The middle reaches of the Yangtze River and three of its tributaries carve intricate patterns as they flow across South West China. These are the ‘four rivers’, from which Sichuan Province gets its name. At the heart of this region lies a subtropical expanse of rolling hills and plains, completely encircled by mountains. The north is protected by the Daba mountains, whilst the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau stretches far to the East. All routes south must pass over the Wu Mountains, while any journey west faces the vast Tibetan Plateau. The resulting temperate conditions have enabled the basin to become the ‘rice bowl’ of China.
The Sichuan Basin would have originally been carpeted by lush subtropical forests, but over 5000 years of human occupation has taken its toll. Massive irrigation projects such as Dujiang were already in place 2000 years ago, and today the region supports over 100 million people.
Chengdu, the provincial capital has a rich history that goes back over 2000 years. It is home to the Qingyang Gong, the oldest Taoist temple in China and famed for the Tang Poet Du Fu (712-770 AD). Remains of the Jinsha settlement dating back to the Shang period (1600-1046 B.C.) were recently discovered in the south west of the city, and to the north of the city sits one of the most incredible archaeological discoveries in China. Sanxingdui, famed for its unique collection of giant bronze masks has a history of over 5000 years and is shrouded in mystery. The fertile soils that have given rise to such ancient civilisations have also influenced the unique Sichuan Cuisine, which is famed throughout China for its rich spicy flavours.
Several other important sites lie close by the provincial capital. The sacred Mountain of Emei Shan, is one of the best places to see what is left of Sichuan’s forests and the wildlife that accompanied them. The Leshan Giant Buddha stands facing the mountain. The colossal Maitreya was carved into a cliff face in the Tang Dynasty between 713 and 803 AD and is the largest stone Buddha in the world. The lands of the Giant Panda lie in the surrounding mountains. There are estimated to be around 1800 pandas left in the wild, and a number of research bases have been set up with intensive breeding programs. The Chengdu Giant Panda Breeding Research Base stands within easy reach of the city, but those heading into the mountains of Amdo and Kham there are greater opportunities to visit the pandas in their natural habitat.
The municipality of Chongqing sits on the eastern edge of the Sichuan Plateau, dissected by the silt-ridden Yangtze River. The city has a history of over 2000 years and even had a short stint as the provisional capital of the Republic of China between 1937 and 1945, when the nationalists fled the Japanese invasion. Today the urban landscape is dominated by hundreds of foreboding skyscrapers that seem to levitate in the mist as they cling to the steep river banks. The sprawling metropolis with a population of over 30 million is the main port of embarkation for travellers taking the Yangtze River Cruise heading downstream. Since the opening of the Yangtze River Dam back in 2004, the region has undergone massive change.