Tianfu Square and Mao Zedong Statue
Chengdu, ChinaThe central plaza of Chengdu - a monumental square dominated by the largest Mao Zedong statue in China, flanked by the provincial government building, the Sichuan Science and Technology Museum, and the underground Tianfu Square metro station. The best place to sense the scale of Chinese urban planning and modern Sichuan political identity.
More Culture in Chengdu
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Wuhou Shrine Chengdu
China's only temple jointly dedicated to a ruler (Liu Bei of Shu Han) and his minister (Zhuge Liang) from the Three Kingdoms period, set in a large park with ancient cypress trees, red walls, and stone carvings. The Wuhou Shrine is the most important historical site in Chengdu and the adjacent Jinli Street the best street food area.
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Dujiangyan Irrigation System
A 2,300-year-old hydraulic engineering masterpiece and UNESCO World Heritage Site an hour from Chengdu, built in 256 BC to control the Min River without a dam - still fully operational today. Dujiangyan transformed the Chengdu Plain from flood-prone to the most productive agricultural land in China and the foundation of Sichuan's prosperity.
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Leshan Giant Buddha Day Trip
The world's largest stone Buddha - a 71-meter Tang Dynasty figure carved into a cliff face at the confluence of three rivers, two hours from Chengdu. The Leshan Giant Buddha has sat meditating over the river junction since 803 AD and is both a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the most awe-inspiring sculpture in China.