The capital of Sichuan, Chengdu was founded between 500 and 400 BC and first fortified in 311 BC by General Zhang Yi [张仪] in the Qin dynasty. Since its creation, the city has remained the political, economic, and cultural center of southwestern China. For over two thousand years the city has been known for its silk production and embroidery, which used to be overseen by officials designated by the central governments. It was thus called the "Silk Official City" [锦官城]. In a sense, part of the city's history has been "weaven out of the machines". Emperor Meng Chang [孟昶](919-965) of a regional kindom ordered the plantation of cotton roses on top of the city's defense walls, thus gaining Chengdu another nickname the "City of Cotton Roses" [芙蓉城]. The tradition of cotton rose plantation, however, has faded with time.

Introduction by the city's mayor from its official website http://www.chengdu.gov.cn/.

The great poet Li Bai [李白] (701-762) in the Tang dynasty, who grew up in Jiangyou [江油] (his former residence), a small town 94 miles north of Chengdu, remembered the city in his later years:

Jin River [锦江] flows through Chengdu. “江汉西来，高楼下、葡萄深碧。犹自带、岷峨云浪，锦江春色。” (Su Shi [苏轼] (1037-1101))	Anshun Bridge [安顺桥] on the Jin River. “濯锦江边两岸花，春风吹浪正淘沙。女郎剪下鸳鸯锦，将向中流匹晚霞。”(Liu Yuxi [刘禹锡] (772-842))	Hejiang Pavilion [合江亭], where the Fu River [府河] (right) merges into the Nan River [南河] to form the Jin River .	Traditional lotus lamps released on the river during the Duanwu Festival.	“一年两度锦江游，前值东风后值秋。芳草有情皆碍马，好云无处不遮楼。” (Luo Yin [罗隐] (833—909))	“成都春洒香，且用俸钱沽。” （Cen Shen [岑参] (715-770))
Downtown	Skyway	Chunxi Avenue [春熙路], a main shopping street where my family used to live.	Chunxi Ave has its name derived from a saying by Laozi [老子] (around 600 BC), the founder of Daoism. “熙来攘往，如春登台” (老子《道德经》)	“美酒成都堪送老，当垆仍是卓文君。” (Li Shangyin [李商隐] (813?-858?))
Stele Pavilion in Du Fu's Thatched Cottage Park (lots of photos), where the great Tang poet Du Fu (712-770) spent four years during a national uprising and wrote four hundred poems.	statue of Du Fu in the Thatched Cottage Park. “江间波浪兼天涌，塞上风云接地阴。” (Du Fu [杜甫])	Chongli Storied Pavilion [崇丽阁] in the Wangjiang Lou Park [望江楼公园] dedicated to the Tang poetess Xue Tao [薛涛] (?-834).　“平临云鸟八窗秋，壮压西川四十州。诸将莫贪羌族马，最高层处见边头。” (薛涛)	statue of Xue Tao, who drew a lot of admiration from her fellow poets. “万里桥边女校书，琵琶花里闭门居。扫眉才子知多少， 管领春风总不如。” (Wang Jian [王建] (766-830))	Xue Tao Well. Legend has it that the poetess drew water from the well to make a special kind of paper on which she copied her poems.	statue of Ba Jin [巴金] (1904-2005), a Chengdu native who became one of the most important and widely read Chinese writers in the 20th century.
Temple of Marquis Wu [武侯祠] in memory of Zhuge Liang [诸葛亮］(181-234), prime minister of the Shu Kingdom (220-263), and Liu Bei [刘备] (161-223), the kindom's emperor.	statue of Zhuge Liang. “三分割据纡筹策，万古云霄一羽毛。” 又 “出师未捷身先死，长使英雄泪满襟。”（Du Fu [杜甫]）	statue of native Yang Shen [杨慎] (1488--1559) in the Xindu ward [新都区]. A scholar and literati, Yang was the most prolific writer in the Ming dynasty [1368-1644].	Lotus Pound in the Guihu Park [桂湖公园] in Xindu, dedicated to Yang Shen.	Storied Pavilion [湖心楼] by the Gui Lake. “滚滚长江东逝水，浪花淘尽英雄。是非成败转头空：青山依旧在，几度夕阳红。白发渔樵江渚上，惯看秋月春风。一壶浊酒喜相逢：古今多少事，都付笑谈中。” （Yang Shen [杨慎]）	Ginkgo tree planted in the Tang dynasty (618-907), Baihuatan (Hundred-Flowers Pound) Park [百花潭公园]
Jinli Street [锦里一条街] built in ancient style for shopping for antiques and sampling tasty food.	on the Jinli Street. “锦江近西烟水绿，新雨山头荔枝熟。万里桥边多酒家，游人爱向谁家宿？” (Zhang Ji [张籍] (766-830))	Qintai Road [琴台路]，where the great essayist Sima Xiangru [司马相如] (179-117 BC) said to have sold alchol with his rebellious wife Zhuo Wenjun to make a living [卓文君].	“凤兮凤兮归故乡，遨游四海求其凰。 时未遇兮无所将，何悟今兮升斯堂！ 有艳淑女在闺房，室迩人遐毒我肠。 何缘交颈为鸳鸯，胡颉颃兮共翱翔！” (Sima Xiangru )	Wenshu Road (文殊坊）
Nine-Skies Tower [九天楼] named after a poem by the great Tang poet Li Bai：“日照锦城头，朝光散花楼。金窗夹绣户，珠箔 悬琼钩。飞梯绿云中，极目散我忧。暮雨向三峡，春江绕双流。今来一登望，如上九天游。” (Li Bai [李白])	Sichuan University [四川大学]	commencement	Medical School of Sichuan University [川大医学院--原华西医科大学]	corner of the Medical school	South Park [南郊公园]
Qingyang Gong (the Green Goat Palace) [青羊宫], the main Daoist temple in Chengdu.	Bagua Pavilion [八卦亭] inside Qingyang Gong. “当年走马锦城西，曾为梅花醉似泥。二十里中香不断，青羊宫至浣花溪。” (Lu You [陆游] (1125-1210))	Daci Si [大慈寺] (meaning the Great Benevolence Monastery), a major Buddhist monastery since the Tang dynasty.	Xuan Zang (aka Hsuan Tsang) [玄奘] (602-664) became a monk at the Daci Si and later embarked on his legendary journey to India via Central Asia.	pagoda in the Wenshu Yuan [文殊院], another Buddhist monastery in Chengdu.	Baoguang Si [宝光寺] (the Sacred Light Monastery), a place for Buddhist worship since the Han dynasty

Yan-Bin Jia