Explore China - Chengdu, the Metropolis that Offers Everything

Chengdu Is On The Rise

It does not matter if you want to discuss a deal, discover business contacts, or just relax and take in the cultural and tourist attractions, this city has something for everyone.

On the rise: the New York Times recommended Chengdu as one of the '52 places to go' in 2015 

 By Li Yu and Peng Chao   21 Apr 2015

“It’s an ideal city for both working and living,” said Shane Tian, who has lived in Chengdu for the past five years and is the vice-president of Sagent Pharmaceuticals in China.

The US company established its first Chinese manufacturing base in the Chengdu High-Tech Bonded Zone, one of the first to locate there. The zone is now home to many multinationals.

Tian said the Chengdu base was building a new high-speed manufacturing line to triple production capacity and meet growing market demand.

“The decision to set up the base was made with an eye to the future. Everybody knows this is the centre of new development and a great place to do business.

"It would have been much more expensive for us to set up and operate on the east coast of China. Land is much cheaper here. The cost of living is low; young people here can actually afford to buy a home, and that helps us attract and retain talent,” Tian said.

He said doing business is easier in Chengdu because the city has direct flights to San Francisco and Europe. At the moment, the company’s products are sold in the US market: “But eventually we will sell in China and the global market, including Europe, and if you are exporting to Europe, here in Chengdu you actually have a (logistics) advantage now.

A rich culture

“The reason I came to Chengdu, however, was not just about business, but the rich culture and work-life balance in the city,” Tian said. He went to the United States in 1992, working and living in New York City.

“If I were asked to go to Beijing and Shanghai, I wouldn’t. But Chengdu is different. It has almost everything the coastal cities have, and it is also the best city in which to enjoy life,” he said.

Tian, who has bought an apartment near his workplace and enjoys playing golf in the suburbs or visiting bars in the downtown in his free time, said he has liked the city since he was young because it was the boyhood home of Li Bai, one of China’s best poets during the Tang Dynasty (AD 618-907), and was also the capital of the Shu Kingdom during the Three Kingdoms Period (AD 220-280).

With a history of nearly 3,000 years, Chengdu is one of the few cities that hasn’t changed its name throughout the long run of Chinese history. It was a first-tier city in China before New York and Shanghai even existed.

Pandas and Kung Pao Chicken

Famous for pandas and delicious food, the city is a traditional tourism hotspot, and in January, the New York Times recommended it as one of the '52 places to go in 2015'.

The Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding is home to more than 100 of them. As a world leader in feeding, breeding and disease prevention and cure of giant pandas, the base has been devoted to the protection of the animal.

Ancient history: Chengdu hasn’t changed its name in 3,000 years

 Since it opened to the public in the 1990s, the base has attracted millions of tourists from home and abroad.

Named by UNESCO as a “City of Gastronomy”, Chengdu is also known for its spicy and diverse cuisine. Many famous Chinese dishes, including Mapo Tofu and Kung Pao Chicken, originated in Chengdu.

The city also has 63 national A-class tourist scenic spots, 140 star-rated hotels and 364 travel agencies. Major chains such as Shangri-La, Kempinski, St Regis and Ritz-Carlton hotels provide quality rooms, services and epicurean experiences.

Chengdu received 1.97 million overseas visitors last year, a rise of almost 12 per cent on the previous year, and the local tourism bureau said the city would continue to upgrade tourism facilities and services to meet local, domestic and international demand.

Gateway to western China

With China’s go-west campaign and the city’s opening-up to the world, Chengdu has risen to become one of the most dynamic cities in western China, and 262 Fortune Global 500 companies have a presence there.

“Chengdu is a city with long history and a variety of talents. With its growing advantages, from the humanities to the natural environment, it has become a new economic leader among China’s western cities,” said Charles Cheung, managing director and executive director of Dell China, which opened an operation centre in the tech zone of Chengdu in 2013.

“As a transportation hub of the new Asia-Europe continental bridge, Chengdu can help Dell shorten the logistics time of exporting products to Europe and expand Dell's global business, which has a very big development space in terms of geography."
Last year, the city’s GDP passed 1 trillion yuan ($160 billion), 8.9 percent higher than in 2013. The local statistics bureau said foreign investment in the city hit $10 billion last year.

Boosting innovation

The latest charm is the “Entrepreneurial Tianfu” programme. Officially launched by the city government last month, the programme aims to encourage university students, scientific and technological talents, and top foreign talents to start businesses and boost innovation in the city.

Tang Liangzhi, the mayor of Chengdu, has sent an invitation to entrepreneurs around the world, inviting them to share development opportunities and achieve win-win co-operation.
“We will provide entrepreneurs with greater development space, a better business environment and a more dynamic atmosphere for innovation,” he said.

Chengdu is already the largest aviation hub in western China, with 80 international air routes. Moreover, China’s cabinet has approved the construction of a new airport, making Chengdu only the third city on the Chinese mainland, after Beijing and Shanghai, to have more than one airport.

“Once the new airport is completed, there will be big potential for expansion, particularly when it comes to linking western China and Europe,” said Xiao Yao, vice-manager of the marketing and investment department of the Sichuan Province Airport Group.

“Europe is very important to Chengdu,” he said. “Chengdu is right on the central air route from Asia to Europe. Every day more than 50 flights from Asia fly over Chengdu. (Source - telegraph.co.uk)

If you are a student and wish to further study in Chengdu, China, click the below links and see what is in store for you by the top university located in this land of abundance and opportunity.

1. Sichuan University - English-medium instructed degree and master programs
2. China's Silicon Valley - Chengdu Start-ups Sensing Success