City overview

The main industries in Chengdu include: electronic information, machinery (including automobile and aerospace), pharmacy, food (including tobacco) processing, metallurgy and building materials, petrochemical.

Chengdu has rational industrial structures. The ratio of the primary, secondary and tertiary industries in Chengdu is 7.0: 44.1: 48.9. After decades of industrial development, a comprehensive industrial system focusing on electronics, machinery, food, metallurgy, chemical, textile, building materials, shoe-making and furniture manufacturing has taken shape. Chengdu has become an important comprehensive industrial base in China. Particularly, the six major industries including electronic information, machinery (including automobile, aerospace), medicine, food (including tobacco) processing, metallurgy and building materials and petrochemical have attracted a large group of famous enterprises at home and abroad.

Read more here about the the best opportunities for UK businesses in Chengdu in the UKTI report carried out by CBBC and Leeds University Opportunities for UK Businesses in China's regional cities. Please note that registration on the UK Trade & Investment portal is required.

By the end of 2007, there are 128 Fortune 500 companies in Chengdu; and the number of the foreign-invested company amounts to over 4200. Now Chengdu has established sister-relationship with 11 cities from other countries, and cooperation on trade and culture between Chengdu and more than 150 countries and regions is developing well. So far, the consulates general have been established by the US, Germany, Korea, Thailand, Pakistan, France and Singapore.

Useful links

Chengdu Travel Guide: http://wikitravel.org/en/Chengdu

ChinaTravelGuide Chengdu: www.travelchinaguide.com

Chengdu Culture and Tourism: http://www.pandahome.com

Tourist Attractions

Jin Li Ancient Street  
This neighborhood is part of the old city of Chengdu, it features hotels and small stores in and old-fashioned style. Antiques are sold in a variety of different stores. It is very popular among both tourists and locals, especially at night, with many bars, restaurants, and nightclubs.

Qintai Road
The old Qintai Road was for jewelries in the city. It is a rendezvous of both the large jewelry stores and several small restaurants. Though the building there seemed very ancient, the whole block did not share the same feature. The renovated road, however, was officially opened on December 30th, 2002. The 900m-long street gathers a cluster of antique complex of Han and Tang dynasties and tells the love story of Zhuo Wenjun and Sima Xiangru. Giving fully display to ceremonies, entertainments and foods in Han dynasty, the street, when being renovated, perfectly combined characteristic blocks and surrounding areas.

Built in the sector of concentrated ancient buildings with a strong cultural aura, Qintai Road is also not far from relics like Tufu’s Thatched Cottage, Qingyang Palace, Baihuatan Park and Wenhua Park as a matter of course. Even if they are modern commercial buildings, the surrounding architectures are built with slope crests and plain colors. Thus the road is able to be blended into the cluster of ancient buildings without loosing its own features. The most special thing here is the 920m-long brick belt stretching through the street. It shows the main contents of Han paintings and leads the tourists to a full view of social lives of people in that dynasty, including banquets, entertainment, archery and excursions 2000 years ago. Made up of 160,000 bricks, images in the belt are amazingly true to life.

Qingtai Road was named in memory of Zhuo Wenjun and Sima Xiangru, legendary figures and incarnations of love in Western Han dynasty.

Kuan/zai xiang zi
The lanes mentioned here are the aggregate of traditional folk residence and ancient yards. As early as the reign of Wenhui King of Qin dynasty in 311 B.C, there were Taicheng (larger city) and Shaocheng (lesser city) in Chengdu. The former looked more impressive than the later. In 1718, Qing dynasty began to muster various personnel and materials in Sichuan to build the Chengdu city.

They also built a Manchu city in western Chengdu for the Manchu army, known as Shaocheng or Zicheng at that time. Manchu officials then lived in the street (the Wide Lane), while Manche soldiers in the lane (the Narrow Lane). There was a clear division of hierarchy and no Han people was allowed access into the inside area. For lack of repairs, buildings in the lanes today are largely dilapidated houses, and what is worse, the increasing immigrants has turned the former quads into mega-yards of medley. The renovated Wide lane and Narrow Lane, however, bring a brand-new sight of metropolis to us after combining historical, cultural, commercial and tourism elements.

Chunxi Road
In Chengdu, where is the best place to make money, catch up with the fashion, or simply watch the beauties? The answer should only be the Chunxi Road. This is the best choice even for people tired of anywhere else. In recent years, the most exciting thing is changes of Chunxi Road. As the most prosperous business street in the city, it is not only the key place to spend money, but also the vehicle of the unique cultural atmosphere of Chengdu. Chengdu People’s complex toward the century-old street had, in previous times, turned into high expectation about the renovated Chunxi Road. Thus the newly-renovated pedestrian street is indeed an exquisite and public work of art.

Chengdu Research base of Giant Panda Breeding
Chengdu Research base of Giant Panda Breeding is a world-class research facility, conservation education center, and international educational tourism destination. The Chengdu Panda Base was founded in 1987, with six giant pandas rescued from the wild.

Today (2007) the captive population has increased to 62 individuals from that founding population of only six. It covers an area of 600 mu, among which 24383 m2 in construction area, 16883 m2 in floorage, 18000 m2 in water area and 305,686 m2 green area, with a coverage rate of 93.77% and greenbelt rate of 80.63%. Three museums are already built there, namely the panda museum, the butterfly museum and the vertebrate museum, among which the panda museum is the earliest one of its kind in the world. No.902 Bus from Xinnanmen Pssenger Transportation can get there directly. Click here for more information.

The Thatched Cottage of Du Fu
The Thatched Cottage of Du Fu is the Former residence of the famous poet of Tang Dynasty, Du Fu. It is regarded as a holy land in the history of Chinese literature. The park is full of bamboo and is very tranquil. Best place is best reached by taxi.