History & Culture
Local civilizations in Sichuan Province can be dated back to the 15th century BC, coinciding with the later years of the Shang and Zhou dynasties in north China.
Sichuan was known as Bashu in ancient times due to the existence of Ba and Shu, the two largest kingdoms in the region. In 316 BC, the Qin Kingdom conquered the two kingdoms and two prefectures--Shu and Ba--were set up later.
Sichuan means "four ravines" in Chinese. In 1001 during the Song Dynasty, Sichuan was divided into four administrative zones -- Yizhoulu (for Chendu), Zizhoulu (for Santai), Lizhoulu (for Guangyuan) and Kuizhoulu (for Fengjie), collectively called "Sichuan Lu (four ravine lu)." This is how the current name of Sichuan originated.
In 1286 during the reign of Kublai Khan, the first emperor of the Yuan Dynasty, Sichuan was officially designated as a province.
Sichuan has many historical and cultural relics, including Taoist and Buddhist temples, imperial mausoleums, stone carvings, irrigation works and former residences of historical figures, spanning from prehistorical times, the Three Kingdoms period to the Qing Dynasty. Mt. Qingcheng was the birthplace of Taoism in China.
Sichuan's culture has distinctive local features. The province is famous for its local dialect, Sichuan opera, tea, wine, cuisine, medicine, and Shu Embroidery.
Sichuan is also a cradle of talents and great men in the long run of Chinese history.
