(1)外文名称: Chengdu City (Sichuan)
    (2)中文名称: 成都市（四川省）
    (3)内容:
                              Chengdu City
                     Capital of Sichuan Province
     Chengdu is the capital of Sichuan province and a major city in southwestern China. It was approved in 1992 by the State Council as an open inland city that enjoys the same preferential policy treatment as the coastal cities.
     In 1993, the State Council designated Chengdu as the scientific, trade, financial and communication center in the southwestern region.
     Chengdu has under its jurisdiction 7 districts, 4 cities and 8 counties.  Of its total population of 9.7 million, 3.01 million live in the urban areas.
                         Climate
     The city has a mild climate, with no harsh winter or summer.   It is green all the year round. The Dujiangyan water conservancy project ensures stable yields for the Chengdu Plain despite drought or excessive rain.
                   Key Place of State Investment
     Chengdu has been the key place of state investment for several times and therefore has many key national research and production projects. Faster development has ensured that Chengdu serves as the supply center for grain, cooking oil, pigs and vegetables.
     The city has quickened the pace of opening to the outside world. At the end of 1995, it had 1,960 foreign-funded enterprises with investors come more than 30 countries and regions. Its foreign trade totaled 647 million US dollars in 1995, with the export earnings reaching 383 million dollars.
     Chengdu has 5 national or provincial open zones and has established economic and trade links with more 80 countries and regions.
                      Fast Growing Economy
     The economy continued to grow at a fast pace in 1995, scoring a gross domestic product of 71.5 billion yuan or 12.5% higher over the previous year.   Today's Chengdu has become an ultra-large inland open city, with its comprehensive economic strength ranking ninth among all Chinese cities. Its investment environment is one of the 40 best in China.
     As an inland city, it has its own advantages despite its
geographical drawbacks. They are:
Broad Market Prospects: Since ancient times, Chengdu has been a distribution and trade center in southwestern China. In recent years, its consumer market has been increasingly brisk, characterized by a large trade volume, s large circulation and a large market.
     All commercial and economic indicators are among the best nationwide. It ranks third among China's 14 largest cities in terms of the turnover, the number of shopping, catering and services outlets and the number of the people employed in commerce.
   Developed Financial Industry: To date, Chengdu has established relations with financial institutions in more than 200 cities across China. Its financial network not only covers the city itself, but also extends to other parts of the province and the country.  With Chinese Government approval, the Overseas Union Bank Ltd. of Singapore, the Standard Chartered Bank of Britain, the Bank of Tokyo of Japan, the Hong Kong & Shanghai Banking Corporation of Hong Kong and the Manufacturers Life Insurance Company of Canada have established representative offices in Chengdu.
     Convenient Transportation Services:  The Chengdu highway network is one of the busiest in China.  It has 13 national highways with a total mileage of 798 kilometers, 106 county roads with a total mileage of 1,790 kilometers and 335 kilometers of special roads. Highways can reach all of its 298 townships. The Chengdu-Chongqing Expressway has been open to traffic.
     Chengdu is also the meeting point of three railways: Bao-Cheng, Cheng-Yu and Cheng-Kun. Chengdu also has one of China's four largest airports, with direct flights to more than 20 major Chinese cities and to Hong Kong, Bangkok and Singapore.
     Fast-Growing Telecommunications Services:  Chengdu is the post and telecommunications hub in the southwestern region, one of China's six telecommunications exchange centers, and one of China's largest mail processing centers.
     It has a telephone switching capacity of 584,000 lines and automatic dialing is available in all its 12 counties and cities. It also has microwave links with more than 20 major Chinese cities and direct long-distance dialing can reach more than 180 countries and regions.
     Improved Urban Facilities:  Several major roads have been built in recent years, namely, the Shudu street, Western road, first ring road, second ring road and Shuncheng street.  The pattern is: radiating roads intersected by ring roads.  Urban pipe water supply is 852,000 tons a day and natural gas reaches 83.8% of the households.
     Rich Tourism Resources:  Chengdu is an important tourism destination in southwestern China.  The Chengdu tourism region, featuring the Shuhan culture and seasonal scenery, is best known for numerous scenic spots and historical sites.  The Du Fu Cottage, the Wuhe ancestral hall, the Wanjian tomb and
the Dujiangyan water project are all listed as the key cultural relics under state protection.  There are also 19 cultural relics placed under the protection of the provincial government.
     On the outskirts are the Qingcheng mountain, the Xiling snow-capped mountain and the Chaoyang lake. The panda artificial breeding base, the only one in the world, has been listed by the United Nations as one of the world's 500 best environmental protection projects.
     Further Improvement of Soft Investment Environment:  To assist foreign investors in overcoming difficulties, Chengdu has established a service center and a complaint center for foreign investors to offer consulting and services, simplify procedures and increase work efficiency.