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Chengdu
Chengdu, the capital
of Sichuan Province in the southwest, has been the economic
and cultural center of China's most populous province since
400 BC
During the Eastern Han Dynasty (35-330 AD),
the imperial court appointed an official to supervise the
fast-growing brocade industry in the town. It was then known
as Jincheng, or Brocade Town. When it was discovered that
the brocade turned brighter and fresher after being washed
in a nearby river, the river was given the name Jin Jiang,
or Brocade River.
During the Five Dynasties era (907-960 A.
D.), it was for a time the capital of China, and hibiscus
was planted all along the city wall. Because of this, it
then became known as the City of Furong or Hibiscus. Today,
flowers and trees grace the wide streets and its many parks.
Agriculture and light industry are the mainstays of the
region. Brocade is still manufactured along with other textiles
and handicrafts. If you stay in Chengdu, you may be able
to see an operatic production. The Sichuan Opera has been
in existence for many years and is slowly winning nationwide
fame.
Places of interest in the city include Du
Fu Caotang, a small thatched hut in which the great poet,
Du Fu, of the Tang Dynasty, wrote many of his 340-odd poems.
But more exciting sights can be seen on
excursions to Mt. Emei, the Great Buddha Statue at Leshan,
the Thousand Buddha Cliffs at Guangyuan and the Guanxian
Dam.
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