Chengdu is the capital of "Heavenly State" (Tian Fu Zhi Guo), habitat of giant pandas and city of cotton-rose hibiscus. Chengdu is located in one of the country's richest agricultural plains, and it has an area of 12,300 square km.
Chengdu is 2,048 km from Beijing and slightly over 2 hours by plane. Chengdu has direct domestic and international flights from elsewhere in China and some Countries. Chengdu is the transportation hub of Southwest China, providing access to Yunnan, Qinghai and Tibet. Flights are available to Kunming, capital of Yunnan Province about every 1 hour. Flights to Xining, capital of Qinghai Province, take about one and a half hours, with two-hour flights available to Lhasa, capital of Tibet.
During the past 2,300 years. Chengdu never changed its location and its name despite many upheavals. It has always remained the capital of Sichuan. Fortunately the Dujiangy Irrigation system brings the vast Chengdu plain under irrigation and has protected it against droughts and floods for over 2,300 years. Because of this Chengdu Plan has turned into the land of abundance with a mild climate and fertile soil.
The giant pandas are only found in Sichuan, Shanxi and Gansu provinces. In total there are fewer than 1000, of which 80% are distributed within the territory of Sichuan province. They are not only a Chinese national treasure but are also beloved by people worldwide. In that case, many visitors from domestic and abroad come to Chengdu, and their most main objectives will be to see the giant pandas.
