Chengdu

Chengdu, city in central China, the capital of Sichuan Province, on the Min Jiang (a tributary of the upper Yangtze), the cultural and industrial center for the agricultural Chengdu Plain. Manufactures include processed food, precision instruments, cutting tools, electronic equipment, textiles, and aluminum. Deposits of coal and natural gas are nearby. Sichuan University and several other institutions of higher education are in Chengdu, as is the home of the Tang (T’ang) poet Du Fu (Tu Fu).

Chengdu was founded during the Zhou (Chou) dynasty (1045?-256 bc). Capital of the Shu dynasty (ad 221-63), it became a leading commercial center during the Tang dynasty (618-907), when it was known as I-chou. Chengdu was one of the first centers of printing in China. In 1368 it was made the capital of Sichuan. Famous since the 13th century for its luxurious satins, brocades, and lacquerware, Chengdu expanded rapidly during the Second Sino-Japanese War (1937-1945) and was developed as a major rail and industrial center in the 1950s. Population (2007 estimate) 2,300,000.