Also referred to as a land of countless guises, Sichuan has a rich history going back 4,500 years. It is one of the top places to visit in China.
Located in hinterland of S.W China, the region is also popularly referred to as Shu or Chuan. The west side of Chuan forms part of Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. To the East, there is Sichuan Basin.
Sichuan is the home of breathtaking and world famous sceneries, and has beautiful sights with most friendly folks. Its landscapes are massive to say the least, and comprise raging rivers, mist-shrouded mountains, tranquil villages and zillions of lakes.
It is the cradle of Bronze Age civilizations especially of ancient Sichuan. The province is blended with multiethnic customs and cultures, which earned a national name. It is the birthplace of Chinese Taoism.
Also, here is the home of the world famous giant panda. At the moment, the country boasts of around 1000 giant pandas, and the vast majority of these are to be found in Sichuan. The province has the largest giant panda Sanctuary in the world, not to mention that it also has 25 out of the 32 giant panda nature reserves in China.
As a province, Sichuan boasts of the highest number of World Heritage Sites in the whole of China. Some of these include: Huanglong Nature Reserve, Jiuzhaigou Nature Reserve, Leshan Giant Buddha Scenic Area and Mount Emei among others.
Sichuan is the home of many well-preserved temples, majority of which are Buddhist. For instance, Mount Emei is among the 4 popular Buddhist Mountains in China. The Taoist temples include Green Ram Taoist Temple, Shangqing Temple and Tianshi Cave among others.
The commonly acknowledged origins of China are Yellow River and Yangtze civilizations. Sichuan is located right between them. From a purely geographical standpoint, Sichuan links the north and south of China, which has made it to be an important hub of transport and communication for many nations and minorities for centuries.
It is therefore little wonder that Sichuan contains multiethnic communities and is among the provinces with highest number of minorities. The province has second biggest population of Tibetans, and is the only habitation of the Qiang minority. A visit to Sichuan therefore guarantees lots of exciting traditional minority festivals like Tibetan Horse Racing Festival, Qiang’s New Year Festival, Yi Minority’s Torch Festival and Han’s Dragon Boat Festival.
The province is also well known for distilled spirits and great cuisine. Sichuan cuisine encompasses a huge variety of styles. Also, it is best known for hot and spicy flavors. These include home-style dishes, sweet and sour, boiled fish, kung pao and sliced meat.