Richly endowed with scenic sights and a heritage and culture that had been passed on for generations, Sichuan justifies its reputation as a premier tourist destination.
Some of the province's attractions, Jiuzhaigou, (which means nine-village valley) with its mountains, forests and waterfalls, and Huanglong Temple, are designated as UN Natural World Heritage sites. According to the UN, much of the landscape around Huanglonggou (Yellow Dragon Valley) is important to the Tibetan religion, culture and folklore.
Emei Mountain, Leshan Giant Buddha and Dujiangyan Irrigation System have been accredited as the World Natural and Cultural Heritage sites by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco). However, this heritage appears to have appealed to only a small group of world travellers. In 1999, Sichuan attracted fewer than 400,000 overseas tourists, only one sixth of the visitors to Beijing.
'The slow development of tourism is due to backward infrastructure development,' said Sichuan vice-governor Li Dachang. Mr Li said many roads and bridges linking cities and tourist sights were yet to be built, severely impeding the industry's development. 'We are speeding up infrastructure construction as the tourist industry is a priority for Sichuan over the next few years.'
Sichuan's provincial government targets a growth of 18 per cent in tourism turnover annually. This year, 800 million yuan (HK$740 million) will be spent to build an airport, Mianyang Nanjiao, near the scenic spots of Jiuzhaigou and Huanglong. More roads will be built to link cities with areas where ethnic minority cultures thrive.
Last month, a tourism centre was set up to provide information and consultation services on tours, hotels, transport and travel agencies. It will also handle complaints from tourists. Hopes are also being pinned on the Sanxingdui Museum, which houses ancient Sichuan artefacts and other relics that date more than 4,800 years.
'The first of the bronze objects was found in one sacrificial pit in 1929, and many bronze, gold and jade objects were discovered in 1986 in two pits at Sanxingdui in Guanghan city, near Chengdu,' said museum director Xiao Xianjin.