Cute pandas at the panda breeding and research base in Chengdu. Zhu Xingxin / China Daily

Ancient city

Chengdu's history goes back 2,300 years and the city was approved as one of the 24 historical and ancient cultural cities in the early 1980s.

The city's prevailing culture for hard work and visionary strategies make several ancient areas of the city must-sees.

Dujiang Weir in Dujiangyan is the oldest functioning water-control project in the world and is about 59 kilometers west of Chengdu.

The weir has stood for nearly 2,300 years and diverts water to irrigate nearly 70,000 hectares of farmland, which contributes almost one-third of the province's total grain output.

The weir survived the Wenchuan Earthquake unscathed in 2008.

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