Sichuan Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Sichuan Province 四川省
Province
Name transcription(s)
• Chinese	四川省 (Sìchuān Shěng)
• Abbreviation	SC / 川 or 蜀 (pinyin: Chuān or Shǔ Sichuanese: Cuan¹ or Su²)
• Sichuanese	Si⁴cuan¹ Sen³
Views within Jiuzhaigou
Map showing the location of Sichuan Province
Named for	Short for 川峡四路 Chuānxiá sì-lù literally "The Four Circuits of the Plains and Gorges", referring to the four circuits during the Song dynasty
Capital (and largest city)	Chengdu
Divisions	21 prefectures, 181 counties, 5011 townships
Area
• Total	485,000 km² (187,000 sq mi)
Area rank	5th
Highest elevation	7,556 m (24,790 ft)
Population (2013)
• Total	81,100,000
• Rank	4th
• Density	167.22/km² (433.1/sq mi)
• Density rank	22nd
Demographics
• Ethnic composition	Han – 95% Yi – 2.6% Tibetan – 1.5% Qiang – 0.4% Others - 0.5%
• Languages and dialects	Southwestern Mandarin (Sichuanese dialects), Khams Tibetan, Hakka Chinese
ISO 3166 code	CN-SC
GDP (2017)	CNY 3.70 trillion USD 547.71 billion (6th)
• per capita	CNY 44,651 USD 6,613 (22nd)
HDI (2016)	0.72 (high) (23rd)

Sichuan (Chinese: 四川; pinyin: Sì Chuān) is a large province located in western China. Its capital city is Chengdu. People sometimes call it 蜀 (pinyin: Shǔ). The province is led by a Governor, currently Yin Li, and a Party Secretary, Peng Qinghua.

With over 81 million people (as of 2013), Sichuan is one of the most populated areas in China. It ranks as the 4th most populated administrative division in the country.

What Does the Name Sichuan Mean?
Cities and Regions in Sichuan
People and Culture
Amazing Places to Visit in Sichuan
Famous People from Sichuan
Images for kids
See also

What Does the Name Sichuan Mean?

The name 四川 (pinyin: Sì Chuān) is a shorter version of 四川路 (pinyin: Sì Chuān Lù). This means "Four circuits of rivers." It comes from an even longer name, 川峡四路 (pinyin: Chuān Xiá Sì Lù), which means "Four circuits of rivers and gorges."

Cities and Regions in Sichuan

Sichuan is divided into many smaller areas. These include cities and special regions for different ethnic groups. There are 18 main subdivisions:

Chengdu
Mianyang
Deyang
Yibin
Panzhihua
Leshan
Nanchong
Zigong
Luzhou
Neijiang
Guangyuan
Suining
Ziyang
Guang'an
Ya'an
Meishan
Dazhou
Bazhong
Aba Tibetan Qiang Autonomous Prefecture
Ganzi Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture
Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture

People and Culture

A pavilion of the Shangqing Temple (Taoist) in Qingchengshan, Chengdu.

Most people in Sichuan are Han Chinese. However, many other ethnic groups also live here, especially in the western parts. These include Tibetans, Yi people, Qiang, and Naxi people.

Sichuan's Rich Culture

Sichuan has a long and interesting history of art and traditions.

Music and Performing Arts

Sichuan is famous for its folk music and classical music. One of the most well-known traditions is Sichuan opera. It's an ancient art form with unique performances. The Sichuan lantern drama is also very popular.

The Sichuan Conservatory of Music in Chengdu is one of China's oldest music schools. It was started in 1939. Religious music is also important, played by Taoist priests in their temples. Traditional Sichuan folk music often uses instruments like bamboo flutes, pans, cymbals, gongs, and horns.

Delicious Sichuan Food

Hot pot in Mala style

Dandan noodles

Sichuan cuisine is known around the world for being spicy and "numbing." This special taste comes from the Sichuan peppercorn (Chinese: 花椒).

Some famous Sichuan dishes you might know are Kung Pao chicken (Chinese: 宮保雞丁; pinyin: Gōng Bǎo Jī Dīng) and Twice Cooked Pork (Chinese: 回鍋肉; pinyin: Huí Guō Ròu).

Language Spoken in Sichuan

Most people in Sichuan speak a type of Chinese language. The dialects spoken here, including the Chengdu dialect, are quite similar to those in nearby provinces like Yunnan, Guizhou, and Chongqing Municipality.

Sports Teams in Sichuan

Sichuan has several professional sports teams:

Chinese Basketball Association
Chinese Football Association Super League
- Chengdu Blades
Chinese Volleyball League
- Sichuan Volleyball Team
China Table Tennis Super League
- Sichuan Quan-Xing Table-Tennis Team

Universities for Higher Education

Sichuan is home to many important universities:

Southwestern University of Finance and Economics (Chengdu)
Sichuan University (Chengdu)
Southwest Jiaotong University (Chengdu)
University of Electronic Science and Technology of China (Chengdu)
Southwest University of Science and Technology (Mianyang)

Amazing Places to Visit in Sichuan

Sichuan has many beautiful and historic places. Several of them are recognized by UNESCO as World Heritage Sites:

Huanglong, a scenic area with colorful pools.
Jiuzhaigou Valley, a stunning valley with waterfalls and lakes.
Mount Emei, a sacred mountain with temples.
- Leshan Giant Buddha, a huge Buddha statue carved into a cliff near Mount Emei.
Mount Qincheng and Dujiangyan Irrigation System, an ancient water system and a Taoist mountain.
Sichuan Giant Panda Sanctuaries, a home for giant pandas.

Famous People from Sichuan

Jang Ri-In – A singer.
Deng Xiaoping – A very important leader in China's history.

Images for kids

Bronze head from Sanxingdui, dating from the Shu kingdom
Golden Sun Bird from Jinsha site
A stone-carved gate pillar, or que, 6 metres (20 ft) in total height, located at the tomb of Gao Yi in Ya'an, Sichuan, built during the Eastern Han dynasty (25–220 CE)
The Leshan Giant Buddha, built during the latter half of the Tang dynasty (618–907).
Giant pandas eating bamboo in Chengdu, Sichuan
IFS Chengdu Mall Entrance
Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts in Chengdu
Nijia Qiao, South Renmin Road, Chengdu
Sichuan–Tibet Highway passes by Lake Kasa in Luhuo County.
The Yi are the largest ethnic minority group in Sichuan.
Typical vernacular house in Sichuan
Extent of present-day Sichuanese language
Sichuan Education Department
Larix potaninii in autumn colour.
Garzê Prefecture
Zitong County
Linpan in Chengdu Plain is a well-known landmark in Chengdu Plain, Sichuan.
View of the Temple of the Yellow Dragon (Chinese Buddhism) in Huanglong.
Statues of buddhas at Litang Monastery of the Tibetan tradition.
Golden Temple of Mount Emei (Chinese Buddhism).
Baba Temple [zh], a Chinese Sufi mosque in Langzhong.
Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, Chengdu [es] (Roman Catholic)
St John's Cathedral, Langzhong (Anglican)
Kung Pao chicken, one of the best known dishes of Sichuan cuisine
Mapo doufu
Dandan noodles
Mixed sauce noodles (杂酱面)
Jiuzhaigou
Yading
Huanglong Scenic and Historic Interest Area
Waterfalls at Mount Qincheng
Bipenggou Valley
Mount Siguniang Scenic Area
Hailuogou Glacier
Dujiangyan irrigation system
Mount Emei