Chengdu

Chengdu (in Chinese: 成都, in Pinyin: Chéngdū), also called métaphoriquement Róngchéng (蓉城) “the city of the hibiscus”, is the capital of the province Sichuan. It has the administrative statute of under-provincial city.

Geography and climate

The town of Chengdu is located at the mid-west of the China, in the plain of Sichuan, with the foot of the plate Tibetan. The city is regarded as the center of China of the west, it is in any case the role which she assumes in the governmental development plan of the Chinese west. Its exact position is between 102°54 ′ and 104°53 ′ of longitude is and between 30°5 ′ and 31°26 ′ of northern latitude.

The average temperatures of Chengdu go from +6,1°C for the coldest month to +26,3°C for the hottest month, with an annual average of +16,9°C, and the Pluviométrie is there of 967,6 mm (figures stopped in 1990).

History

Chengdu existed already with the Period of Springs and the Falls (770-475 av. J. - C.) At the beginning of IVème century before JC, the king of the country of Shu, Kaiming IX, moved his capital there. Archeology proved that the first lots of mileage connecting the kingdoms of Qin and Shu were done during the period of the Royaumes combatants. They allowed the invasion of the kingdom of Shu by king de Qin. A legend tells that king de Qin wanted to destroy Shu, but escarpés mounts separated it from this area. There was no road, on which the army of Qin could advance towards Shu. King de Qin made carve five gigantic stone oxen and place some gold coins behind, applicant whom the oxen could make of gold. King de Shu let himself deceive and sent five robust men to draw five oxen in his country. Three oxen were trailed thus until Chengdu. The result was that the road leading to Shu from now on was traced. The army of Qin did not have any more but to follow to attack Shu.

Chengdu was conquered by the Dynastie Qin in -316. In -311, the sovereign made build the walls of the city according to the model of the city of Xianyang (咸阳). The name of the Sichuan province was changed several times during the Dynastie Han: initially in Chéngjiā (成家), then in Yìzhōu (益州), but the name of the city changed forever since the beginning.

In -250, the governor, Li Bing, undertook the construction of the hydraulic complex of Dujiangyan in order to use water of the Min river to irrigate the plain of Chengdu, transform later on in a true attic with cereals intended for the provisioning of Qin. Li Bing and its son directed the construction of the work by calculating in a scientific way the relationship between the irrigation, the deviation of believed and the evacuation of the silt. The zone irrigated by the complex of Dujiangyan did not cease extending. The Li Bing design called forever into question and the work are regarded as a masterpiece of the hydraulic science of Antiquity.

For this time, the Sichuan has been one of the most fertile provinces of the country. At the 2nd century before our era, of rich person families had there grounds, parks and even undertaken iron and steel. Gas was discovered at that time which was used for the production of salt.

Under the Dynasty Han (-202 - 220), Chengdu became an important center of manufacture and trade of gibe, thanks to a civil servant of the government, Jinguan, which developed the craft industry of weaving and the culture of silk. Chengdu becomes a very important stage then on the Silk route.

Towards -141, Wen Weng, governor of Shu, founded in Chengdu, the first official school opened with all. Active and re-elected, one as well taught there astronomy, prose and philosophy. The author Sima Xiangru attended it.

It is in Chengdu that was founded the kingdom of Shu Han by the monarch Liu EIB (刘备) for the period of the three kingdoms, between 221 and 263.

Demography

The population of the prefecture was estimated at: 10440000 inhabitants in 2004, and that of the town of Chengdu with: 3972509 inhabitants in 2007.

Culture

Two of the largest poets of the Tang dynasty resided at it: not only Lǐ Bái (李白), but especially the poet Dù Fǔ (杜甫) for one long period; a park of the city reconstituting its residence was created besides there recently.

The city is famous for its quality of life and its inhabitants débonnaires. It is famous for the number of houses of the which strew its streets.

One speaks the dialect there about Chengdu of the Mandarin of South-west.

Economy

In 2005, total GDP was of 237,1 billion Yuan S, and the GDP per capita of: 19627 yuans .

Chengdu has an airport (code AITA: CTU).

Twinnings

Chengdu is twinned with Montpellier (Herault, France) and Kōfu (Japan).

Administrative divisions

The under-provincial city of Chengdu exerts its jurisdiction on nineteen subdivisions - nine districts, four city-counties and six counties :

the district of Qingyang - 青羊区 Qīngyáng Qū ;
the district of Jinjiang - 锦江区 Jǐnjiāng Qū ;
the district of Jinniu - 金牛区 Jīnniú Qū ;
the district of Wuhou - 武侯区 Wǔhóu Qū ;
the district of Chenghua - 成华区 Chénghuá Qū ;
the district of Longquanyi - 龙泉驿区 Lóngquányì Qū ;
the district of Qingbaijiang - 青白江区 Qīngbáijiāng Qū ;
the district of Xindu - 新都区 Xīndū Qū ;
the district of Wenjiang - 温江区 Wēnjiāng Qū ;
the town of Dujiangyan - 都江堰市 Dūjiāngyàn Shì ;
the town of Pengzhou - 彭州市 Péngzhōu Shì ;
the town of Qionglai - 邛崃市 Qiónglái Shì ;
the town of Chongzhou - 崇州市 Chóngzhōu Shì ;
the county of Jintang - 金堂县 Jīntáng Xiàn ;
the county of Shuangliu - 双流县 Shuāngliú Xiàn ;
the county of pi - 郫县 Pí Xiàn ;
the county of Dayi - 大邑县 Dàyì Xiàn ;
the county of Pujiang - 蒲江县 Pújiāng Xiàn ;
the county of Xinjin - 新津县 Xīnjīn Xiàn .

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