Brief IntroductionSichuan Province is located in
southwest China, with Chengdu as its capital city. Sichuan,
generally classified as a rice region, abounds in agricultural
products. It is listed as one of China's major producers of rice,
wheat, cotton, rapeseeds, raw silk, oil-bearing crops, meat, and
fruit, and also holds a significant place in production of medicinal
herbs, pigs and cattle. Sichuan's major industrial products are
metals, coal, petroleum, machinery, electric power, well salt,
chemicals, electronics, textiles and foodstuff etc.
Sichuan, in China's western hinterland, covers most of the
Sichuan Basin. Surrounded by mountains, it is situated at
26'03"-34'20" north latitude and 97'22"-110'10" east longitude with
an area of 567,000 square kilometers, accounting for 5.1% of China's
total area. Sichuan is high in the west and low in the east in terms
of topography. Generally speaking, the western part is plateaus and
mountainous regions some 4,000 meters above sea level, while the
eastern part features basin and hilly land with an elevation between
1,000 and 3,000 meters.
The climate in Sichuan is vastly different between its
eastern and western parts. The Sichuan Basin has a humid
sub-tropical monsoonal climate, with mild winters, hot summers, long
frost-free period, plentiful rainfall and mist, high humidity, and
less sunshine. Its average temperature in July, the hottest month,
is 25-29oC; in January, the coldest month, 3-8oC. The Western
Sichuan Plateau with its plateau climate has lower temperature and
less rainfall than the Sichuan Basin, both of which differ again in
the southern and northern sections of the plateau.
Sichuan is divided into 5 districts, 3 autonomous
prefectures, 13 prefecture-level cities, 18 county-level cities, 124
counties, and 3 autonomous counties, with a population of 83.29
million as of 2000.
Sichuan Cuisine, one of the Eight Great Cuisines in China,
emphasizes the use of chili, red hot peppers and garlic. Typical
menu items are: Hot Pot, Smoked Duck, Kung Pao Chicken, Twice Cooked
Pork, Mapo Tofu. Shuizhu Niurou (steamed beef with a variety of
seasonings and spices), Yuxiang Rousi (a roast pork dish cooked with
bamboo shoots, mushrooms), Zhangcha Duck (salted, smoked duck), etc.
|
|
Sichuan is known as the "Land of Abundance" and has three
places listed as the World Cultural and Natural Heritage, namely the
Jiuzhaigou Scenic Area, the Huanglong Scenic Area, and Emei Mountain
including the Leshan Giant Buddha. Visitors to this province can
experience a wide variety of beautiful landscapes including
plateaus, mountains, ravines, basins, hills, plains, rivers, lakes,
hot springs, waterfalls and limestone caves. Most of the rivers in
Sichuan belong to the Yangtze River system.
Sichuan is gifted with lush mountains and exquisite waters,
and abounds in historical and cultural resources. Its main scenic
spots and historical sites include Emei Mountain, Qingcheng
Mountain, and Long Valley, the Dujiangyan Irrigation System, Leshan
Giant Buddha, and Jiuzhaigou (Nine-Village Valley). The Wolong
Nature Reserve in Sichuan is home to the Chengdu Giant Panda
Research Base, one of the most important centers in the world for
the captive conservation of the Giant Panda.
As one of the largest provinces, Sichuan has more than 15
minority groups living with the Han people. Among these are the
Yi, Hui, Tibetan and Miao peoples. Each of these minorities has its
own charm, ethnic style and folk custom. Some of the ethical
festivals like Leshan Great Buddha International Tourist Festival,
Southland Ice and Snow Festival, Liangshan Yi Minority Torch
Festival and Zigong Lantern Festival have become Sichuan's unique
tourist resources.
Exaggerated relief map showing the isolated and unique placement of
Sichuan Province |
