Cityscape

The basic layout of Chengdu dates back to the Qing Dynasty. Most rivers, bridges, streets and alleys were well preserved until 1949 when the new construction started.

As of July 2013, the world's largest building the New Century Global Centre is located in the city. At 328 feet (100 m) high, 1,640 feet (500 m) long, and 1,312 feet (400 m) wide, the Center houses retail outlets, a 14-theater cinema, offices, hotels, the Paradise Island waterpark, an artificial beach, a 164 yards (150 m)-long LED screen, skating rink, pirate ship, fake Mediterranean village, 24-hour artificial sun, and 15,000-spot parking area.

The ancient fortress wall

The ancient fortress wall of Chengdu, 10 metres (33 ft) high and 11 km (6.8 mi) long, was built during the Qing Dynasty. Surrounding the city, the wall's bottom measures 10 m (33 ft) wide while the top measures 6 m (20 ft) wide, almost equivalent to the width of a street. 8,122 crenels, four octagons and four turrets were built on the wall.

Four gates were constructed on all sides of the wall, with hibiscus trees planted outside. Thus, the city acquired its nickname 'The city of hisbicus.'Locals were only allowed to climb the wall during the Spring festival when it was believed to help drive away illness and bad luck for the coming year.

The fortress wall was torn down after Mao Zedong's only visit to Chengdu in 1958. After touring the city, he suggested the wall be dismantled because of its 'ugliness and inconvenience to traffic'. The wall was demolished afterward and now only remains as scattered ruins across the city.

The most complete remaining piece of the ancient fortress wall is a hundred-meter section south of Wu Ding Qiao and northwest of Bei Jiao Chang.

City in a city

Shaocheng (Small City), also known as Manchu City, was built within the fortress wall. It was a "city in a city" established by the imperial court of the Qing Dynasty for Manchu soldiers and their families in 1718. People's Park, once known as Shaocheng Park, was used as a military warehouse for Qing soldiers.

The Shaocheng wall was demolished in 1911 after the Xinhai Revolution, which ended thousands of years of Chinese feudalism.

Today, only a few remnants of the original city can be found in Kuanxiangzi and Zhaixiangzi alleys.