able to handle 40 million passengers per year.

Chengdu's existing International Airport, built in 1938, is already the 5th busiest airport in the country, behind only Beijing, the two airports in Shanghai and Guangzhou.

Some 37-million people flew in and out of the Shuangliu Airport last year.

Source: CRI

Autumn on Mt. Emei

Mount Emei, located in Emei, Sichuan province, is one of the Four Buddhist Holy Mountains in China.

Source: china.org