Chengdu is both panda playground and economic powerhouse, writes Alex Andersson
Chengdu, the capital of China’s south-western Sichuan province, is making its mark on the global map for a number of reasons, all superlative. The city is home to the spiciest cuisine in China, as well as the Giant Panda – the rarest of all bears – and, more recently, the biggest building in the world.
The now completed New Century Global Centre contains 1.76 million sqm of indoor space, tipping Dubai’s Burj Khalifa, which holds a mere 526,760 sqm. Poised to open to the public within the year, the mega-structure houses a central business district, a Mediterranean-style village, a 14-screen IMAX cinema, hotels, an ice rink and a shopping mall with major fashion brands.
It’s also home to the Paradise Island Ocean Park, which comes complete with a 400-metre artificial beach, seawater, a pirate ship and, on the “horizon”, the world’s largest indoor LED screen – measuring 150 metres by 40 metres – which projects images of the sun and ocean that reflect the time of day.
This indoor city exemplifies Chengdu’s key role in China’s relentless pursuit of greatness. In 2000, the Chinese government initiated an economic policy to develop its landlocked Western provinces, and Chengdu emerged as a natural focal point.
Logistically, the 2,300-year-old city has been a centre for cross-country communication and transport since the days of the Silk Road, when it contributed spices, tea and silk brocade to the earliest intercontinental trade.
This legacy remains apparent in modern Chengdu, where high-speed rail provides links to 34 major Chinese cities, a network of direct global air links is growing rapidly, and a sizeable outsourcing and communications industry dominates.
Siemens, Motorola, Nokia and Ericsson are among the scores of international companies with a presence here. The 130 sq km Chengdu Hi-Tech Industrial Development Zone alone contains 33,237 companies, of which 87 are in the Fortune 500.
But the city’s charm has not been entirely lost in the frenzy of development, and the teahouses, traditional opera theatres and ancient temples still stand their ground amidst the ever-expanding cityscape.
The two-terminal Chengdu Shuangliu International airport is located 16km south-west of downtown and is relatively well equipped, with one of the runways able to (though yet to) land an A380. Last year, it handled 31.6 million passengers.
A car ride to the city centre takes about 30 minutes, accounting for traffic – a factor that is unavoidable in Chengdu at most times of day.
Navigating the city’s 2,129 sq km urban centre is not the easiest of tasks, especially for an outsider. If you can decipher the bus system’s labyrinthine network, you can get almost anywhere for RMB 2 (20p). There are also two subway lines currently in operation, and a number to follow, costing RMB 2-RMB 4 (20p-40p) for a ticket, which is generally faster and simpler than the bus.
Taking a taxi is not extortionate, though you will be at the mercy of the traffic. Renting a car with a driver is a popular option, and can cost RMB 600-800 (£64-£85) a day.
Most of the major hotels are located within the innermost First Ring Road. Along with the airport, the Tianfu district, which houses both the industrial park and New Century Global Centre, is also to the south, and is connected by the newly built Tianfu flyover.
International hotel brands in the city include Kempinski, Crowne Plaza, Sheraton, Shangri-La and Intercontinental. Ritz-Carlton will be added to that list by the end of the year, as well as another Intercontinental property inside the New Century Global Centre. Temple House by Swire Hotels is due to open in the city by the end of next year.
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