Chengdu City Tour Attractions

The Thatched Cottage of Du Fu

The Thatched Cottage of Du Fu is located at the side of the Flower Washing Brook in the western suburbs of Chengdu .  The cottage is the former residence of the famous Tang Dynasty poet, Du Fu.  In the year 759 A .D., at the age of 47, compelled by poverty and social upheaval, he moved from Gansu to the outskirts of Chengdu and built a thatched hut.  During his stay of nearly four years, he composed more than 240 poems reflecting upon the misery of the people.  The original residence disappeared long ago.  It was renovated in the Ming and Qing dynasties and enlarged to its present scale in an expansive park, including a bamboo garden, several pavilions, and a number of bridges. Within the building, from front to back, there are the poetic history halls (of particular interest to writers and scholars who come from near and far), thatched entrance, Gongbuci Temple , and Shaoling Stone Monument .  There are exhibits that provide details of Du Fu's life and work.  In addition, statues, stone carvings, paintings, and calligraphies by famous writers of different dynasties are also on display.  However, the only thing resembling a cottage is a small model.  Springtime in the park is a wonderful experience because of the beautiful mixture of flowers and traditional Chinese architecture.

Construction of the Dujiangyan irrigation project

Construction of the Dujiangyan irrigation project was begun by Li Bing, king of west Sichuan , in 256 B.C. and completed by his son, Er Lang. When Han settlers first arrived 2,200 years ago, the area was a flat plain plagued by frequent summer floods (and winter droughts) caused by the Minjiang, a Changjiang tributary that flows through the Chengdu/Chuan Xi plains. Workers using only hand tools cut a trunk canal, called the "Mouth of the Precious Jar," through a towering mountain in order to feed an extensive system of canals on the plains, thereby turning the Chengdu plains into one of the most fertile in China and giving rise to the description of Chengdu as Heaven on Earth. The project has been maintained and expanded ever since, and it is perhaps one of the world's oldest irrigation schemes in continuous use today. The Sichuanese is very grateful to Li Bing and his son. Both men have been deified (with temples built for them at Dujiangyan and elsewhere), and ceremonies are held every year to commemorate their achievements.

Wuhou Shrine

Temple of Marquis Wu , which is located in the south of Chengdu , is a famous historical site dedicated to the memory of both Liu Bei (161 -- 223), Emperor of the Kingdom of Shu in the Three Kingdoms period (220 -- 280), and Zhuge Liang (181 -- 234), Prime Minister of the kingdom. The temple was originally built by Li Xiong of the Western Jin dynasty (265 -- 316AD), 400 years after Zhuge Liang's death, and rebuilt in the Qing dynasty with a total area of 37000 square meters. The whole complex faces south direction with the first gate, second gate, hall of Liu Bei, corridor, and hall of Zhege Liang sitting on the central axis, in which hall of Liu Bei is the highest and greatest one. A board hung above the first gate reads " Han Zhaolie Temple " (Zhaolie was a title given to Liu Bei posthumously). In spit of this, the temple is commonly known as Wuhou Memorial Temple (Zhuge Liang was conferred on the title of Wu Xianghou after his death). The memorial temple, dignified and simple in style, houses 47 statues of Liu Bei, Zhuge Liang and other civil officials and senior generals of the kingdom. The temple is furnished with many inscribed stone tablets, the most famous being the Tablet of Triple Success of the Tang dynasty (618 -- 907) with its text by Prime Minister Pei Du, calligraphy by Liu Gongchuo and carvings by Lu Jian.

Chengdu research base of the giant panda breeding

Giant panda, as the ‘national treasure' of china, is the flag animal of the conservation of animal diversity in the world and ecological environment protection. Besides, giant pandas bring people happiness and joy of returning to nature with their beauty and characteristics. Chengdu research base of the giant panda breeding is one of the most successful and important institute in the field of conservation and research of giant pandas. The base is situated on the axe hill 10 km from the north suburb of Chengdu city. It covers an area of 600 acres. The environment here is exquisitely designed; the air is refreshing with bamboo growing luxuriantly and flocks of wild birds flying around. There are 39 giant pandas and tens of specious animals such as red pandas and black-necked cranes. The giant panda museum, butterfly exhibit hall and vertebrae animal exhibit are located in the base. Besides, there are also restaurants, entertainment places and conference facilities with special characteristics in the base. The base in Chengdu , in the pursuit of propagandizing and enhancing the sense of conservation of the society, puts the‘program of donation for giant panda conservation' forward and solve the difficulties and problems.

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