Area: 560,000 sq km.

Capital: Chengdu

Neighboring areas:
Qinghai, Gansu, Shaanxi, Hubei, Hunan, Guizhou, and Yunnan Provinces, Tibet Autonomous Region

Altitude: 300 - 700 meters in the lowlands; over 3,000 meters on the western plateau

Population: 111.0 million

Tourist Attractions: Mt. Emei, 3,099 meters in elevation, one of the four mountains in China famous for their Buddhist temples, Mt. Qingcheng, near Guanxian County, known historically as a center of the Taoist culture, Dujiangyan, on Minjiang River near Guanxian, built in 250 B.C., one of the earliest and most effective water conservancy projects; Baodingshan sculptures in Dazu County, about 100 kilometers west of Chongqing, Leshan Giant Buddha, the largest Buddha statue in the world, in Leshan ; the Three Gorges on the Yangtze; Jiuzhaigou, a scene spot in Nanping County at the foot of the Minshan Mountain

Average Temperature: in January, 3C to 8C in the lowlands, -9C to 3C on the plateau, and 8C to 13C in the south; in july, 25C to 29C inthe lowlands, 1C to 17C on the plateau, and 22C to 26C in the south.

Annual Average Rainfall: 1,000 mm in the lowlands, 500-700 mm on the plateau, and 800-1,200 mm in the south.

        Meishan is a town 90km (56 miles) southwest of Chengdu. It attracts visitors with an interest in Chinese literature and calligraphy as it was the residence of Su Xun and his two sons, Su Shi and Su Zhe, who were three noted writers of the Northern Song dynasty (960-1127AD).

        The residence was converted into a temple during the early Ming dynasty (1368-1644AD) and further renovated in the late 19th century. Today the mansion and pavilions operate as a museum for the study of the writings of the Northern Song period. At the Sansu (3 Sus) shrine some 4,500 items of historical documents are on display including relics of the Su family, writings and calligraphy.