Chengdu on the road to become a global city

Nearly every Chinese person knows Chengdu as a Land of Abundance. And now the city has accelerated to develop itself into a metropolis embodying new development concepts in a “three-step” strategy.

The Sichuan Province capital city has an ambitious plan to become a national central city, a liveable garden city, an international transportation hub, a world culture city, and finally a world-class city of sustainable development. World-renowned food, culture and history bring an increasing number of visitors from around the globe to Chengdu, a National Geographic “Best of the World” destination. Elite Daily, a US-based online platform, published a list of the coolest cities to visit in 2018, Chengdu was one of them.

Tianfu Jincheng

Chengdu is striving to enhance its profile as a Culture and Creative City, a World Tourism City, a World Games City and an International Gastronomy Hub, a Music Hub and a MICE Hub. All the efforts are made to make the city more amiable and liveable for the public. The Tianfu Jincheng project is one of the 10 major programs Chengdu plans to accelerate. It will focus on the Liangjiang area and aims to push the development level of the Sichuan Province capital city’s culture, economy, tourism and recreation, to a new height. At the core of Tianfu Jincheng, Chengdu plans to set up 10 scenic areas, four gardens and an ecological belt, hoping to make every visit a unique and unforgettable experience. Tianfu and Jincheng are both nicknames of Chengdu, and they mean a city of prosperity and abundance. The Tianfu Jincheng project will strengthen the integration of culture, innovation, tourism and commerce, and attract tourists, according to an official with the Chengdu Culture, Radio, TV, Media and Publishing Bureau.

Cultural efforts

Chengdu has long been a cherished place for intellectuals. Poets Li Bai and Du Fu, in the Tang Dynasty (AD 618-907), both lived in Chengdu at a time when they produced many of their best works. To have a deeper understanding of Chengdu’s historical and cultural resources, the bureau compiled two books, one on the residences of celebrities and another on a collection of paintings from the residences and related historical buildings. The two books cover 83 celebrities famed in history and culture, 66 former residences of celebrities and 32 historical buildings related to celebrities. With the two books, readers will have a better idea of the culture and outstanding figures in Chengdu over the past 3,000 years. Chengdu has also made great efforts in developing cultural and innovative products, including animation works, video games, books and souvenirs with historical figures as elements. The cultural and innovative products and projects have been demonstrated at cultural expos, the West Lake Expo and tourism expos across the nation. Chengdu Culture, Radio, TV, Media and Publishing Bureau joined with Chengdu Education Bureau to hold Tianfu Xuetang, an after-curriculum school focusing on history, culture and celebrities, for local high school and primary school students. In April 2017, Amazon China published a Chinese Reading Report, which showed that more than 40 percent of interviewees in Chengdu had a habit of reading for over an hour every day, compared to the national average of 37 percent. In addition, Chengdu also led the nation in digital reading, buying digital reading material and sharing data on social medial networks.

Fashion in Tianfu

“The Tianfu Jincheng project will be made into a high-end fashion consumption landmark in Chengdu,” an official of Chengdu Commission of Commerce said. The commission plans to complete an action plan on upgrading the commercial streets and circles in the area so as to accelerate the making of fashion brands and influential commercial circles. IFS, Taikoo Li and Chunxi Road-Yanshikou Commercial Circle have become major hubs of top international brands in central and western China. Delicious food is also a highlight of Chengdu’s culture. Its distinct tastes, selection of raw ingredients, ways of cooking and continuous evolvement earned it a UNESCO City of Gastronomy award in 2010 — Asia’s first city so honored. Well known for its abundant distinctiveness, Chengdu cuisine’s most outstanding feature is the great variety of flavors, based on five elements: sweet, sour, bitter, spicy and salty. Popular food around the world, such as spicy hotpot, mapo tofu and kungpao chicken, all originated from Chengdu. At Xiangxiang Lane, visitors may be surprised to see 16 shops, tea houses, bars and restaurants all packed into a lane just a little longer than 60 meters. With the process of internationalization, Chengdu has shown new synergies and is attracting more and more people from around the world.