Over time as the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, the highest and largest plateau on Earth rose in Southwest China, a warm and vast land surrounded by mountains was created in its east. From then on, the land featuring snow-capped mountains and a mild climate has become a cradle of civilisation and culture, where stories and dreams are never ending. This land is Chengdu.

 

（Photo by Jia Nan）

 

The Chengdu Plain is located in the western part of the Sichuan Basin, sandwiched between the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and the Longquan Mountains. It extends from the southwest to the northeast. The Longmen Mountains in the west, the Longquan Mountains in the east, and hills in the north and south enclose the Plain covering 18,810 square kilometres, which makes it the largest of its kind in Southwest China.

 

（Photo by Tian Jieyan）

 

When looking westward from the Chengdu Plain at an altitude of 500 meters, you may find towering snow-capped peaks and urban buildings complement each other with a majestic and peculiar view. As ancient Chinese poet Du Fu (712-770) wrote, "My window frames the snow-crowned western mountain scene". His observation has hereafter set a precedent for describing Chengdu as a city with a snowy mountain skyline.

 

 

Ancestors' wisdom of creating a habitable place

 

 

From ancient Chinese sage Dayu, who led to divide the Minjiang River and dig the Tuojiang River to control floods, to the legendary figure Bieling, who led to break the Yulei Mountain to prevent flooding, to Li Bing, designer of the Dujiangyan Irrigation System, many ancestors made full use of the local terrain and redirected the water in Chengdu. As a result, the water of the Minjiang River flowed through the Dujiangyan Irrigation System and dispersed into various channels such as the Jinma River, the Jiang'an River, and the Zouma River, weaving a large network of rivers of various sizes across the Chengdu Plain. Every corner could receive the nourishment of the water, thus creating the Land of Abundance where there is no famine due to sufficient water or drought caused by insufficient water.

 

（Photo by Huang Lunbin）

 

 

Culture and history passed down in this poetic city

 

 

During the Han Dynasty (206 BC-220 AD), Chengdu was one of the five major cities in the country and was named "Jinguan City" due to its developed brocade (Jin in Chinese) industry. The Wuhou Shrine Museum tells the touching stories of the Shu Kingdom during the Three Kingdoms period (220-280), including the righteous and benevolent Emperor Liu Bei, the wise and selfless prime minister Zhuge Liang, and loyal and heroic brothers Guan Yu and Zhang Fei. This satisfies people's desire for a beautiful vision of a historical society.

 

 

Throughout his life, Tang Dynasty poet Li Bai (701-762) aspired to "fly ninety thousand miles up to the skies". Despite being crushed by reality, he still wrote "Located in heaven is Chengdu, a bustling city, where people are living happily". During the tumultuous years of "on war-torn land streams flow and mountains stand", Chengdu provided Du Fu with the greatest solace and inspiration. At the thatched cottage, he created many poems, including a line showing his broad-mindedness, "could I get mansions covering ten thousand miles".

 

 

A city of happiness and diverse cultures

 

 

For people from outside the city, Chengdu is the Land of Abundance with a soft dialect, adorable giant pandas, tea houses filled with bamboo chairs and tea fragrance, spicy and flavourful Sichuan cuisine, Mount Qingcheng and the Dujiangyan Irrigation System, bars in the Yulin community, Du Fu's Thatched Cottage Museum, and poet Xue Tao's colored writing paper.

 

 

For the locals, Chengdu is their hometown with a charming dialect and delicious food in unattractive restaurants, where lovable "obedient" husbands can be found. It is a city where people enjoy the sweet taste of fresh pea shoots in spring, where they can relax and enjoy life, where they don't get worried and even earthquakes can't stop them from finishing off the round of majiang (mahjong).

 

 

A city of dreams

 

 

Over the course of Qin (221 BC-207 BC) and Han (202 BC-220 AD) dynasties, Tang (618-907 AD) and Song (960-1279 AD) dynasties, and up to the present day, Chengdu has consistently maintained a spirit that is unique to itself. It is a spirit of a vast and profound vision, of perseverance and dedication when traversing the ancient road to Sichuan, of resilience and humour in the face of adversity, of calmness and composure in daily life. It is a spirit of stubbornness and romance as seen in the story of Sima Xiangru and Zhuo Wenjun, of compassion for the people as embodied by Du Fu, and of bravery and determination as the Sichuan Army showed in the Chinese War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression (1931-1945). It is a spirit of the powerful vitality of a city of over 21 million residents today.

 

(Photo by 翔升Jason)

 

Today, Chengdu tells people with impressive data that it has transformed into a city of the youth for innovation, entrepreneurship and achieving dreams.

 

 

A city of sports

 

 

Since ancient times, the mild climate and abundant resources of Chengdu have made life comfortable for its residents, which has naturally led to the development of various leisure and sports activities. Ancient Chinese sports can almost all be found in Chengdu today, such as cuju (football), touhu (throw arrows into wine pitchers), chuiwan (golf), maqiu (polo), wushu, jirang (hit the board), water games, and archery.

 

(Photo by Zhang Yunke)

 

The sporting culture in Chengdu is strong. Running and cycling along the Tianfu Greenway has become a popular way of exercising for the residents. Sporting events such as the World Team Table Tennis Championships, the World Taijiquan Championships, the World DanceSport Festival, and the World Police and Fire Games have also been held in the city.

 

(Photo by Jiang Renke)

 

On 28 July, 2023, the opening ceremony of the 31st summer edition of the FISU World University Games, one of the world's largest and most prestigious multi-sport events, will take place in Chengdu. Tens of thousands of young people from all over the world will gather to compete and realise their dreams.

 

Chengdu, a city of sports where hard work takes people to the top.

 

Edited by Huang Xiaomei