Chengdu (China)

Chengdu (aka Chengtu), is an Yangtze River cruise port (actually on Jin River) and the capital city of China's Sichuan province. The city covers a total metro area of approx 3680 km2 (1420 ml2) and has population around 10,5 million.

Chengdu's cruise passenger traffic is via expressways from the located directly on Yangtze River port cities Yibin and Luzhou. Both are easily and fast reachable from Chengdu by the local expressways.

• Chengdu is one of Western China's 3 largest and most populous cities - together with Chongqing and Xian. The city surrounding plain is known as "Country of Heaven" and "Land of Abundance". The city maintained its name almost unchanged throughout China's imperial, republican, communist eras. Chengdu served as China's capital for a short time - following the fall of Nanjing to the Japanese in 1937.
• The city is currently one of Western China's major financial, economic, commercial, transportation, communication and cultural hubs. Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport is among the world's 30 busiest airports, and Chengdu Railway Station is among China's 6 largest. The city also headquarters numerous large international companies. Over 260 in the "Fortune 500" companies list have branches in Chengdu. For 2006, China Daily ranked the city China's 4th-most-livable.
• The giant panda (Chinese national treasure) is among the world's rarest animals. Their total number is estimated to be around 1500 - including those living in the wild, 80% of all panda bears are in the Sichuan Province. Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding was founded in the city's north suburbs. This research center is the only one of its kind in the world.