#1 Jinsha and the 3,000-Year-Old Golden Sun Bird
Beneath a western Chengdu neighborhood lies a 3,000-year-old sacred site. Its tiny gold foil, the Golden Sun Bird, is no…
#2 Sanxingdui, the Enigmatic Bronze Civilization
Huge eyes, long ears, gold masks and bronze trees from a civilization that Chinese history forgot entirely. Sanxingdui r…
#3 Sichuan Opera and the Art of Face-Changing
A red, a black, a flash of silk and the actor's face is suddenly someone else. Sichuan opera's famous face-changing is l…
#4 Shu Brocade and Shu Embroidery
Chengdu was once the "Brocade City" on the strength of a silk so fine it was woven 2,000 years ago. See how it is still …
#5 The Covered-Bowl Teahouse Culture of Chengdu
Sit on a bamboo chair, lift the lid off a lidded bowl, and waste an afternoon. Chengdu's teahouses are the soul of the c…
#6 Three Kingdoms Culture in Chengdu
Worshiped for eighteen centuries as China's model prime minister, Zhuge Liang rests in Chengdu. The Wuhou Shrine is the …
#7 Du Fu and the Chinese Poetry Tradition
He is called China's greatest poet. Exiled, poor and sick, he wrote some of the most famous lines in the language from a…
#8 Yongling, the Tomb of Wang Jian
A rare underground royal tomb in the middle of a city park, and 24 carved stone musicians still playing after a thousand…
#9 The Ming Dynasty Shu Royal Mausoleums
East of the city, a forested ridge hides the tombs of fourteen Ming princes of Shu. Stone elephants, spirit paths and un…
#10 Remnants of the Ancient Chengdu City Wall
Chengdu has been walled and unwalled for 2,300 years. Most of the great walls are gone, but a few stubborn brick fragmen…
#11 The History Behind Kuanzhai Alleys and the Manchu Quarter
Three gray-brick lanes in the heart of Chengdu hide a Qing-era Manchu garrison. Kuanzhai is pretty by day, but its story…
#12 Jinjiang River, the Mother River of Chengdu
All of Chengdu's romance — brocade, poetry, wine and a famous Tang courtesan-poet — flows along this river. Walk its ban…
History
History
#1 Jinsha and the 3,000-Year-Old Golden Sun Bird
Beneath a western Chengdu neighborhood lies a 3,000-year-old sacred site. Its tiny gold …
History
#2 Sanxingdui, the Enigmatic Bronze Civilization
Huge eyes, long ears, gold masks and bronze trees from a civilization that Chinese histo…
History
#3 Sichuan Opera and the Art of Face-Changing
A red, a black, a flash of silk and the actor's face is suddenly someone else. Sichuan o…
History
#4 Shu Brocade and Shu Embroidery
Chengdu was once the "Brocade City" on the strength of a silk so fine it was woven 2,000…
History
#5 The Covered-Bowl Teahouse Culture of Chengdu
Sit on a bamboo chair, lift the lid off a lidded bowl, and waste an afternoon. Chengdu's…
History
#6 Three Kingdoms Culture in Chengdu
Worshiped for eighteen centuries as China's model prime minister, Zhuge Liang rests in C…
History
#7 Du Fu and the Chinese Poetry Tradition
He is called China's greatest poet. Exiled, poor and sick, he wrote some of the most fam…
History
#8 Yongling, the Tomb of Wang Jian
A rare underground royal tomb in the middle of a city park, and 24 carved stone musician…
History
#9 The Ming Dynasty Shu Royal Mausoleums
East of the city, a forested ridge hides the tombs of fourteen Ming princes of Shu. Ston…