Map of Sichuan
Sichuan is a first-level division of China. Its largest mapped city is Chengdu, with about 4.12 million people in the metropolitan area. The interactive map below is centred on Sichuan, and the tables list its 17 mapped cities along with the mountains, dams, World Heritage Sites nearest to them.
- Cities Mapped
- 17
- Largest City
- Chengdu
- Country
- China
- Highest Point Mapped
- 7,556 m
Interactive Map of Sichuan
About Sichuan
Sichuan is an inland province in Southwestern China. It is located in the Sichuan Basin and Tibetan Plateau—between the Jinsha River to the west, the Daba Mountains to the north, and the Yunnan–Guizhou Plateau to the south. Its capital city is Chengdu, and the province's population stands at 83 million. Sichuan neighbors Qinghai and Gansu to the north, Shaanxi and Chongqing to the east, Guizhou and Yunnan to the south, and Tibet to the west.
During antiquity, Sichuan was home to the kingdoms of Ba and Shu until their incorporation by the Qin round 316 BC. During the Three Kingdoms era (220–280), Liu Bei's state of Shu was based in Sichuan. The area was devastated in the 17th century by Zhang Xianzhong's rebellion and the area's subsequent Manchu conquest. The area recovered to become one of China's most productive by the 19th century. During World War II, Chongqing served as the temporary capital of the Republic of China, and was heavily bombed. It was one of the last mainland areas captured by the People's Liberation Army during the Chinese Civil War, and was divided into four parts from 1949 to 1952, with Chongqing restored two years later. It suffered gravely during the Great Chinese Famine (1959–1961) but remained China's most-populous province until Chongqing was again separated from it in 1997.
The Sichuanese people speak distinctive dialects of Mandarin Chinese. The Sichuan pepper, with its distinctive flavor and numbing effect, is prominent in modern Sichuan cuisine, featuring dishes, including Kung Pao chicken and mapo tofu, that have become staples of Chinese cuisine around the world.
There are many panda stations in the province and large reserves for these creatures, such as the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding.
Sichuan is the 5th-largest provincial economy of China, the largest in Western China, and the largest among inland provinces.
Summary adapted from Wikipedia: Sichuan (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Sichuan in Depth
History
The Sichuan Basin and adjacent areas of the Yangtze watershed were a cradle of indigenous civilizations dating back to at least the 15th century BC, coinciding with the Shang in northern China. The region had its own distinct religious beliefs and worldview. The earliest excavated culture found therein is the Baodun culture (c.2700–1750 BC) excavated in the Chengdu Plain.
Ba stretched into Sichuan from the Han Valley in Shaanxi and Hubei down the Jialing River as far as its confluence with the Yangtze at Chongqing.
Shu occupied the valley of the Min, including Chengdu and other areas of western Sichuan. The existence of the early state of Shu was poorly recorded in the main historical records of China. It was, however, referred to in the Book of Documents as an ally of the Zhou.
Geography and biodiversity
Sichuan consists of two very distinct geographic parts. The eastern part of the province is mostly within the fertile Sichuan basin (which is shared by Sichuan with Chongqing Municipality). The western Sichuan consists of numerous mountain ranges forming the easternmost part of the Tibetan Plateau, which are known generically as the Hengduan Mountains. One of these ranges, the Daxue Mountains, contains the highest point of the province Gongga Shan, at 7,556 m (24,790 ft) above sea level. The mountains are formed by the collision of the Tibetan Plateau with the Yangtze Plate. Faults here include the Longmenshan Fault which ruptured during the 2008 Sichuan earthquake. Other mountain ranges surround the Sichuan Basin from north, east, and south.
Economy
Sichuan is the 5th-largest provincial economy of China, the largest in Western China and the largest among inland provinces. As of 2021, its nominal GDP was 5,385 billion yuan (US$847.68 billion), ahead of the GDP of Turkey of 815 billion. Compared to a country, it would be the 18th-largest economy as well as the 19th most populous as of 2021. As of 2021, its nominal GDP per capita was 64,357 RMB (US$10,120). In 2021, the per capita net income of rural residents was 17,575 yuan (US$2760). The per capita disposable income of the urbanites averaged 41,444 yuan (US$6510).
Sichuan has been historically known as the "Province of Abundance". It is one of the major agricultural production bases of China.
Demographics
The majority of the province's population is Han Chinese (95% of the provincial population), who are found scattered throughout the region except for the far western areas. Thus, significant minorities of Tibetan, Yi, Qiang, and Nakhi people reside in the western portion that is impacted by inclement weather and natural disasters, environmentally fragile, and impoverished. Sichuan's capital of Chengdu is home to a large community of Tibetans, with 30,000 permanent Tibetan residents and up to 200,000 Tibetan floating population.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Sichuan (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Sichuan: Key Facts
| Population | 83,674,866 (2020) |
|---|---|
| Area | 485,000 km² |
| Head of government | Huang Qiang |
| Highest point | Mount Gongga |
| Established | 7 August 1952 |
Facts from Wikidata Q19770 (CC0).
History of Sichuan: Empires and States
The atlas records 33 polities whose mapped territory included part of Sichuan, from Qin in 315 BCE to 2024 CE. They are listed in the order they first appear.
| Polity | Period here |
|---|---|
| Qin | 315–219 BCE |
| Warring States China | 315–219 BCE |
| Qin Dynasty | 218–209 BCE |
| The Han Dynasty | 202 BCE – 223 CE |
| Xin Dynasty | 6–29 CE |
| Shu Han | 224–262 CE |
| Western Jin | 265–425 CE |
| Cheng Han | 306–346 CE |
| Former Qin | 373–382 CE |
| Liu Song Dynasty | 426–479 CE |
| Southern Qi | 480–509 CE |
| Liang Dynasty | 510–560 CE |
| Western Wei | 536–560 CE |
| Northern Zhou | 561–586 CE |
| Sui Dynasty | 587–625 CE |
| The Tang Dynasty | 623–910 CE |
| Nanzhao | 830–865 CE |
| Former Shu | 911–925 CE |
| Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms | 911–969 CE |
| Later Tang | 926–935 CE |
| Later Shu | 936–969 CE |
| Northern Song | 970–1138 CE |
| The Song Dynasty | 970–1278 CE |
| Southern Song | 1139–1278 CE |
| The Mongol Empire | 1260–1293 CE |
| Yuan Dynasty | 1294–1374 CE |
| The Ming Dynasty | 1375–1644 CE |
| The Qing Dynasty | 1648–1911 CE |
| Southern Ming | 1677–1682 CE |
| Panthay Rebellion | 1856–1872 CE |
| Republic of China | 1912–1949 CE |
| Kuomintang | 1917–1929 CE |
| People's Republic of China | 1950–2024 CE |
Historical Maps of Sichuan
Sichuan on the world map in each year one of these states held it:
Derived by testing mapped cities against dated territorial polygons. Dates are when the polygons cover this place, not the polity's whole lifespan, and polities absent from the source dataset are not listed.
Visiting Sichuan
Sichuan (四川; Sìchuān; previously known as Szechwan), is a province in Southwest China. It is China's fourth most populous province; at 83 million (2020) it has about the population of Germany.
Historically, Sichuan has been mainly an agricultural region, though with a few important cities. Since the 1980s, it has been a major supplier of migrant labour to more prosperous coastal provinces in East China and South China. Sichuan is now developing rapidly.
The western part of the province was once part of Kham province of the Tibetan Empire, and remains ethnically and culturally Tibetan. Unlike Tibet proper, foreigners are allowed to visit the Tibetan areas of Sichuan without any special permits or being limited to a guided tour, making it an excellent place if you want to experience Tibetan culture independently. See Yunnan tourist trail for one route into Kham.
Travel notes adapted from Wikivoyage: Sichuan (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Largest Cities in Sichuan
17 cities mapped. Ranked by metropolitan population. A port city's harbour is written up on the page of its sea.
| # | Name | Population | Region | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chengdu | 4.12 million | Sichuan | Admin-1 capital |
| 2 | Nanchong | 2.17 million | Sichuan | Populated place |
| 3 | Luzhou | 1.54 million | Sichuan | Populated place |
| 4 | Neijiang | 1.47 million | Sichuan | Populated place |
| 5 | Suining | 1.43 million | Sichuan | Populated place |
| 6 | Mianyang | 1.40 million | Sichuan | Populated place |
| 7 | Leshan | 1.16 million | Sichuan | Populated place |
| 8 | Zigong | 1.10 million | Sichuan | Populated place |
| 9 | Yibin | 902,000 | Sichuan | Populated place |
| 10 | Panzhihua | 461,513 | Sichuan | Populated place |
| 11 | Guangyuan | 437,435 | Sichuan | Populated place |
| 12 | Xichang | 379,993 | Sichuan | Populated place |
| 13 | Yaan | 340,000 | Sichuan | Populated place |
| 14 | Deyang | 152,194 | Sichuan | Populated place |
| 15 | Rongzhag | 70,000 | Sichuan | Populated place |
| 16 | Langzhong | 60,542 | Sichuan | Populated place |
| 17 | Fulin | 1,049 | Sichuan | Populated place |
Highest Mountains in Sichuan
1 mountain mapped. Ranked by summit elevation above sea level. A summit on a border is listed under both countries. Assigned by the nearest mapped city, so features near the boundary may belong to a neighbouring division.
| # | Name | Elevation | Feet | Region |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gongga Shan | 7,556 m | 24,790 ft | Asia |
Major Dams in Sichuan
3 dams mapped. Ranked by structural height. Assigned by the nearest mapped city, so features near the boundary may belong to a neighbouring division.
| # | Name | Height | River | Capacity | Completed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jinping-I Dam | 305 m | Yalong | 3,600 MW | 2013 |
| 2 | Xiangjiaba Dam | 162 m | Jinsha (Yangtze) | 6,400 MW | 2012 |
| 3 | Guanyinyan Dam | 159 m | Jinsha (Yangtze) | 3,000 MW | 2014 |
UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Sichuan
5 World Heritage Sites mapped. Listed by year of inscription, earliest first. Sites shared with another country appear under each. Assigned by the nearest mapped city, so features near the boundary may belong to a neighbouring division.
| # | Name | Inscribed | Type | Criteria |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mount Emei Scenic Area, including Leshan Giant Buddha Scenic Area | 1996 | Mixed | (iv) (vi) (x) |
| 2 | Dazu Rock Carvings | 1999 | Cultural | (i) (ii) (iii) |
| 3 | Qingchengshan-Dujiangyan National Park | 2000 | Cultural | (ii) (iv) (vi) |
| 4 | Sichuan Giant Panda Sanctuaries | 2006 | Natural | (x) |
| 5 | China Danxia | 2010 | Natural | (vii) (viii) |
Sichuan: Quick Answers
- Where is Sichuan?
- Sichuan is a first-level division of China, in Asia. Its mapped cities centre on 29.9717° N, 104.2341° E.
- What is the largest city in Sichuan?
- Chengdu is the largest city mapped in Sichuan, with a metropolitan population of about 4.12 million.
- How many cities are in Sichuan?
- YearMaps maps 17 cities and towns in Sichuan, with a combined metropolitan population of about 17.19 million. This counts mapped settlements, not every municipality.
- What is the highest mountain in Sichuan?
- The highest summit mapped in Sichuan is Gongga Shan at 7,556 m.