Chengdu
Chengdu is the capital city of the Chinese province of Sichuan. With a population of 20,937,757 at the 2020 census, it is the country's fourth most populous city. The surrounding Chengdu Plain is known as the "Country of Heaven" and the "Land of Abundance". The site of Dujiangyan, an ancient irrigation system, is designated as a World Heritage Site. Chengdu's culture reflects that of its province, Sichuan; in 2011, it was recognized by UNESCO as a city of gastronomy. It is associated with the giant panda; the city is home to the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding. Founded by the Kingdom of Shu in the 4th century BC, Chengdu is unique as the only Chinese settlement that has maintained its name unchanged throughout the imperial, republican, and communist eras for more than two thousand years.
Typical weather
1981–presentCity Rhythm
measuredOpening hours, by kind of place
median across mapped venuesVital absurdities
measured · the Anti-AwardsWhat to do each season
4winter
short, mild and very gloomy; openmeteo mean 5.4-8.2 °C (Wikipedia January mean 5.9 °C; snow rare, a few frosts); the Qinling shields the city from Siberian cold; the driest months (Dec-Feb 0.3-0.6 mm/day); the lowest sunshine (December only 15%)
- the gloomy mild winter — the teahouse and hot-pot season is the defining indoor affordance; the basin traps cloud and damp
spring
warming and relatively sunnier; openmeteo mean 13.3-23.4 °C; per Wikipedia 'spring tends to be sunnier and warmer in the day than autumn'
- the comfortable spring — the best window for the panda base, the tea fields and the Dujiangyan excursion
summer
hot and humid (but not 'Three Furnaces' extreme); openmeteo mean 26.3-27.6 °C (Jul-Aug daily mean ~25 °C, afternoon highs ~33 °C); the wet months (Jul wettest 7.0 mm/day, Aug 6.6)
- the humid summer — life shifts into the teahouses (air-conditioned) and the evening hot-pot and bar culture; Chengdu has more bars than Shanghai
- the rain concentrates in Jul-Aug, relieving the heat
autumn
cooling; openmeteo mean 12.2-22.7 °C; drier; less sunny than spring (per Wikipedia); the second comfortable window
- the autumn cultural calendar — the World Science Fiction Convention (2023) and the comfortable walking around Kuanzhaixiangzi and the temples
What it is known for
Important moments in a year
2023 Worldcon
- Chengdu hosted the 81st World Science Fiction Convention
- the first Worldcon in China
2023 Summer Universiade
- Chengdu hosted the 2021 Summer World University Games (delayed to 2023 due to COVID-19)
2025 World Games
- Chengdu hosted the 2025 World Games
On the record
source-trackedChengdu has a monsoon-influenced humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cwa) and is largely warm, with high relative humidity year-round. It has four distinct seasons.
The Qin Mountains (Qinling) to the far north help shield the city from cold Siberian winds in the winter; because of this, the short winter is milder than in the Lower Yangtze.
Chengdu also has one of the lowest annual sunshine totals nationally, with less sunshine annually than much of Northern Europe. With monthly percent possible sunshine ranging from 15 percent in December to 32 percent in August, the city receives 1006 hours of bright sunshine annually.
In 2011, it was recognized by UNESCO as a city of gastronomy.
The distinct characteristic of Sichuan cuisine is the use of spicy chilies and peppercorns. Famous local dishes include Mapo doufu, Chengdu Hot pot, and Dan Dan Mien.
An article by the Los Angeles Times (2006) called Chengdu 'China's party city' for its carefree lifestyle. Chengdu has more tea houses and bars than Shanghai despite having less than half the population.
In 2023, there were more than 30,000 teahouses in Chengdu, and Chengdu had more bars than Shanghai, becoming the city with the most bars in China.
It is associated with the giant panda, a Chinese national symbol that inhabits the area of Sichuan; the city is home to the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding.
The site of Dujiangyan, an ancient irrigation system, is designated as a World Heritage Site.
Founded by the Kingdom of Shu in the 4th century BC, Chengdu is unique as the only Chinese settlement that has maintained its name unchanged throughout the imperial, republican, and communist eras for more than two thousand years.
Chengdu is the third Chinese city with two international airports (Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport and Chengdu Tianfu International Airport) after Beijing and Shanghai.
The method behind this atlas — 196 pp. Not published yet.