https://www.scmp.com/rss/320853/feed The Go-China series provides a quick reference to some of fast-growing and emerging cities on the mainland, such as Chengdu, Hangzhou and Xiamen, etc. Topics covered include economic and social developments, investment opportunities, business environment, as well as introduction to some of the key infrastructure and property projects. The series is also packed with useful information for visitors, such as city life, arts and culture, transportation, hotels, foods and restaurants. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com [Sponsored Article] Home to the adorable, cuddly giant pandas and Sichuan peppercorn, the provincial capital of Sichuan, Chengdu, is undoubtedly one of the fastest-growing cities in southwestern China. Under the country’s favourable Belt and Road Initiative, Chengdu continues to strengthen its position as a prominent economic, commercial and transportation hub in the west, attracting MNCs to station in the city. Known for its relaxed lifestyle and culture, abundance of natural, cultural and... https://www.scmp.com/presented/news/china/topics/go-china-chengdu/article/2125779/chengdu-sichuans-fascinating-capital?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/presented/news/china/topics/go-china-chengdu/article/2125779/chengdu-sichuans-fascinating-capital?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 31 Dec 2017 16:00:30 +0000 [Sponsored Article] The captivating beauty of Jiuzhaigou, or “Nine Village Valley”, in Sichuan Province, China, has been crafted by nature over hundreds of millions of years. A massive earthquake that hit the UNESCO’s World  Heritage Site in early August damaged some scenic sites of the Jiuzhaigou National Park and forced its temporary closure. However, nature has its curious way of reshaping dreamy landscapes, making them even more wondrous. Experts familiar with the unique geology of... https://www.scmp.com/presented/news/china/topics/go-china-chengdu/article/2112328/natures-power-restore-iconic-unesco?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/presented/news/china/topics/go-china-chengdu/article/2112328/natures-power-restore-iconic-unesco?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 30 Sep 2017 16:07:33 +0000 Chengdu has long been at the forefront of China’s quest for a balance between economic progress and environmental protection. Much of that has to do with the fact that Chengdu is far removed from the capital but enjoyed funding from the central government’s Go West campaign established in 2000. The combination of access to funds and relative freedom from central control have allowed the city to become a proving ground for projects and ideas. Some of those projects have panned out, others have... https://www.scmp.com/special-reports/business/topics/go-china/article/2111591/chengdu-strikes-healthy-balance-between?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/special-reports/business/topics/go-china/article/2111591/chengdu-strikes-healthy-balance-between?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 18 Sep 2017 08:02:53 +0000 China’s back-to-the-land movement started in the late 1980s, following the country’s Green Revolution, which used heavily subsidised petrochemical fertilisers, improved irrigation techniques and other policies to dramatically expand agricultural output. Although a success in terms of productivity, the damage to the environment soon became apparent and local governments and enterprises, reacting to urban demand, started experimenting with less destructive methods. One of the most interesting... https://www.scmp.com/special-reports/business/topics/go-china/article/2111594/chengdus-flower-town-thrives-haven-artists?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/special-reports/business/topics/go-china/article/2111594/chengdus-flower-town-thrives-haven-artists?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 18 Sep 2017 07:45:25 +0000 The crowning achievement of Chengdu’s decades-long transformation into a transport hub can be summed up in the slogan: “Chengdu-Europe Plus”. It refers to the Chengdu-Europe Express Rail, which was inaugurated in 2013, but only recently reached its potential as a modern Silk Road connection between East and West. The rail link stretches more than 10,000km and takes 10 days to reach Poland and 14 to reach Germany. Its trains carry goods and products such as food, appliances, electronics, even... https://www.scmp.com/special-reports/business/topics/go-china/article/2111592/chengdu-europe-express-rail-accelerates?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/special-reports/business/topics/go-china/article/2111592/chengdu-europe-express-rail-accelerates?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 18 Sep 2017 07:45:24 +0000 Chengdu sits at the centre of some of China’s most beautiful scenery, and amid a number of important cultural sites. In every direction, there are Unesco-protected World Heritage sites and culturally significant places of interest. To the south of the city lie Emei Mountain and the Leshan Giant Buddha. Now less than an hour’s travel from the capital via high-speed rail, these two sites represent important religious pilgrimage destinations for the Buddhist faithful, and incredibly busy tourist... https://www.scmp.com/special-reports/business/topics/go-china/article/2111595/giant-buddha-tibetan-plateau-lush?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/special-reports/business/topics/go-china/article/2111595/giant-buddha-tibetan-plateau-lush?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 18 Sep 2017 07:15:46 +0000 Canadian Jordan Porter moved to Chengdu in 2010 as an alternative to doing his masters degree in Chinese history. That initial two-year jaunt became a journey that has now spanned seven years and given rise to his own company, Chengdu Food Tours, which uses Sichuan’s famous cuisine as a tool to teach visitors about the city. Since the company’s inception in 2015, Chengdu Food Tours has guided dozens of groups through the side streets of the city, exploring wet markets, visiting small street... https://www.scmp.com/special-reports/business/topics/go-china/article/2111597/chengdu-food-tours-offer-intimate-way-heart?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/special-reports/business/topics/go-china/article/2111597/chengdu-food-tours-offer-intimate-way-heart?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 18 Sep 2017 07:02:57 +0000 You are never more than a stone’s throw away from great food in Chengdu. Two decades of headlong development has led to entire neighbourhoods being overhauled, especially in the south side of the city, and that has led to the loss of some traditional wet markets, street vendors, and venerable locales. However, there are still thousands of good restaurants in Chengdu offering classic Sichuan fare. At the moment, the north side of the city is doing the best job of maintaining the traditional feel... https://www.scmp.com/special-reports/business/topics/go-china/article/2111596/chengdus-restaurants-sizzle-sichuanese?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/special-reports/business/topics/go-china/article/2111596/chengdus-restaurants-sizzle-sichuanese?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 18 Sep 2017 06:45:20 +0000 Jiuzhaigou National Park is rightfully viewed as one of China’s natural treasures for its multihued lakes, tiered waterfalls and snowy peaks, so it’s no surprise that this Unesco World Heritage site attracted more than 5 million visitors in 2016. While Mother Nature has endowed the area with unrivalled beauty, the region suffered a setback in August when a major 7.0-magnitude earthquake rattled it in August. The tremor forced the park and neighbouring hotels to close for autumn and winter, but... https://www.scmp.com/special-reports/business/topics/go-china/article/2111600/natural-treasures-enhance-jiuzhaigou?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/special-reports/business/topics/go-china/article/2111600/natural-treasures-enhance-jiuzhaigou?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 18 Sep 2017 06:18:57 +0000 Chengdu’s office property market has rebounded this year after significant oversupply in 2016. Much of this demand has been driven by preferential policies of district governments which have encouraged domestic firms, especially in the finance, trade, technology and professional services sectors, to sign new leases or to extend existing contracts. Some property developers have seized the opportunity to release premium large-scale mixed-use or commercial projects, which had been put on hold... https://www.scmp.com/special-reports/business/topics/go-china/article/2111602/chengdu-property-developers-release-premium?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/special-reports/business/topics/go-china/article/2111602/chengdu-property-developers-release-premium?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 18 Sep 2017 06:01:39 +0000 As a fast-growing western city with a host of major businesses and cultural attractions, it’s no surprise that Chengdu greets an estimated 100 million tourists each year. These staggering numbers explain why the city has almost 8,000 hotels, including many of the top international brands, according to Fredrik Genberg, general manager of the Waldorf Astoria Chengdu. For travellers, the great news is that the city’s unending parade of new hotel openings means that “average daily rates will drop... https://www.scmp.com/special-reports/business/topics/go-china/article/2111599/chengdus-popularity-sparks-increase-new?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/special-reports/business/topics/go-china/article/2111599/chengdus-popularity-sparks-increase-new?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 18 Sep 2017 06:01:38 +0000 Chengdu is seeking to become a financial industry hub in western China, leveraging its geographic location and ties to private equity, according to a top financial official of the city. The megacity of 15 million has a vibrant financial service industry that’s home to 74 banks, 83 insurers, 248 securities and futures firms. And while the size of the financial services industry, estimated at 125 billion yuan, pales in comparison to Beijing and Shanghai, Chengdu ranks well ahead of other... https://www.scmp.com/business/money/investment-products/article/1994170/chengdus-appeal-gateway-city-wins-favour-among?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/money/investment-products/article/1994170/chengdus-appeal-gateway-city-wins-favour-among?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 24 Jul 2016 14:20:33 +0000 [Sponsored Article] The rising hustle and bustle of the Chunxi Road Business Circle now  converges in Chengdu International Finance Square (Chengdu IFS). This mega integrated complex, comprising of a 210,000-square-metre flagship mall of luxury shopping and lifestyle experience, super Grade-A office towers, deluxe serviced apartments and the Niccolo Hotel, is literally “a City within a City”. Remarkable  Achievements A fresh approach to lifestyle experience and innovative marketing contribute... https://www.scmp.com/presented/business/topics/go-china-chengdu/article/1859443/city-within-city-chengdu-ifs-captivates?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/presented/business/topics/go-china-chengdu/article/1859443/city-within-city-chengdu-ifs-captivates?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 18 Sep 2015 09:30:45 +0000 The China Western Development strategy started in 2000 as the mainland sought to spread the economic vitality of its booming eastern cities across the country. This resulted in Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan province, transitioning into a kinetic 14-million person hub of manufacturing, hi-tech research and development, financial services, retail and trade, and tourism. "In the past decade, the city experienced an economic transition," says George Sun, a lecturer at Chengdu University. "The... https://www.scmp.com/presented/business/topics/go-china-chengdu/article/1859124/taking-high-road?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/presented/business/topics/go-china-chengdu/article/1859124/taking-high-road?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 17 Sep 2015 10:00:45 +0000 When Chengdu city officials built the Global Centre and moved the centre of their exhibition industry to the south side of the city, they weren't making a play for the title of "Exhibition Centre of West China", they were expanding on an honour the city has owned for some time.  There are exhibitions in Chengdu almost every month. From car shows to food and beverage fairs, international symposiums to national forums, the city of Chengdu rivals any in Asia for the number of exhibitions it holds,... https://www.scmp.com/presented/business/topics/go-china-chengdu/article/1859121/sector-replaces-quantity-quality?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/presented/business/topics/go-china-chengdu/article/1859121/sector-replaces-quantity-quality?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 17 Sep 2015 09:45:30 +0000 As Chengdu transforms to take its place beside Asia's major metropolitan areas as an economic powerhouse, it is important that the city continues to maintain its identity by pointing visitors towards its rich history and culture.  A case in point is one of Chengdu's more famous tourist destinations, Kuan Zhai Xiangzi, or "wide and narrow alley". This is one of the oldest surviving neighbourhoods in the city, but one wouldn't guess it walking down the bustling, renovated faux-Qing era streets... https://www.scmp.com/presented/business/topics/go-china-chengdu/article/1859118/get-taste-history?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/presented/business/topics/go-china-chengdu/article/1859118/get-taste-history?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 17 Sep 2015 09:45:15 +0000 Visitors to Chengdu are spoilt for choice with a number of luxury hotels opening over the past year and more in the pipeline. However, there's unlikely to be a price war as demand will continue to be fuelled by increased business activities in the city. "In recent years, Chengdu has attracted the attention from both within China and globally," says Coco Ren, director of sales and marketing of Grand Hyatt Chengdu, which is expected to open in the second half of this year.  "It not only has a good... https://www.scmp.com/presented/business/topics/go-china-chengdu/article/1859112/image-good-business?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/presented/business/topics/go-china-chengdu/article/1859112/image-good-business?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 17 Sep 2015 09:30:45 +0000 Chengdu is built in a basin formed by Himalayan rivers flowing down to the Yangtze River. A ring of verdant hills surrounds this basin, providing fantastic day-trip opportunities to the small towns nestled at the base of the world's largest mountains. The top destination among these is Dujiangyan, which can be reached in 40 minutes by car or 15 minutes via high-speed train. This city played an important role in establishing and maintaining civilisation in this part of the world. The dam there... https://www.scmp.com/presented/business/topics/go-china-chengdu/article/1859115/hills-are-alive-culture?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/presented/business/topics/go-china-chengdu/article/1859115/hills-are-alive-culture?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 17 Sep 2015 09:30:00 +0000 With two commercial developments added to its attractions, Chengdu's downtown shopping circle is luring shoppers and visitors from the city and neighbouring areas to its luxury shopping, fine dining and entertainment offerings. The Chengdu International Finance Square (IFS) is at the intersection of three major commercial roads - Hongxing Road, Dacisi Road and Beishamao Street, the busiest pedestrian shopping area in the city. Jointly designed by architectural firms Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates... https://www.scmp.com/presented/business/topics/go-china-chengdu/article/1859104/heading-downtown?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/presented/business/topics/go-china-chengdu/article/1859104/heading-downtown?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 17 Sep 2015 09:00:45 +0000 For corporations wishing to hang their shingles in one of the mainland's most promising economic regions, it's a tenant's and buyer's market in Chengdu. The recent completion of grade-A office projects has overcorrected the undersupply, and with demand softening, developers and landlords are ready to do deals. While the city's economy remains healthy, reduced demand for prime office space was recorded in the second quarter. James Shepherd, executive director of research and consulting for... https://www.scmp.com/presented/business/topics/go-china-chengdu/article/1859096/prime-office-space-vast-supply?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/presented/business/topics/go-china-chengdu/article/1859096/prime-office-space-vast-supply?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 17 Sep 2015 09:00:00 +0000