全景中国：四川-天府之国（英文版）

It is easy to have a quick look at China s past and present but it takes time to gain a panoramic knowledge of China The“Panoramic China”series is meant to assist readers especially those overseas in this respect Each volume in the series focuses on a province municipality or autono mous region describing with illustrations the outstanding char acteristics of each area from dif ferent perspectives.

It is easy to have a quick look at China's past and present, but it takes time to gain a panoramic knowledge of China. The "Panoramic China" series is meant to assist readers, especially those overseas, in this respect. Each volume in the series focuses on a province, municipality or autonomous region, describing, with illustrations, the outstanding characteristics of each area from different perspectives.

Sichuan Province has been known as a “Celestial Treasure House” since ancient times. It is blessed with a beautiful landscape of topographic diversity, and it is home to a splendid human civilization. Its history goes back thousands of years and is refined by brilliant historic and cultural legacies, colorful and enchanting ethnicity and folklore, and a rich pool of literacy giants and luminaries from other fields. In Sichuan, nature, human civilization, and rich social customs are mutually interwoven, creating a “Celestial Treasure House” that abounds in natural resources.

We can describe Sichuan as a “wonderful world of nature,” a “mystic world of culture,” and a “sublime world of soul.” With all these gifts, Sichuan emits an eternal magic, one of profundity and mystery.

Foreword
The Origin of the Appellation“Celestial Treasure House”
Bashu Landscape
Bashu Cultrue
Bashu Folkore and Spinritual World
Unique Landscape Nrutures a Unique Culture
Ancient Bashu Cultural Zone
Landscape Wonders
Rivers and Bashu Civilization
Mystic Ancient Bashu Civilization
The Origin and Development of the Ancient Shu Culture
The Maturity Period of the Bashu Culture and Related Origins
Art in the Green Basin
Wonderful Sichuan Opera
Popular Art
Ethnic Minority Singing and Dancing
mbroidery and Painting
Sichuan Cuisine
Time-honored Cuisine
Sichuan Flavors
Scholar Cooks and Popular Snacks
Modern Sichuan Cuisine
Sichuan Tea
Long History
Varieties of Sichuan Tea
Tea Customs
Tea Obsession in Chengdu
Sichuan Liquor
Home to Famous Liquors
Six Top Liquor Brands
Drinking Customs of Ethnic Minoritis
Obsession with Liquor
Appendix

Introduction

China has 23 provinces, four municipalities directly under the Central Government, five autonomous regions and two special administrative regions. Due to geographic and topographical differences and climatic varieties, each area has its own unique natural scenery. The mountains in the north of the country are rugged, the Gobi in the northwest shines brilliantly in the sunlight, the hills in the southeast are often shrouded in floating fog, green waves of sorghum and soybean crops undulate over the vast fields of the northeast, and the mountains in the southwest, with sequestered villages and terraced fields, look tranquil and picturesque.

There are 56 ethnic groups in China. The Han, making up the overwhelming majority of the population, mainly live in the eastern and central parts of the country, while many ethnic groups, regardless of size, are equal and respect each other. Each ethnic group has its own folk customs, religious beliefs and cultural traditions, and most use their own language and script. Regional autonomy is practiced in areas where ethnic minorities live in compact communities. All the ethnic groups call themselves “Chinese.” They are courteous and friendly. In the ethnic-minority areas, the quiet environment, quaint buildings, exquisite fashions, unsophisticated folk customs and hospitality of the local people hold a great appeal to visitors from afar.

China boasts 5,000 years of recorded civilization and a brilliant culture. The country is home to such world-renowned cultural treasures as the Great Wall, terracotta warriors and horses of the First Emperor of the Qin Dynasty, Mogao Grottoes at Dunhuang, and Ming and Qing imperial palace and mausoleums, and large numbers of ancient architectural masterpieces, including temples, Buddhist pagodas, residential buildings, gardens, bridges, city walls and irrigation works. There are also cultural relics unearthed from ancient sites, including painted pottery, jade ware, bronze wa ……