Chengdu - As the capital city of Sichuan province of China, is a city with many faces. On the one hand this is an incredibly modern and vibrant place, Chengdu has blossomed in terms of affluence and investment.

The traditional industries of Chengdu includes gold, silver, silk , laquerware which have helped to make this city one of the most important centers of commerce in China.

Chengdu today has many skyscrapers dominate the skyline. Japanese cars and western goods are hugely popular and widely available.

Chengdu plays important role in terms of education and culture in China, which has no doubt been helped this modernization of this city .
Chengdu has a long history as a destination for learned poets and artists of China to gather and seek inspiration. The great poet Du Fu, made his home here.

Today there are 14 colleges and an impressive university situated in the city.Thus is became once one of the most important printing centers in China.

Nestled amongst this affluence and development is another side to Chengdu. Traditional wooden Chinese architecture that once dominated this city can still be found in the outskirts although it is fast disappearing. What does still exist here however in abundance, is a great street life. Markets and street hawkers fill the streets dealing in everything you could possibly imagine, from snakes and snails to fortunes and foot scrubs.

Many travelers here are simply killing time or passing through en route to Tibet.

This is however, a very pleasant city to do just this: feast on some great food, soak up some of the mellow atmosphere in one of the thousands of tea houses dotted about the city.