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|EnglishName = Sichuan Province
|EnglishName = Sichuan Province
|Name = Szechuan
|Name = Szechuan
|LocalTranscription1= [[Sichuanese Dialects|Sichuanese]]: Si<sup>4</sup>cuan<sup>1</sup> Sen<sup>3</sup>
|LocalTranscription1= [[Sichuanese Mandarin|Sichuanese]]: Si<sup>4</sup>cuan<sup>1</sup> Sen<sup>3</sup>
|Abbreviation = 川 or 蜀
|Abbreviation = 川 or 蜀
|AbbrevPinyin = Chuān or Shǔ <br> [[Sichuanese Mandarin|Sichuanese]]: Cuan<sup>1</sup> or Su<sup>2</sup>
|AbbrevPinyin = Chuān or Shǔ <br> [[Sichuanese Mandarin|Sichuanese]]: Cuan<sup>1</sup> or Su<sup>2</sup>
Line 63: Line 63:
Throughout its prehistory and early history, the region and its vicinity in the Yangtze River region was the cradle of unique local civilizations which can be dated back to at least the [[15th century BC|fifteenth century BC]] (coinciding with the later years of the [[Shang Dynasty]] and [[Zhou Dynasty]] in north China). Beginning from the [[9th century BC|ninth century BC]], an independent [[Shu (state)|Shu]] (today [[Chengdu]]) and [[Ba (state)|Ba]] (today [[Chongqing City]]) emerged as cultural and administrative centers where two rival kingdoms were established.
Throughout its prehistory and early history, the region and its vicinity in the Yangtze River region was the cradle of unique local civilizations which can be dated back to at least the [[15th century BC|fifteenth century BC]] (coinciding with the later years of the [[Shang Dynasty]] and [[Zhou Dynasty]] in north China). Beginning from the [[9th century BC|ninth century BC]], an independent [[Shu (state)|Shu]] (today [[Chengdu]]) and [[Ba (state)|Ba]] (today [[Chongqing City]]) emerged as cultural and administrative centers where two rival kingdoms were established.


⚫
The existence of Kingdom of Shu was unknown in written historical records of China. It only exists in popular legends and oral literature, such as the folk stories of Emperor Duyu 杜宇 who lost his kingdom and died a miserable death. The truth of kingdom's existence eventually came to light with an archaeological discovery in 1986 at a small village named [[Sanxingdui]] 三星堆 in Guanghan [[County (People's Republic of China)|County]], Sichuan. Initially discovered by a local farmer in 1929, the site gradually received state and scholarly attention in 1934, 1953,1980, and 1982. Today, with the extended excavation of surrounding site, it is believed to be an ancient city of the [[Shu Kingdom]], where excavations have yielded invaluable archaeological information. The current discovery of jade, pottery, bronze vessels contest the conventional historiography that the local culture and technology were background and uncivilized in comparison to the technologically and culturally "advanced" [[China Proper]] in the Yellow River valley.
[[Baodun Culture]] [[宝墩文化]] (2,500 B.C.E-1,750 B.C.E.) is the surviving earliest archaeological site in Chengdu, testifying the existence of sophisticated bronze, jade, and gold culture in the Chengdu plain.

== Kingdom of Shu ==
The existence of Kingdom of Shu was unknown in written historical records of China. It only exists in popular legends, archaeological evidence, and oral literature. The folk stories talk about Emperor Duyu 杜宇, or 蒲卑, posthumous name 望帝, who established the Kingdom of Shu <ref>《蜀王本紀》：「後有一男子名曰杜宇，從天墮，止朱提。有一女子名利，從江源井中出，為宇妻。乃自立為蜀王，號曰望帝。」</ref>, teaching his people to cultivate rice, and had a diplomatic relation with the [[Zhou Dynasty]] in the north <ref> 《華陽國志·蜀志》：「後有王曰杜宇，教民務農…」</ref>. As the northern Chinese kept expanding southward, the king died a miserable death.<ref> 《太平寰宇記》：「望帝自逃之後，欲復位不得，死化為鵑，每春月間，盡夜悲鳴。蜀人聞之曰：我望帝魂也。」</ref>.

⚫
The truth of kingdom's existence eventually came to light with an archaeological discovery in 1986 at a small village named [[Sanxingdui]] [[三星堆遗址]] in Guanghan [[County (People's Republic of China)|County]], Sichuan. Initially discovered by a local farmer in 1929, the site gradually received scholarly attention in 1934, 1953,1980, and 1982. Today, with the extended excavation of surrounding site, it is believed to be an ancient city of the [[Shu Kingdom]], a local kingdom lasted 2 centuries. Archaeological excavations have yielded invaluable archaeological information. The current discovery of jade, pottery, bronze vessels contest the conventional historiography that the local culture and technology were background and uncivilized in comparison to the technologically and culturally "advanced" [[China Proper]] in the Yellow River valley.<ref> 肖平，《古蜀文明與三星堆文化》，台北縣新店市：世潮，2003年，ISBN 9577764509; Honour, Hugh etc. The Visual Arts: A History. ISBN 0130957909.</ref>

New archaeological discovery at Jinsha site [[金沙遗址]], founded in 2001 at today's Chengdu city, testifies the continuing existence of the Kingdom of Shu. The site is believed to be the new political center of the Kingdom from 1,250 B.C.E. to 650 B.C.E.

Although orthodox unitary Chinese history tend to erase the existence of local kingdoms and identity, Vietnamese historical chronicles provide precious written record of the history of the ancient Kingdom of Shu.<ref> 吳士連, 《大越史記全書》，後黎朝，Vietnam; 潘清簡, 《欽定越史通鑑綱目》，1884.</ref>


[[File:Gao Yi Que2.jpg|thumb|left|upright|A stone-carved gate pillar, or ''[[que (tower)|que]]'', 6 m (20 ft) in total height, located at the tomb of Gao Yi in Ya'an, Sichuan, built during the [[Eastern Han Dynasty]] (25-220 AD)]]
[[File:Gao Yi Que2.jpg|thumb|left|upright|A stone-carved gate pillar, or ''[[que (tower)|que]]'', 6 m (20 ft) in total height, located at the tomb of Gao Yi in Ya'an, Sichuan, built during the [[Eastern Han Dynasty]] (25-220 AD)]]


The region had its own distinct religious beliefs and worldview. Various ores were abundant. Adding to its significance, the area was also on the trade route from the Huang He Valley to foreign countries of the southwest, especially [[India]].
The region had its own distinct religious beliefs and worldview. Various ores were abundant. Adding to its significance, the area was also on the trade route from the Huang He Valley to foreign countries of the southwest, especially [[India]].

The Kingdom of Shu has its own written language 巴蜀图语，also called Bashu Ideograph 巴蜀符号 or 巴蜀图形文字, a picturesque script found on the artifacts of the local archeological sites, dating from 9 B.C.E. to 1 B.C.E.


===Qin Dynasty===
===Qin Dynasty===
⚫
Sometime during the 2nd century BC, the kingdoms of Shu and Ba were conquered by the [[Qin Dynasty]] from [[China Proper]], so any written records and civil achievement of the kingdoms were destroyed. The Qin government seemed to have introduced some agricultural engineerings to the region, making it comparable to that of the [[Huang He]] (Yellow River) Valley. The [[Dujiangyan Irrigation System]], built in the 3rd century BC under the inspection of [[Li Bing (administrator)|Li Bing]], was the symbol of agricultural engineering of that period. Composed of a series of [[dam]]s, it redirected the flow of the [[Minjiang River (Sichuan)|Min Jiang]], a major [[tributary]] of the [[Yangtze River]], to fields, relieving the potential damage of seasonal floods. The construction and various other projects greatly increased the agrarian output of the area, which thus became the main source of provisions and men for Qin's unification of China.

⚫
Sometime during the 2nd century BC, the kingdoms of Shu and Ba were conquered by the [[Qin Dynasty]] from [[China Proper]]. With the empire-wide cultural revolution that systematically destroy all of the regional written scripts, histories, records, and political identities, any written records and civil achievement of the kingdoms were destroyed. The Qin government seemed to have introduced some agricultural engineerings to the region, making it comparable to that of the [[Huang He]] (Yellow River) Valley. The [[Dujiangyan Irrigation System]], built in the 3rd century BC under the inspection of [[Li Bing (administrator)|Li Bing]], was the symbol of agricultural engineering of that period. Composed of a series of [[dam]]s, it redirected the flow of the [[Minjiang River (Sichuan)|Min Jiang]], a major [[tributary]] of the [[Yangtze River]], to fields, relieving the potential damage of seasonal floods. The construction and various other projects greatly increased the agrarian output of the area, which thus became the main source of provisions and men for Qin's unification of China.


Throughout the history of Chinese Empires, the area's military importance matches its commercial and agricultural significance. As a [[Sichuan basin|basin]] surrounded by the [[Himalayas]] to the west, the [[Qinling]] Range to the north, and mountainous areas of [[Yunnan]] to the south, Sichuan is prone to fog. Since the [[Yangtze River]] flows through the basin and is thus upstream of eastern and southern China, navies could easily sail downstream. Therefore Sichuan was the base for numerous amphibious military forces and also served as the ideal hiding frontier for political refugees of Chinese governments throughout history.
Throughout the history of Chinese Empires, the area's military importance matches its commercial and agricultural significance. As a [[Sichuan basin|basin]] surrounded by the [[Himalayas]] to the west, the [[Qinling]] Range to the north, and mountainous areas of [[Yunnan]] to the south, Sichuan is prone to fog. Since the [[Yangtze River]] flows through the basin and is thus upstream of eastern and southern China, navies could easily sail downstream. Therefore Sichuan was the base for numerous amphibious military forces and also served as the ideal hiding frontier for political refugees of Chinese governments throughout history.


===Han Dynasty and [[Kingdom of Shu]]===
===Han Dynasty and the Three Kingdoms===


Part of Sichuan was subjected to the autonomous control of kings named by the imperial family of Han Dynasty. Following the declining central government of the Empire of [[Han Dynasty]] in the 100s, the region saw the establishment of a few independent regimes.
Sichuan was subjected to the autonomous control of kings named by the imperial family of Han Dynasty. Following the declining central government of the Empire of [[Han Dynasty]] in the 100s, the region saw the establishment of a few independent regimes.


In 221, one of the most famous [[Kingdom of Shu|Shu Han]] was established in the region, as one of the [[Three Kingdoms]].
In 221, one of the most famous [[Kingdom of Shu|Shu Han]] was established in the region, as one of the [[Three Kingdoms]].
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In 263, the [[Jin Dynasty (265-420)|Jin Dynasty]] in north China first conquered the Kingdom of Shu-Han on its path to establish an empire.
In 263, the [[Jin Dynasty (265-420)|Jin Dynasty]] in north China first conquered the Kingdom of Shu-Han on its path to establish an empire.


⚫
===Tang Dynasty===
In 301, Li Te 李特, political leader of local Di people 氐族,organized the suppressed and colonized peoples to resist the militant rule of Jin Dynasty. Li founded an independent kingdom Chenghan 成汉, also called Kingdom of Cheng 成, or Latter Shu 后蜀 (304-347）.


⚫
During the [[Tang Dynasty]], the independent Sichuan was conquered and subjected to the military control of the Empire from north China. The region remained as the frontier of the empire, its previous political and cultural status during the Empire of Han Dynasty. The region was distraught by constant warfare and economic distraught as a battlefront upon which the expanding Tang Empire fought with those from the neighbouring Kingdom of [[Tibet]].
In 405, the Kingdom was succeeded by Qiaoshu 譙蜀 (405-413), also called West Shu 西蜀, Latter Shu 後蜀, who continued to rule the Chengdu plain, today's Sichuan area.

===Tang Dynasty and [[Kingdom of Nanzhao]]===

⚫
During the [[Tang Dynasty]], the independent Sichuan was conquered and subjected to the military control of the Empire from north China. The region remained as the frontier of the empire, its previous political and cultural status during the Empire of Han Dynasty. The region was distraught by constant warfare and economic distraught as a battlefront upon which the expanding Tang Empire fought with those from the neighboring Kingdom of [[Tibet]].

Sichuan became part of the Buddhist [[Kingdom of Nanzhao]] (653-902), an independent state based in [[Yunnan]] and had a strong connection with Theravada Buddhism.

The rest of Sichuan remained independent under the two successive kingdoms of Shu 前后蜀 (902—965），together called Two Kingdoms of Shu 两蜀.


[[File:Leshan Buddha Statue View.JPG|thumb|right|The [[Leshan Giant Buddha]], built during the latter half of the [[Tang Dynasty]] (618&ndash;907).]]
[[File:Leshan Buddha Statue View.JPG|thumb|right|The [[Leshan Giant Buddha]], built during the latter half of the [[Tang Dynasty]] (618&ndash;907).]]


===Song Dynasty and [[Kingdom of Dali]]===
===Song Dynasty===
Sichuan was again incorporated into the expanding Chinese Empire of Song in the middle of the 10th century as the frontier.
Sichuan was again incorporated into the expanding Chinese Empire of Song in the middle of the 10th century as the frontier.

From the very beginning, the Song empire subjected the once prosperous [[Szechuan]] to harsh economic and political exploitation. Resisting the authoritarian colonial rule, local tea merchant Wang Xiaobo 王小波 organized mass resistance against the bureaucratic attempt to monopolize and centralize local tea industry under the Confucian bureaucratic officials. Under the banner of "eliminating social economic stratification“ 均贫富, he established a short-lived independent regime in Sichuan from Jan.,994 to May, 994. After his death, his wife Li Shun 李顺 continued to lead tens of millions local populace to resist the economic and political suppression of the newly-established southern Song dynasty which systematically subjugated southern Chinese to economical and political exploitation and disability. The mass resistance to Song Empire received wide support among local people, and lasted until being brutally defeated and massacred by the Empire in the mid-996.


In the 12th and 13th centuries, the diaspora [[Song Dynasty (960-1279)|Southern Song Dynasty]] established coordinated defenses against the Mongolian [[Yuan Dynasty]] in Sichuan and [[Xiangyang District, Xiangfan|Xiangyang]].
In the 12th and 13th centuries, the diaspora [[Song Dynasty (960-1279)|Southern Song Dynasty]] established coordinated defenses against the Mongolian [[Yuan Dynasty]] in Sichuan and [[Xiangyang District, Xiangfan|Xiangyang]].
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The line of defense was finally broken through after the first use of [[firearm]]s in history during the six-year [[Battle of Xiangyang|siege of Xiangyang]], which ended in 1273.
The line of defense was finally broken through after the first use of [[firearm]]s in history during the six-year [[Battle of Xiangyang|siege of Xiangyang]], which ended in 1273.


===Ming Dynasty===
Part of Sichuan remained prosperous and peaceful, when it was incorporated into the [[Kingdom of Dali]], or Great Li 大理國, a Bai kingdom centred in what is now [[Yunnan]] Province. Established by Duan Siping in 937, it was ruled by a succession of 22 kings until the year 1253, when it was conquered by an invasion of the Mongol Empire.

⚫
===Ming Dynasty and Genocide===
Szechuan regained political and economic independence under Ming Yuzhen 明玉珍 (1331－1366, r.1362-1366), a follower of Mani religion who controlled Sichuan. In 1363, he announced himself Emperor of the Kingdom of Daxiao 大夏. The Kingdom remained independent until 1371, when Zhu Yuanzhang defeated the kingdom's army to establish a totalitarian Chinese empire of Ming dynasty. In 1372, the Ming emperor Zhu Yuanzhang forced the Ming family to exile to Korea.<ref>明玉珍 《玄宫之碑》：立太庙，追谥显考郎曰钦宪，显考妣鲁氏曰衍庆，皇考子成曰庄惠，皇考妣郭氏曰恭懿，王考如海曰昭顺，王考妣朱氏曰慈宁；考学文曰宣武，妣赵氏曰贞淑；皆追王曰皇帝、皇后，祀以天子礼乐，与郊社并隆。</ref>

During the [[Ming Dynasty]] major architectural works were created in Sichuan. Buddhism remained influential in the region. [[Bao'en Temple]] is a well-preserved fifteenth century monastery complex built between 1440 and 1446 during [[Zhengtong Emperor|Emperor Yingzong]]'s reign (1427–64) in the [[Ming Dynasty]] (1368–1644). Dabei Hall enshrines a thousand-armed wooden image of [[Guanyin]] and Huayan Hall is a repository with a revolving [[sutra]] cabinet. The wall paintings, sculptures and other ornamental details are masterpieces of the [[Ming Dynasty|Ming period]].<ref name="pan">{{cite book
During the [[Ming Dynasty]] major architectural works were created in Sichuan. Buddhism remained influential in the region. [[Bao'en Temple]] is a well-preserved fifteenth century monastery complex built between 1440 and 1446 during [[Zhengtong Emperor|Emperor Yingzong]]'s reign (1427–64) in the [[Ming Dynasty]] (1368–1644). Dabei Hall enshrines a thousand-armed wooden image of [[Guanyin]] and Huayan Hall is a repository with a revolving [[sutra]] cabinet. The wall paintings, sculptures and other ornamental details are masterpieces of the [[Ming Dynasty|Ming period]].<ref name="pan">{{cite book
|first=Pan
|first=Pan
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===Qing Dynasty===
===Qing Dynasty===
A massive resettlement of southern Chinese from neighbouring provinces of Hunan and Hubei provinces to the depopulated Sichuan called "[[Huguang]] filling Sichuan" 湖廣填四川 lasted more than a century during the [[Qing Dynasty]].
A massive resettlement of southern Chinese from neighbouring provinces to the depopulated Sichuan called "[[Huguang]] filling Sichuan (湖廣填四川)" lasted more than a century during the [[Qing Dynasty]].


A [[landslide dam]] on the [[Dadu River (Sichuan)|Dadu River]] caused by an earthquake gave way on 10 June 1786. The resulting flood killed 100,000 people.<ref>Schuster, R.L. and G. F. Wieczorek, "Landslide triggers and types" in ''Landslides: Proceedings of the First European Conference on Landslides'' 2002 A.A. Balkema Publishers. p.66 [http://books.google.com/books?id=psFSK_nUqqMC&pg=RA1-PA66&lpg=RA1-PA66&dq=10+June+1786+dadu&source=web&ots=baUnVQRMZA&sig=q7ExeDUuAmFl0JdFjZY0r-LthDc&hl=en]</ref>
A [[landslide dam]] on the [[Dadu River (Sichuan)|Dadu River]] caused by an earthquake gave way on 10 June 1786. The resulting flood killed 100,000 people.<ref>Schuster, R.L. and G. F. Wieczorek, "Landslide triggers and types" in ''Landslides: Proceedings of the First European Conference on Landslides'' 2002 A.A. Balkema Publishers. p.66 [http://books.google.com/books?id=psFSK_nUqqMC&pg=RA1-PA66&lpg=RA1-PA66&dq=10+June+1786+dadu&source=web&ots=baUnVQRMZA&sig=q7ExeDUuAmFl0JdFjZY0r-LthDc&hl=en]</ref>
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The current borders of Sichuan(which then included [[Chongqing]]) were established in the early 18th century.
The current borders of Sichuan(which then included [[Chongqing]]) were established in the early 18th century.


===Republic of China and [[Tibet Autonomous Region]]===
===Republic of China===
In the early 20th century the newly founded [[Republic of China (1912–1949)|Republic of China]] established Chuanbian Special Administrative District (川邊特別行政區), which acknowledged the unique culture and economy of the region largely differing from that of mainstream northern China in the [[Yellow River]] region. The Special District later became the province of [[Xikang]], incorporating the areas inhabited by Yi, Tibetan and Qiang ethnic minorities to its west, and eastern part of today's [[Tibet Autonomous Region]].
In the early 20th century the newly founded [[Republic of China (1912–1949)|Republic of China]] established Chuanbian Special Administrative District (川邊特別行政區), which acknowledged the unique culture and economy of the region largely differing from that of mainstream northern China in the [[Yellow River]] region. The Special District later became the province of [[Xikang]], incorporating the areas inhabited by Yi, Tibetan and Qiang ethnic minorities to its west, and eastern part of today's [[Tibet Autonomous Region]].


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In 1997 when Sichuan split, the sum of the two parts was recorded to be 114,720,000 people.<ref>[http://www.stats.gov.cn/english/statisticaldata/yearlydata/YB1998e/D4-3E.htm National Statistics Agency Tables:4-3 Total Population and Birth Rate, Death Rate and Natural Growth Rate by Region (1997)]</ref> As of 2010, Sichuan ranks as both the 3rd largest and [[List of People's Republic of China administrative divisions by population|4th most populous province]] in China.<ref name="bare_url">{{cite web|url=http://thechinaperspective.com/topics/province/sichuan-province/ |title=Sichuan Province: Economic News and Statistics for Sichuan's Economy |publisher=Thechinaperspective.com |date= |accessdate=2011-10-30}}</ref>
In 1997 when Sichuan split, the sum of the two parts was recorded to be 114,720,000 people.<ref>[http://www.stats.gov.cn/english/statisticaldata/yearlydata/YB1998e/D4-3E.htm National Statistics Agency Tables:4-3 Total Population and Birth Rate, Death Rate and Natural Growth Rate by Region (1997)]</ref> As of 2010, Sichuan ranks as both the 3rd largest and [[List of People's Republic of China administrative divisions by population|4th most populous province]] in China.<ref name="bare_url">{{cite web|url=http://thechinaperspective.com/topics/province/sichuan-province/ |title=Sichuan Province: Economic News and Statistics for Sichuan's Economy |publisher=Thechinaperspective.com |date= |accessdate=2011-10-30}}</ref>


In May 2008, [[2008 Sichuan earthquake|an earthquake]] with a magnitude of 7.9/8.0 hit just {{convert|79|km}} northwest of the provincial capital of Chengdu. Official figures recorded a minimized death toll of nearly 70,000 people, and millions of people were left homeless with liminal to no governmental care<ref name="data">{{cite news|url=http://news.sina.com.cn/pc/2008-05-13/326/651.html|date=2008-06-08|accessdate=2008-07-06
In May 2008, [[2008 Sichuan earthquake|an earthquake]] with a magnitude of 7.9/8.0 hit just {{convert|79|km}} northwest of the provincial capital of Chengdu. Official figures recorded a death toll of nearly 70,000 people, and millions of people were left homeless.<ref name="data">{{cite news|url=http://news.sina.com.cn/pc/2008-05-13/326/651.html|date=2008-06-08|accessdate=2008-07-06
|title=Casualties of the Wenchuan Earthquake|publisher=[[Sina.com]]|language=Chinese}}, and {{cite news|url=http://news.sina.com.cn/c/2008-07-06/162615881691.shtml|date=2008-07-06| accessdate=2008-07-07|title=Wenchuan Earthquake has already caused 69,196 fatalities and 18,379 missing|publisher=[[Sina.com]]|language=Chinese}}</ref>
|title=Casualties of the Wenchuan Earthquake|publisher=[[Sina.com]]|language=Chinese}}, and {{cite news|url=http://news.sina.com.cn/c/2008-07-06/162615881691.shtml|date=2008-07-06| accessdate=2008-07-07|title=Wenchuan Earthquake has already caused 69,196 fatalities and 18,379 missing|publisher=[[Sina.com]]|language=Chinese}}</ref>


Revision as of 23:30, 1 September 2012

30°N 103°E / 30°N 103°E / 30; 103 Template:Infobox PRC province Template:Contains Chinese text

Sichuan
Chinese四川
Hanyu PinyinSìchuān
Si4cuan1
PostalSzechwan or Szechuan
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinSìchuān
IPA[sɨ̂tʂʰwán]
other Mandarin
Sichuanese PinyinSi4cuan1
Wu
Romanizationsy3tshoe1
Hakka
RomanizationSi-tshôn
Yue: Cantonese
Jyutpingsei3cyun1
Southern Min
Hokkien POJSù-chhoan

Sichuanⓘ (Chinese: 四川, known formerly in the West by its postal map spellings of Szechwan or Szechuan) is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the southwest of the country. The current name of the province, "四川", is an abbreviation of "四川路" (Sì Chuānlù), or "Four circuits of rivers", which is itself abbreviated from "川峡四路" (Chuānxiá Sìlù), or "Four circuits of rivers and gorges", named after the division of the existing circuit into four during the Northern Song Dynasty.[1] The capital is Chengdu, a key economic centre of Western China.

History

Long before human habitation, this mountainous region has been home to dinosaurs and pandas.

Throughout its prehistory and early history, the region and its vicinity in the Yangtze River region was the cradle of unique local civilizations which can be dated back to at least the fifteenth century BC (coinciding with the later years of the Shang Dynasty and Zhou Dynasty in north China). Beginning from the ninth century BC, an independent Shu (today Chengdu) and Ba (today Chongqing City) emerged as cultural and administrative centers where two rival kingdoms were established.

The existence of Kingdom of Shu was unknown in written historical records of China. It only exists in popular legends and oral literature, such as the folk stories of Emperor Duyu 杜宇 who lost his kingdom and died a miserable death. The truth of kingdom's existence eventually came to light with an archaeological discovery in 1986 at a small village named Sanxingdui 三星堆 in Guanghan County, Sichuan. Initially discovered by a local farmer in 1929, the site gradually received state and scholarly attention in 1934, 1953,1980, and 1982. Today, with the extended excavation of surrounding site, it is believed to be an ancient city of the Shu Kingdom, where excavations have yielded invaluable archaeological information. The current discovery of jade, pottery, bronze vessels contest the conventional historiography that the local culture and technology were background and uncivilized in comparison to the technologically and culturally "advanced" China Proper in the Yellow River valley.

A stone-carved gate pillar, or que, 6 m (20 ft) in total height, located at the tomb of Gao Yi in Ya'an, Sichuan, built during the Eastern Han Dynasty (25-220 AD)

The region had its own distinct religious beliefs and worldview. Various ores were abundant. Adding to its significance, the area was also on the trade route from the Huang He Valley to foreign countries of the southwest, especially India.

Qin Dynasty

Sometime during the 2nd century BC, the kingdoms of Shu and Ba were conquered by the Qin Dynasty from China Proper, so any written records and civil achievement of the kingdoms were destroyed. The Qin government seemed to have introduced some agricultural engineerings to the region, making it comparable to that of the Huang He (Yellow River) Valley. The Dujiangyan Irrigation System, built in the 3rd century BC under the inspection of Li Bing, was the symbol of agricultural engineering of that period. Composed of a series of dams, it redirected the flow of the Min Jiang, a major tributary of the Yangtze River, to fields, relieving the potential damage of seasonal floods. The construction and various other projects greatly increased the agrarian output of the area, which thus became the main source of provisions and men for Qin's unification of China.

Throughout the history of Chinese Empires, the area's military importance matches its commercial and agricultural significance. As a basin surrounded by the Himalayas to the west, the Qinling Range to the north, and mountainous areas of Yunnan to the south, Sichuan is prone to fog. Since the Yangtze River flows through the basin and is thus upstream of eastern and southern China, navies could easily sail downstream. Therefore Sichuan was the base for numerous amphibious military forces and also served as the ideal hiding frontier for political refugees of Chinese governments throughout history.

Han Dynasty and the Three Kingdoms

Sichuan was subjected to the autonomous control of kings named by the imperial family of Han Dynasty. Following the declining central government of the Empire of Han Dynasty in the 100s, the region saw the establishment of a few independent regimes.

In 221, one of the most famous Shu Han was established in the region, as one of the Three Kingdoms.

In 263, the Jin Dynasty in north China first conquered the Kingdom of Shu-Han on its path to establish an empire.

Tang Dynasty

During the Tang Dynasty, the independent Sichuan was conquered and subjected to the military control of the Empire from north China. The region remained as the frontier of the empire, its previous political and cultural status during the Empire of Han Dynasty. The region was distraught by constant warfare and economic distraught as a battlefront upon which the expanding Tang Empire fought with those from the neighbouring Kingdom of Tibet.

The Leshan Giant Buddha, built during the latter half of the Tang Dynasty (618–907).

Song Dynasty

Sichuan was again incorporated into the expanding Chinese Empire of Song in the middle of the 10th century as the frontier.

In the 12th and 13th centuries, the diaspora Southern Song Dynasty established coordinated defenses against the Mongolian Yuan Dynasty in Sichuan and Xiangyang.

The Southern Song state monopolized Sichuan tea industry to pay for warhorses, but this state intervention brought immediate devastation to local economy and commerce.[2]

The line of defense was finally broken through after the first use of firearms in history during the six-year siege of Xiangyang, which ended in 1273.

Ming Dynasty

During the Ming Dynasty major architectural works were created in Sichuan. Buddhism remained influential in the region. Bao'en Temple is a well-preserved fifteenth century monastery complex built between 1440 and 1446 during Emperor Yingzong's reign (1427–64) in the Ming Dynasty (1368–1644). Dabei Hall enshrines a thousand-armed wooden image of Guanyin and Huayan Hall is a repository with a revolving sutra cabinet. The wall paintings, sculptures and other ornamental details are masterpieces of the Ming period.[3]

In the middle of the 17th century, the peasant rebel leader Zhang Xianzhong(1606–1646) from Yan'an, Shanxi Province, nicknamed Yellow Tiger, led his peasant troop from north China to the south, and conquered Sichuan. Upon capturing it, he declared himself emperor of the Daxi Dynasty (大西王朝). In response to the resistance from local elites, he massacred a large native population.[4] As a result of the massacre and the war between Qing Dynasty and Zhang, the population of Sichuan dropped from 3,102,073 in 1578 to 2,708,090 in 1685, and the number of residents in Chengdu, a major city of Sichuan, decreased from 400,000 to 200,000.

Qing Dynasty

A massive resettlement of southern Chinese from neighbouring provinces to the depopulated Sichuan called "Huguang filling Sichuan (湖廣填四川)" lasted more than a century during the Qing Dynasty.

A landslide dam on the Dadu River caused by an earthquake gave way on 10 June 1786. The resulting flood killed 100,000 people.[5]

The current borders of Sichuan(which then included Chongqing) were established in the early 18th century.

Republic of China

In the early 20th century the newly founded Republic of China established Chuanbian Special Administrative District (川邊特別行政區), which acknowledged the unique culture and economy of the region largely differing from that of mainstream northern China in the Yellow River region. The Special District later became the province of Xikang, incorporating the areas inhabited by Yi, Tibetan and Qiang ethnic minorities to its west, and eastern part of today's Tibet Autonomous Region.

In the 20th century, as Beijing, Shanghai, Nanjing, and Wuhan had all been lost to the Japanese during the Second Sino-Japanese War, the capital of the diaspora Republic of China had been temporary relocated to Chongqing, then a major city in Sichuan. The difficulty of accessing the region overland from the eastern part of China and the foggy climate hindering the accuracy of Japanese bombing of the Sichuan Basin, made the region the stronghold of Chiang Kai-Shek's Kuomintang government during 1938-45, and led to the Bombing of Chongqing.

The Second Sino-Japanese War was soon followed by the resumed Chinese Civil War, and the cities of East China fell to the Communists one after another, the Kuomintang government again tried to make Sichuan its stronghold on the mainland. Chiang Kai-Shek himself flew to Chongqing from Taiwan in November 1949 to lead the defense. But the same month Chongqing fell to the Communists, followed by Chengdu on 10 December. The Kuomintang general Wang Sheng wanted to stay behind with his troops to continue anticommunist guerilla war in Sichuan, but was recalled to Taiwan. Many of his soldiers making their way there as well, via Burma.[6]

People's Republic of China

The People's Republic of China, founded in 1949, abolished Xikang province of the Republic of China and merged western part of that province into Tibet Autonomous Region in 1965 while the rest of Xikang was made Sichuan province in 1955.

The province was deeply affected by the Great Chinese Famine of 1959-1961, during which period some 9.4 million people (13.07% of the population at the time) died.[7]

In 1978, when Deng Xiaoping took power, Sichuan was one of the first provinces to undergo limited experimentation with market economic enterprise.

From 1955 until 1997 Sichuan had been China's most populous province, hitting 100 million mark shortly after the 1982 census figure of 99,730,000.[8] This changed in 1997 when the city of Chongqing as well as the surrounding counties of Fuling and Wanxian were split off into the new Chongqing Municipality. The new municipality was formed to spearhead China's effort to economically develop its western provinces, as well as to coordinate the resettlement of residents from the reservoir areas of the Three Gorges Dam project.

In 1997 when Sichuan split, the sum of the two parts was recorded to be 114,720,000 people.[9] As of 2010, Sichuan ranks as both the 3rd largest and 4th most populous province in China.[10]

In May 2008, an earthquake with a magnitude of 7.9/8.0 hit just 79 kilometres (49 mi) northwest of the provincial capital of Chengdu. Official figures recorded a death toll of nearly 70,000 people, and millions of people were left homeless.[11]

Subdivisions

Main article: List of administrative divisions of Sichuan

Sichuan consists of eighteen prefecture-level cities and three autonomous prefectures:

Map # Name Administrative Seat Hanzi
Hanyu Pinyin 		Population (2010)
— Sub-provincial city —
9 Chengdu Qingyang District 成都市
Chéngdū Shì 		14,047,625
— Prefecture-level city —
3 Mianyang Fucheng District 绵阳市
Miányáng Shì 		4,613,862
4 Guangyuan Lizhou District 广元市
Gǔangyúan Shì 		2,484,125
5 Nanchong Shunqing District 南充市
Nánchōng Shì 		6,278,622
6 Bazhong Bazhou District 巴中市
Bāzhōng Shì 		3,283,771
7 Dazhou Tongchuan District 达州市
Dázhōu Shì 		5,468,092
8 Ya'an Yucheng District 雅安市
Yǎ'ān Shì 		1,507,264
10 Deyang Jingyang District 德阳市
Déyáng Shì 		3,615,759
11 Suining Chuanshan District 遂宁市
Sùiníng Shì 		3,252,551
12 Guang'an Guang'an District 广安市
Guǎng'ān Shì 		3,205,476
13 Meishan Dongpo District 眉山市
Méishān Shì 		2,950,548
14 Ziyang Yanjiang District 资阳市
Zīyáng Shì 		3,665,064
15 Leshan Shizhong District 乐山市
Lèshān Shì 		3,235,756
16 Neijiang Shizhong District 内江市
Nèijiāng Shì 		3,702,847
17 Zigong Ziliujing District 自贡市
Zìgòng Shì 		2,678,898
18 Yibin Cuiping District 宜宾市
Yíbīn Shì 		4,472,001
19 Luzhou Jiangyang District 泸州市
Lúzhōu Shì 		4,218,426
21 Panzhihua Dongqu District 攀枝花市
Pānzhīhūa Shì 		1,214,121
— Autonomous prefectures —
1 Garzê
(for Tibetan) 		Kangding County 甘孜藏族自治州
Gānzī Zàngzú Zìzhìzhōu 		1,091,872
2 Ngawa
(for Tibetan & Qiang) 		Barkam County 阿坝藏族羌族自治州
Ābà Zàngzú Qiāngzú Zìzhìzhōu 		898,713
20 Liangshan
(for Yi) 		Xichang 凉山彝族自治州
Liángshān Yízú Zìzhìzhōu 		4,532,809

Geography

Sichuan, within its present borders, consists of two very geographically distinct parts. The eastern part of the province is mostly within the fertile Sichuan basin (which is shared by Sichuan with the now-separate Chongqing Municipality). The western Sichuan consists of the numerous mountain ranges forming the easternmost part of the Tibetan Plateau, which are known generically as Hengduan Mountains. One of these ranges, Daxue Mountains, contains the highest point of the province - Gongga Shan, 7,556 metres (24,790 ft) tall.

Lesser mountain ranges surround the Sichuan Basin from north, east, and south. Among them are the Daba Mountains, in the province's northeast.

Plate tectonics formed the Longmen Shan fault, which runs under the north-easterly mountain location of the 2008 earthquake.

The Yangtze River and its tributaries flows through the mountains of western Sichuan and the Sichuan Basin; thus, the province is upstream of the great cities that stand along the Yangtze River further to the east, such as Chongqing, Wuhan, Nanjing and Shanghai. One of the major tributaries of the Yangtze within the province is the Min River of central Sichuan, which joins the Yangtze at Yibin.

Due to the great difference in the terrain, the climate of the province is highly variable, yet in general has strong monsoonal influences, with rainfall heavily concentrated in summer. Under the Köppen climate classification, the Sichuan Basin (including Chengdu) in the eastern half of the province experiences a humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cwa or Cfa), with long, hot, humid summers and short, mild to cool, dry and cloudy winters, and China's lowest sunshine totals. The western mountainous areas have a cooler but sunnier climate, with cool to very cold winters and mild summers; temperatures generally decrease with greater elevation. The southern part of the province, including Panzhihua and Xichang, has a sunny climate with short, very mild winters and very warm to hot summers.

Sichuan borders Qinghai to the northwest, Gansu to the north, Shaanxi to the northeast, Chongqing to the east, Guizhou to the southeast, Yunnan to the south, and the Tibet Autonomous Region to the west.

Politics

Main articles: Politics of Sichuan and List of provincial leaders of the People's Republic of China

The politics of Sichuan is structured in a dual party-government system like all other governing institutions in mainland China.

The Governor of Sichuan is the highest-ranking official in the People's Government of Sichuan. However, in the province's dual party-government governing system, the Governor has less power than the Sichuan Communist Party of China Provincial Committee Secretary, colloquially termed the "Sichuan CPC Party Chief".

Economy

The capital of Sichuan, Chengdu.

Sichuan has been historically known as the "Province of Abundance". It is one of the major agricultural production bases of China. Grain, including rice and wheat, is the major product with output that ranked first in China in 1999. Commercial crops include citrus fruits, sugar canes, sweet potatoes, peaches and grapeseeds. Sichuan also had the largest output of pork among all the provinces and the second largest output of silkworm cocoons in China in 1999. Sichuan is rich in mineral resources. It has more than 132 kinds of proven underground mineral resources of which reserves of 11 kinds including vanadium, titanium, and lithium are the largest in China. The Panxi region alone possesses 13.3% of the reserves of iron, 93% of titanium, 69% of vanadium, and 83% of the cobalt of the whole country.[12] Sichuan also possesses China's largest proven natural gas reserves, although the majority of which is transported to more developed eastern regions.[10]

Sichuan is one of the major industrial centers of China. In addition to heavy industries such as coal, energy, iron and steel, the province has also established a light industrial sector comprising building materials, wood processing, food and silk processing. Chengdu and Mianyang are the production centers for textiles and electronics products. Deyang, Panzhihua, and Yibin are the production centers for machinery, metallurgical industries, and wine, respectively. Sichuan's wine production accounted for 21.9% of the country’s total production in 2000.

Great strides have been made in developing Sichuan into a modern hi-tech industrial base, by encouraging both domestic and foreign investments in electronics and information technology (such as software), machinery and metallurgy (including automobiles), hydropower, pharmaceutical, food and beverage industries.

The auto industry is an important and key sector of the machinery industry in Sichuan. Most of the auto manufacturing companies are located in Chengdu, Mianyang, Nanchong, and Luzhou.[13]

Other important industries in Sichuan include aerospace and defense (military) industries. A number of China's rockets (Long March rockets) and satellites were launched from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center, located in the city of Xichang.

Sichuan's beautiful landscapes and rich historical relics have also made the province a major center for tourism.

The Three Gorges Dam, the largest dam ever constructed, is being built on the Yangtze River in nearby Hubei province to control flooding in the Sichuan Basin, neighboring Yunnan province, and downstream. The plan is hailed by some as China's efforts to shift towards alternative energy sources and to further develop its industrial and commercial bases, but others have criticised it for its potentially harmful effects, such as massive resettlement of residents in the reservoir areas, loss of archeological sites, and ecological damages.

Sichuan's nominal GDP for 2011 was 2.15 trillion yuan (US$340 billion), equivalent to 17,380 RMB (US$2,545) per capita.[14] In 2008, the per capita net income of rural residents was 4,121 yuan (US$593), up 16.2% from 2007. The per capita disposable income of the urbanites averaged 12,633 yuan (US$1,819), up 13.8% from 2007.[15][16]

Foreign trade

According to the Sichuan Department of Commerce, the province's total foreign trade was US$22.04 billion in 2008, a year on year increase of 53.3 percent. Exports were US$13.1 billion, a year on year increase of 52.3 percent, while imports were US$8.93 billion, a year on year increase of 54.7 percent. These achievements were accomplished because of significant changes in China's foreign trade policy, acceleration of the yuan's appreciation, increase of commercial incentives and increase in production costs. The 18 cities and counties witnessed a steady rate of increase. Chengdu, Suining, Nanchong, Dazhou, Ya'an, Abazhou, and Liangshan all saw an increase of more than 40 percent while Leshan, Neijiang, Luzhou, Meishan, Ziyang, and Yibin saw an increase of more than 20 percent. Foreign trade in Zigong, Panzhihua, Guang'an, Bazhong and Ganzi remained constant.

Minimum wage

The Sichuan government raised the minimum wage in the province by 12.5 percent at the end of December 2007. The monthly minimum wage went up from 400 to 450 yuan, with a minimum of 4.9 yuan per hour for part-time work, effective Dec. 26 2007. The government also reduced the four-tier minimum wage structure to three. The top tier mandates a minimum of 650 yuan per month, or 7.1 yuan per hour. National law allows each province to set minimum wages independently, but with a floor of 450 yuan per month.

Economic and technological development zones

Chengdu Economic & Technological Development Zone

Chengdu Economic and Technological Development Zone was approved as state-level development zone in February 2000. The zone now has a developed area of 10.25 square kilometers and has a planned area of 26 square kilometers. Chengdu Economic and Technological Development Zone (CETDZ) lies 13.6 kilometers east of Chengdu, the capital city of Sichuan Province and the hub of transportation and communication in southwest China. The zone has attracted investors and developers from more than 20 countries to carry out their projects there. Industries encouraged in the zone include mechanical, electronic, new building materials, medicine and food processing.[17]

Chengdu Export Processing Zone

Chengdu Export Processing Zone was ratified by the State Council as one of the first 15 export processing zones in the country in April, 2000. In 2002, the state ratified the establishment of the Sichuan Chengdu Export Processing West Zone with a planned area of 1.5 km2, located inside the west region of the Chengdu Hi-tech Zone.[18]

Chengdu Hi-Tech Industrial Development Zone

Established in 1988, Chengdu Hi-tech Industrial Development Zone was approved as one of the first national hi-tech development zones in 1991. In 2000, it was open to APEC and has been recognized as a national advanced hi-tech development zone in successive assessment activities held by China's Ministry of Science and Technology. It ranks 5th among the 53 national hi-tech development zones in China in terms of comprehensive strength. Chengdu Hi-tech Development Zone covers an area of 82.5 km2, consisting of the South Park and the West Park. By relying on the city sub-center which is under construction, the South Park is focusing on creating a modernized industrial park of science and technology with scientific and technological innovation, incubation R&D, modern service industry and Headquarters economy playing leading roles. Priority has been given to the development of software industry. Located on both sides of the "Chengdu-Dujiangyan-Jiuzhaigou"golden tourism channel, the West Park aims at building a comprehensive industrial park targeting at industrial clustering with complete supportive functions. The West Park gives priority to three major industries i.e. electronic information, biomedicine and precision machinery.[19]

Mianyang New & Hi-Tech Industrial Development Zone

Mianyang Hi-Tech Industrial Development Zone was established in 1992, with a planned area of 43 square kilometers. The zone is situated 96 kilometers away from Chengdu, and is 8 km away from Mianyang Airport. Since its establishment, the zone accumulated 177.4 billion yuan of industrial output, 46.2 billion yuan of gross domestic product, fiscal revenue 6.768 billion yuan. There are more than 136 high-tech enterprises in the zone and they accounted for more than 90% of the total industrial output. Zone is a leader in electronic information industry, biological medicine, new materials and production of motor vehicles and parts.[20]

Transportation

Expressways

On 3 November 2007, the Sichuan Transportation Bureau announced that the Sui-Yu Expressway was completed after three years of construction. After completion of the Chongqing section of the road, the 36.64 km expressway connected Cheng-Nan Expressway and formed the shortest expressway from Chengdu to Chongqing. The new expressway is 50 km shorter than the pre-existing road between Chengdu and Chongqing; thus journey time between the two cities was reduced by an hour, now taking two and a half hours. The Sui-Yu Expressway is a four lane overpass with a speed limit of 80 km/h. The total investment was 1.045 billion yuan.

Rail

Major railways in Sichuan include the Baoji–Chengdu, Chengdu–Chongqing, Chengdu–Kunming, Neijiang–Kunming, Suining-Chongqing and Chengdu–Dazhou Railways. A high-speed rail line connects Chengdu and Dujiangyan.

Demographics

Tibetans as a main ethnic minority group in Sichuan.

The majority of the province's population is Han Chinese, who are found scattered throughout the region with the exception of the far western areas. Thus, significant minorities of Tibetans, Yi, Qiang and Naxi reside in the western portion forming a traditional transition zone between Central Asian and East Asian cultures. The Eastern Lipo, included with either Yi people or Lisu people as well as the A-Hmao also are among the ethnic groups of the provinces. Sichuan was China's most populous province before Chongqing was carved out of it; it is currently the fourth most populous, after Guangdong, Shandong and Henan.

It was the third most populous sub-national entity in the world, after Uttar Pradesh, India and the Russian SFSR until 1991 when the Soviet Union was dissolved. It is also one of the only four to ever reach 100 million people (Uttar Pradesh, Russian RSFSR, Maharashtra, and Sichuan). It is currently 6th.

Culture

The Li Bai Memorial, located at Zhongba Town of northern Jiangyou County in Sichuan Province, is a museum in memory of Li Bai, a Chinese poet in the Tang Dynasty (618-907), at the place where he grew up. It was prepared in 1962 on the occasion of 1,200th anniversary of his death, completed in 1981 and opened to the public in October 1982. The memorial is built in the style of the classic garden of the Tang Dynasty.

Languages

The most widely used variety of Chinese spoken in Sichuan is Sichuanese, which is the lingua franca in Sichuan, Chongqing and part of Tibet. Although Sichuanese is generally classified as a dialect of Mandarin, it is highly divergent in phonology, vocabulary, and even grammar from the standard language.[21] Minjiang dialect is especially difficult for speakers of other Mandarin dialects to understand.[22][23][24][25]

The prefectures of Garzê and Ngawa (Aba) in western Sichuan are populated by Tibetan and Qiang people. Tibetans speak the Kham and Amdo dialects of Tibetan, as well as various Qiangic languages. Qiangic languages is also spoken by the Qiang and other related ethnicities. The Yi of Liangshan prefecture in southern Sichuan speak the Yi language, which is more closely related to Burmese; Yi is written using the Yi script, a syllabary standardized in 1974. Like in all of mainland China, regional languages are being supplanted by the mandatory instruction of Mandarin Chinese in nearly all schools regardless of the ethnicity of the students. However, certain accommodations to non-Chinese speakers are made in the minority inhabited regions of Sichuan, including some bi-lingual signage and public school instruction in non-Mandarin minority languages. Tibetan exile communities have claimed the Chinese government practices both implicit and explicit language discrimination in these areas.

Cuisine

Main article: Szechuan cuisine

The Sichuanese are proud of their cuisine, known as one of the Four Great Traditions of Chinese cuisine. The cuisine here is of "one dish, one shape, hundreds of dishes, hundreds of tastes", as the saying goes, to describe its acclaimed diversity. The most prominent traits of Sichuanese cuisine are described by four words: spicy, hot, fresh and fragrant.[26] Sichuan cuisine is popular in the whole nation of China, so are Sichuan chefs. Two famous Sichuan chefs are Chen Kenmin and his son Chen Kenichi, who was Iron Chef Chinese on the Japanese television series "Iron Chef".

Education

Colleges and universities

See also: List of universities and colleges in Sichuan

Collapse of schools during the 2008 Sichuan earthquake

See also: Allegations of corruption in the construction of Chinese schools, Collapse of schools in the 2008 Sichuan earthquake

During the 2008 Sichuan earthquake, a disproportionately high number of school structures collapsed, especially in rural areas of Sichuan, leading to allegations of corruption and promises by the government for an official inquiry. However, it remains unclear whether the allegedly shoddy construction was unique to Sichuan, as opposed to a nation-wide practice that only became visible in Sichuan due to the earthquake.

Executive vice governor, Wei Hong, on 20 November 2008 confirmed that 19,065 identified schoolchildren died, and more than 90,000 were dead or missing after the earthquake. He stated that 200,000 homes had been rebuilt, and 685,000 were under reconstruction, but 1.94 million households were still without permanent shelter. 1,900 schools had been reconstructed, with initial relocation of 25 townships, including Beichuan and Wenchuan, two of the most devastated areas. The government spent $441 billion on relief and reconstruction efforts.[27][28]

Tourism

Giant Pandas eating bamboo in Chengdu, Sichuan

UNESCO World Heritage Sites

Notable people

  • Li Bai 李白 (701–762), one of the greatest poets of the Tang Dynasty
  • Kuei-feng Tsung-mi 圭峰宗密(780–841), a Tang dynasty Buddhist scholar-monk, fifth patriarch of the Huayan 華嚴 school as well as a patriarch of the Heze lineage of Southern Chan
  • Ouyang Xiu 歐陽脩 (1007–September 22, 1072), Confucian historian, essayist, calligrapher, poet, and official bureaucrat of the Song Dynasty
  • Su Xun 蘇洵, a poem and prose-writer of the Song Dynasty
  • Su Shi 蘇軾 (January 8, 1037–August 24, 1101),Confucian bureaucrat official, a poet, artist, calligrapher, pharmacologist, gastronome, and official bureaucrat of the Song Dynasty
  • Su Zhe 蘇轍 (1039–1112), a poet and essayist, Confucian bureaucratic official of the Song Dynasty
  • Ba Jin 巴金 (November 25, 1904–October 17, 2005), a Chinese novelist and writer
  • Deng Xiaoping, politician of PRC

Sports

Professional sports teams in Sichuan include:

Sister states and regions

See also

Notes

  1. ^ Template:Zh icon Origin of the Names of China's Provinces, People's Daily Online.
  2. ^ Bray. p. 29. {{cite book}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  3. ^ Guxi, Pan (2002). Chinese Architecture -- The Yuan and Ming Dynasties (English ed.). Yale University Press. pp. 245–246. ISBN 0-300-09559-7.
  4. ^ "Skeletons of massacre victims uncovered at construction site". Shanghai Star. 11 April 2002.
  5. ^ Schuster, R.L. and G. F. Wieczorek, "Landslide triggers and types" in Landslides: Proceedings of the First European Conference on Landslides 2002 A.A. Balkema Publishers. p.66 [1]
  6. ^ Marks, Thomas A., Counterrevolution in China: Wang Sheng and the Kuomintang, Frank Cass (London: 1998), ISBN 0-7146-4700-4. Partial view on Google Books. p. 116.
  7. ^ Cao Shuji: 大饑荒：1959－1961年的中国人口, Hong Kong: 2005
  8. ^ Citypopulation.de:China
  9. ^ National Statistics Agency Tables:4-3 Total Population and Birth Rate, Death Rate and Natural Growth Rate by Region (1997)
  10. ^ a b "Sichuan Province: Economic News and Statistics for Sichuan's Economy". Thechinaperspective.com. Retrieved 30 October 2011.
  11. ^ "Casualties of the Wenchuan Earthquake" (in Chinese). Sina.com. 8 June 2008. Retrieved 6 July 2008., and "Wenchuan Earthquake has already caused 69,196 fatalities and 18,379 missing" (in Chinese). Sina.com. 6 July 2008. Retrieved 7 July 2008.
  12. ^ SICHUAN PROVINCE (hktdc.com)
  13. ^ International Market Research - AUTO PARTS INDUSTRY IN SICHUAN AND CHONGQING
  14. ^ CCTV
  15. ^ Xinhua - English
  16. ^ Counting the economic costs of China's earthquake_English_Xinhua
  17. ^ RightSite.asia | Chengdu Economic & Technological Development Zone
  18. ^ RightSite.asia | Chengdu Export Processing Zone
  19. ^ RightSite.asia | Chengdu Hi-Tech Industrial Development Zone
  20. ^ RightSite.asia | Mianyang Hi-Tech Industrial Development Zone
  21. ^ 崔荣昌 (1996). "第三章：四川的官话". 《四川方言与巴蜀文化》. 四川大学出版社. ISBN 7-5614-1296-7.
  22. ^ 李彬、涂鸣华 (2007). 《百年中国新闻人（上册）》. 福建人民出版社. p. 563. ISBN 978-7-211-05482-4.
  23. ^ 吴丹, 梁晓明 (Nov 23 2005). "四川交通："窗口"飞来普通话". 中国交通报. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  24. ^ 张国盛, 余勇 (Jun 01 2009). "大学生村官恶补四川方言 现在能用流利四川话和村民交流". 北京晨报. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  25. ^ "走进大山的志愿者". 四川青年报. Jul 18 2009. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  26. ^ Sichuanese Cuisine Template:Zh icon - Pictures, descriptions, history, and examples of Sichuan cuisine.
  27. ^ China Raises Quake’s Student Toll
  28. ^ Chinese official corrects figure on quake deaths
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