Regions & prefectures
ChinaRegions & prefectures
Sichuan
The fertile basin of a thousand rivers, giant pandas and the peppercorn that numbs.
- Capital
- Chengdu
- Status
- Province
- Region
- Southwest China
- Must-see
- The Leshan Giant Buddha
- Local specialty
- Mapo tofu, gongbao chicken, Sichuan hotpot
Ringed by mountains on every side, the Sichuan basin developed its own identity, dialect and reputation for easy living that Chengdu cultivates in its teahouses. The Dujiangyan irrigation system, cut in 256 BCE without a dam, still regulates floods and waters the plain. The local cuisine pairs chilli with Sichuan peppercorn, whose effect is not hot but anaesthetic, the famous málà.
What to see there
Places, dishes and traditions tied to this territory.
In the magazine
Articles that cover this topic.