Sichuan University and several other institutions of higher education are in Chengdu, which was also the home of the 8th-century Tang poet Du Fu (whose residence is preserved as a museum). Other places of interest include traditional tea houses, the Taoist Qingyang Palace, and the Divine Light Monastery, with its 500 life-sized statues of Buddhist saints. The Sichuan Opera is also based here. The city hosts an annual two-month-long flower festival.

Chengdu was founded during the Zhou dynasty (c. 1027-221 bc). Its sophisticated irrigation system dates from the 3rd century bc. The city was at the centre of silk and brocade manufacture during the Eastern Han dynasty (ad 25-220). Capital of the Shu dynasty (221-263), it became a leading commercial centre during the Tang dynasty (618-906), when it was known as I-chou. Chengdu was one of the first centres of printing in China. In 1368 it was made the capital of Sichuan. Famous since the 13th century for its luxurious satins, brocades, and lacquerware, Chengdu expanded rapidly during the Sino-Japanese War (1937-1945) and was developed as a major rail and industrial centre in the 1950s. Population 4,320,000 (1995 estimate).