General Introduction

Sichuan, in China’s western hinterland, covers most of the Sichuan Basin. Surrounded by mountains, it enjoys a mild climate. Sichuan covers a vast area of 485,000 square km, accounting for 5.1 percent of China's total area.

Sichuan is high in the west and low in the east in terms of topography. Generally speaking, the western part is plateaus and mountainous regions some 4,000 meters above sea level while the east features the basin and hilly land with an elevation between 1,000 and 3,000 meters. The Sichuan Basin, covering an area of 165,000 square km, is one of the four largest in the country. The elevation within the basin is between 200 and 750 meters, sloping down from north to south.

Scenic Spots

Aba
Hailuogou
Huang Long Valley
Jiuzhaigou -- Nine-Village Valley
Leshan -- Home of World's Largest Stone Buddha Statue
Mount Emei -- Sea of Clouds
Mt. Qingcheng and the Dujiangyan Irrigation System
The Taoping Stronghold
Qingyang Temple
Wangjiang Tower Park
Yangtze River Gorges -- Unforgettable Cruise
Yong Mausoleum



Topography

Sichuan can be divided into two major topographical parts, the Sichuan Basin and the Western Sichuan Plateau. 1) The Sichuan Basin, also called the Purple Basin or Red Basin, is one of the larger basins in China. Rising 1,000-3,000 meters above sea level, it is enclosed on four sides by the Daliang, Qionglai, Minshan, Daba and Wushan mountains and the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau. It consists of three parts: the parallel valleylands in the east, the hilly areas in the middle and the Chengdu Plain in the west. Formed by alluvial deposits from the Minjiang and its tributaries, the Chengdu Plain is the largest in southwest China and the major farming area in Sichuan. With a warm climate, fertile soil and the Dujiangyan irrigation system, it is also one of the country's most affluent regions. The scenic, majestic Emei Mountain on its southwestern fringe is one of the best-known mountains in China. 2) The Western Sichuan Plateau, exceeding 3,000 meters in elevation in most parts, consists of numerous canyons ranged vertically side by side and rows upon rows of snow mountains. The northern section of it is part of the main body of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and the southern section is the northern stem of the Hengduan Mountains.

Sichuan has more than 1,300 rivers, practically all in the Yangtze River system. The Yangtze River has five major tributaries in Sichuan -- the Yalong, Minjiang, Tuojiang, Jialing and Qianjiang. Many of the rivers in Sichuan flow rapidly between hills, mountains and gorges, making it the number one province in hydroelectric power potentials.

Climate

The climate in Sichuan is vastly different between its eastern and western parts. 1) The Sichuan Basin has a humid sub-tropical monsoonal climate, with mild winters, hot summers, long frost-free period, plentiful rainfall and mist, high humidity, and less sunshine. Its average temperature in July, the hottest month, is 27ºC. 2) The Western Sichuan Plateau with its plateau climate has lower temperature and less rainfall than the Sichuan Basin, both of which differ again in the southern and northern sections of the plateau.



Communications

Railways

Five trunk lines including the Chengdu-Chongqing Railway, Chengdu-Kunming Railway and Baoji-Chengdu Railway, eight feeders and four local railway lines, with the mileage open to traffic reaching 2,693 km.

Highways

The mileage of highways has reached 81,600 km. An expressway network with Chengdu, capital of the province, at the center, is taking shape. By the end of 1998, a total of 328 km of expressway had opened to traffic.

Airports

The Chengdu Shuangliu Airport has become one of the busiest international airports in China. Another five civil airports at Dachuan, Yibin, Luzhou, Xichuang and Nanchong have also been open to traffic.