Virtually every aspect of Chengdu has improved over the past five years, from economic performance to artistic expression. New business models have bolstered the tea, traditional medicine and tourism industries, while new technologies and partnerships have raised the IT and finance sectors to new heights.
A few years ago, only China analysts spoke of Chengdu. Now no analysis of the mainland's growth can leave the city out of its scope.
The cities of the eastern seaboard, geographically well endowed to receive the lion's share of foreign and domestic investment, now count Chengdu as one of them: a rising star with influence and power beyond the borders of the municipality and ambitions beyond the borders of China.
Chendgu is often described as the bowstring, while the coastal cities represent the bow. This is an interesting analogy in many respects. First, it acknowledges that Chengdu, although deep in the hinterland and for years virtually inaccessible, is an indispensable component of the mainland's economic miracle.
Moreover, this analogy leaves out such prominent cities as Xi'an, Chongqing and Kunming.
These other western cities are powerful and growing in their own right, but Chengdu has managed to incorporate the strengths of all three - the tourism of Kunming, the industry of Chongqing and the history of Xi'an - and combine them with its political and managerial prowess.