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New projects boost ancient city's vitality

Chengdu has been introducing high-end tourism projects and brands from home and abroad in a ceaseless effort to add to the attractions of the ancient city.

One of the big projects now being worked on is Wanda Cultural Tourism City in the city of Dujiangyan, which is expected to cost 55 billion yuan ($7.99 billion). It will include an indoor ski resort, an outdoor theme park, a shopping mall, theaters, a cinema, hotels and a bar street.

The project is expected to be operational by 2019.

It will be able to host 30 million visitors every year and generate revenue of 5 billion yuan a year. The project is also expected to create 30,000 jobs, Wanda Group said.

Its Chairman Wang Jianl in said building the complex in Dujiangyan reflects his confidence in Chengdu’s future as a global tourist destination.

In May, Overseas Chinese Town Holdings Co. signed agreements with Chengdu to build three cultural tourism projects in the city’s Tianhui township, Anren ancient town and Huanglongxi ancient town, with total investment of more than 100 billion yuan.

The project in Tianhui will display ancient Shu culture and focus on the historical heritage of the ancient Southern Silk Road, which starts in Chengdu and was used for trade before the better known Silk Road, also known as the Northern Silk Road.

The project in Anren will feature cultural relics and host cultural creative fairs.

Located 37 mi les west of downtown Chengdu, Anren is like a big museum, containing 27 manors, all built in the 1930s and 1940s and later converted into museums.

The World Tourism Organization said Anren is one of the best places for tourists to understand how the Chinese lived in the early 20th century.

The Huanglongxi project will be a combination of cultural experiences, creative technologies, ecological sightseeing and holiday resorts and is being built into a beautiful water-themed area of Chengdu.

Chengdu had previously built many commercial complexes in its downtown area, including the Chengdu International Finance Square and Sino-Ocean Taikoo Li Chengdu.

Chengdu IFS, which comprises a large shopping mall, office towers, a residential complex and a hotel, brought about 300 luxury fashion labels to Chengdu.

Sino - Ocean Taikoo Li Chengdu, a 120,000-squareyard shopping center built in the ancient architectural style, houses internat ional brands including Gucci, Cartier and Ralph Lauren and lifestyle brands such as the Fangsuo bookstore and internationally renowned restaurants.

The ancient town of Huanglongxi in Chengdu, with its old wharf, is a tourist attraction.[Photo provided to China Daily]

The old town of Anren is said to be a good place for tourists to understand how the Chinese lived in the early 20th century.[Photo provided to China Daily]