An often quoted Chinese saying is, “Once you come to Chengdu , you will not want to leave”. This can be attributed a lot to the enviable, relaxed lifestyle enjoyed by locals and foreigners in a recreational and unhurried tourist city, surrounded by many rivers such as the Funan and the Sha. Famous scenic spots such as Wuhou Temple and Du Fu Thatched Cottage enrich the cultural background of Chengdu . Not far away, Qingcheng Mountain and Snowy Mount Xiling act as summer resorts for the urbanites. World mixed cultural and natural sites, such as Jiuzhaigou Gullies, Leshan and Mount Emei, have been acknowledged by UNESCO as being of great heritage value and significance in relating miracles of the native people’s past and present.

Since moist subtropical Chengdu is located in a basin, high mountains can be seen just outside of the Chengdu Plain. There are lots of high mountains such as Qingcheng and Snowy Mountain Xiling, with many undeveloped primitive jungles. An interesting phenomenon presents itself here in that high mountains are less than 100 kilometres away from large cities. It has changed the common perception that high mountains and primitive jungle would be restricted to wild and uninhabited areas.

As the capital city, Chengdu occupies an important position in Sichuan containing most of the people. In 2004, the population in Chengdu totaled 10,596,900, next only to ChongQing  Shanghai and Beijing . The population comprised of 5,381,700 males and 5,215,200 females. According to the result of the fifth national census, the Han Nationality made up 99.46 ％ of the total population and the minority groups (including Tibetan, Yi and Qiang Nationality) accounted for 0.54 ％ . The pace of life is slower than that in other cities. Chengdu women reputedly walk slowly to go shopping, while the men are known to live leisurely. They like to drink tea, play mahjong, or spend time chatting rather than worrying about any troubles.