Sichuan Facts

Sichuan is a province in Southwestern China with its capital in Chengdu. As the hometown of panda, Sichuan possesses various fantastic natural resorts which not only attract domestic visitors but also highly praised by foreign people.

 

With an area of 485,000 square kilometers and a population of over 87 million, Sichuan is the hometown of Deng Xiaoping, the general architect of China’s reform and opening up to the outside. Besides this civilization factors, Sichuan is a fairy land in the world with its marvelous attractions. 5 scenic spots in Sichuan, namely Jiuzhaigou Valley, Huanglong Scenic Area, Dujiangyan Irrigation System—Mount Qingcheng, the Giant Stone Buddha at Leshan-Mt. Emei, and Giant Panda Habitat, have been listed as World Natural and Cultural Heritage Sites by UNESCO, just next to Beijing in terms of heritage site numbers. Almost every variety of tourist resources is available here: plateaus, mountains, ravines, basins, hills, plains, rivers, lakes, hot springs, waterfalls, limestone caves, and even danxia formation.

 

Since the ancient times, Sichuan has been enjoying the honor of “the land of abundance”. Excellent geographical conditions and economic conditions make it possible for Sichuan to become one of the earliest economically developed regions. According to archaeological studies, human activities did exist in the region of the present Sichuan even in the Paleolithic Age and that the Chengdu Plain used to be the cradle of cultures in the upper reach of Yangtze River 4,000 to 5,000 years ago. Where the Guanghan Sanxingdui ruins and Chengdu Jinsha ruins are situated were once the center of politics, economy and culture of the ancient Kingdom of Shu. Sichuan’s agricultural civilization and urban civilization appeared in early times, and agriculture, metallurgy, silk weaving and architecture all made progress to a certain extent in history. 　

 

 

Geography: Sichuan is located in the upper reach of the Yangtze River and the hinterland of Southwest China.It is bordered by Hubei and Hunan in the east, Guizhou and Yunnan in the south, Xizang (Tibet) in the west and Qinghai, Gansu and Shanxi in the north. Thanks to the favorable climatic conditions, intensive farming and numerous mineral resources, Sichuan wins the honor of “Land of Abundance”. The capital of Sichuan province is Chengdu, situated in the middle of the Province.

 

The area lies in the Sichuan basin and is surrounded by the Himalayas to the far west, including the nearby Tibetan Plateau, Qinling range to the northeast and mountainous areas of Yunnan to the south. Gongga Shan is the highest point in the province at 7,556 meters situated within the Daxue Shan. The Yangtze River flows through the basin and thus is upstream to areas of eastern China. The Minjiang River in central Sichuan is a tributary of the upper Yangtze River, which it joins at Yibin. Plate tectonics formed the Longmen Shan fault, which runs under the north-easterly mountain location of the 2008 earthquake.

Population: According to the data, the population in Sichuan is81,620,000 (2009). There are 55 ethnic groups with a population of 4.22 million in Sichuan. The Yi, Zang, Qiang, Miao, Mongolian, Tujia, Lisu, Manchu, Naxi, Bouyei, Bai, Zhuang, and Dai are indigenous ethnic groups in the Province.

 

Administrative Division: Sichuan consists of eighteen prefecture-level cities and three autonomous prefectures. Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture, Ganzi Zang Autonomous Prefecture, Aba Zang and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture, Mabian Yi Autonomous County, Ebian Yi Autonomous County and Beichuan Qiang Autonomous County are habitations for ethnic groups.

Climate: Sichuan is in the subtropical zone with a humid monsoonal climate. In the eastern basin area and the lower western valleys that are sheltered from cold polar air masses by the surrounding mountains, there are 350 frost-free days in the east, and the growing season lasts nearly all year round. In the west, the sheltering effect of the mountains is evident from the contrast between the perennially snow-capped peaks and the mild weather prevailing in the valleys beneath them.

In January, 3^oC to 8^oC in the lowlands, -9^oC to 3^oC on the plateau, and 8 to 13^oC in the south; in July, 25^oC to 29^oC in the lowlands, 11 to 17^oC on the plateau, and 22^oC to 26^oC in the south.