Chinese Culture Facts (2026)

11/06/2026

**Explore Jianmen Pass and the Millennia-Old Legacy of the Ancient Shu Roads**
GUANGYUAN, Sichuan, June 7 (China News Service) — “Ah, how perilous and towering it is! The road to Shu is harder than climbing to the heavens.” More than a thousand years ago, Tang Dynasty poet Bai Li; immortalized the hardships of the Ancient Shu Roads in his famous poem The Hard Road to Shu. A millennium later, overseas Chinese-language media representatives found themselves tracing that same historic route, winding through steep mountain passes and dramatic cliffs that once linked China's heartland with the Bashu region.
On June 7, participants in the “2026 Overseas Chinese Media Tour of Sichuan and Chongqing — Focusing on the Chengdu-Chongqing Twin-City Economic Circle” visited Jianmen Pass Scenic Area in Guangyuan, Sichuan Province.
Standing before the towering cliffs and looking out over the rugged landscape, Yumei Sun, associate publisher of the Romanian Chinese-language newspaper European Overseas Chinese News, expressed her admiration. “I had heard of Jianmen Pass before, but I never imagined it would be this magnificent and awe-inspiring,” she said.
“Steep and lofty stands Jian'ge; one man guards the pass while ten thousand cannot break through.” Xue Yang, a staff member of Jianmen Pass Tourism Development Co., explained that Jianmen Pass was a strategic gateway along the Jinniu Route of the Ancient Shu Roads. Known as “the most formidable pass under heaven” and “the gateway to Shu,” it served for centuries as a vital corridor connecting central China with the southwest, facilitating trade and cultural exchange while also holding immense military significance.
Speaking about heritage preservation, Yang noted that efforts to protect the area's cultural relics and ancient trees have continued to intensify in recent years. “Our goal is to preserve these ancient sites and trees in their entirety and pass this invaluable heritage on to future generations,” she said.

On June 7, overseas Chinese-language media representatives receive an introduction to Jianmen Pass during the 2026 Overseas Chinese Media Tour of Sichuan and Chongqing. Photo by Zhang Lang.
“For people in ancient times, without modern technology, carving a road through such steep mountains must have required unimaginable wisdom and effort,” said Mao’e Li, editor-in-chief of The World Overseas Chinese Weekly in South Korea. “I was just telling my friends that this is truly one of the great transportation achievements of ancient China.”
Not far from Jianmen Pass lies the Cuiyun Corridor, where ancient cypress trees line the historic road, their canopies forming a continuous blanket of green. Stretching approximately 150 kilometers, the corridor is famous for its vast collection of ancient cypresses, many of them more than a thousand years old. It is often described as both a national treasure and a world wonder.
Unlike the dramatic cliffs of Jianmen Pass, the Cuiyun Corridor reveals another dimension of the Ancient Shu Roads. Beyond transportation and commerce, it reflects a longstanding tradition of planting trees to protect roads, respecting nature, and preserving civilization through ecological stewardship.

On June 7, overseas Chinese-language media representatives visit the Shidonggou section of the Cuiyun Corridor during the 2026 Overseas Chinese Media Tour of Sichuan and Chongqing. Photo by Zhang Lang.
Yang explained that the Cuiyun Corridor is home to 7,778 ancient cypress trees. “Each tree has its own identification plaque and unique number beginning with ‘5108,’” she said. “Interestingly, the ID numbers of Guangyuan residents also begin with ‘5108.’ In a sense, the ancient cypresses have their own electronic identity cards, just like local people.”
She added that conservation efforts now follow the principles of “one tree, one file; one tree, one protection plan; and one tree, one caretaker,” ensuring that every ancient tree receives individualized management and protection.
Walking among the ancient cypresses in the Shidonggou section of the Cuiyun Corridor, Ping Wang, deputy editor-in-chief of French Overseas Chinese News, gently placed her hand on the trunk of a towering tree. “Encountering these ancient cypresses in the misty rain feels like a gift from nature,” she said. “It is remarkable that such majestic trees have survived for more than a thousand years. I hope that through today's scientific conservation efforts, they will still be standing here a thousand years from now.”

11/06/2026

**From Tianxiong Village to Zhaohua Ancient City Guangyuan’s Zhaohua Explores How Culture and Tourism Can Drive Rural Revitalisation**

GUANGYUAN, Sichuan, June 7 (China News Service) — “The Ancient Shu Roads lead not only through mountain passes and rugged terrain, but also to the lights of villages and towns.” said Fuhui Xie, senior reporter with the Nordic Chinese Newspaper in Sweden, duting a visit to Tianxiong Village in Guangyuan’s Zhaohua District on June 7. Nestled beneath Tianxiong Pass along the Ancient Shu Roads, Tianxiong Village lies about two kilometers from Zhaohua Ancient City. Backed by the historic route and surrounded by pastoral landscapes, the village embodied both the rich cultural heritage of the Shu Roads and the vitality of rural revitalization.
Participants in the “2026 Overseas Chinese Media Tour of Sichuan and Chongqing — Focusing on the Chengdu-Chongqing Twin-City Economic Circle” followed the historical trail of the Ancient Shu Roads into Zhaohua District. Xie expressed particular interest in Tianxiong Village’s transformation.
“Rural areas have changed tremendously,” she said. “In the past, when people thought of villages, they imagined loess-covered farmhouses. What I see today are boutique homestays, fruit and vegetable farms, and craft workshops. The transformation is remarkable. More importantly, local residents can support themselves through jobs created within the village, while the village itself continues to prosper. It’s a virtuous cycle.”

If Jianmen Pass helps visitors understand the perilous nature of the Ancient Shu Roads, and the Cuiyun Corridor showcases their lush greenery, then Tianxiong Village reveals their vitality and living legacy. The ancient route is no longer merely a historical transportation corridor; it has become an important link connecting rural tourism, the resources of the ancient city, and the region’s growing cultural tourism economy.
According to Juxian Li, Party secretary of Tianxiong Village, visitors to Zhaohua once tended to leave after touring the ancient city. Today, the village hopes to encourage them to stay longer. “We want visitors to explore the countryside after visiting the ancient city, pick fresh produce, and spend a night in a homestay,” Li said.
To achieve this goal, Tianxiong Village has renovated the facades of 458 rural homes with themes inspired by the Three Kingdoms culture, while building and upgrading five homestays. Drawing on local specialty industries such as grapes, strawberries, and dragon fruit, the village has also developed fruit-picking experiences, agricultural study programs, and countryside sightseeing activities.
“We’re not simply repainting houses or paving roads,” Li said. “We want visitors to have things to see and do, so they will choose to stay.” The village has also adopted rural operation and homestay management practices from eastern China’s Zhejiang Province, launching integrated tourism products such as “Ancient City Night Tours and Morning Farming Experiences” and “Agricultural Activities and Handicraft Workshops.” These efforts aim to convert tourist traffic generated by Zhaohua Ancient City into longer stays and greater economic benefits for Tianxiong Village.
Standing atop the gate tower of Zhaohua Ancient City, Xine Zhu, associate publisher of China Weekly in Egypt, looked out over the city’s historic streets, where stone-paved lanes, ancient gates, traditional alleyways, and relics of the Three Kingdoms period intertwine. “In the distance are mountains, and beneath my feet are centuries-old stone roads,” Zhu said. “The scenery may have remained unchanged for hundreds or even thousands of years. It feels as if people are walking through history itself.”

Known as Jiameng in ancient times, Zhaohua Ancient City was first established during the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods. It boasts more than 4,000 years of history and over 2,300 years of continuous county administration. Surrounded by mountains on all sides and bordered by water on three, it has earned titles such as “The First County of Bashu” and “The Second Capital of Shu.” It is also one of China's best-preserved ancient cities associated with the Three Kingdoms era.
Xiaohua Xu, a guide at Zhaohua Ancient City, noted that younger visitors increasingly value immersive experiences. “To help visitors engage more deeply with the city’s history, we have introduced NPC role-playing activities and immersive theatrical performances,” Xu said.
“The architecture reflects the distinctive character of Bashu culture and carries a profound sense of history,” Xie said. “At the same time, the city is full of everyday life, with people constantly coming and going. Watching the sunset over the ancient city while catching the aroma of home-cooked meals drifting from nearby houses creates a unique scene where history and daily life come together. It’s something more international visitors deserve to experience.”

09/06/2026

**Huangze Temple** is one of China’s most significant historical and cultural sites. Located in Guangyuan, Sichuan, it is closely associated with Wu Zetian, the only female emperor in Chinese history. Dating back more than 1,300 years, the temple preserves remarkable Buddhist grottoes, statues, and inscriptions. Across the centuries, it has witnessed the rise and fall of dynasties while safeguarding precious cultural heritage. Today, Huangze Temple stands as a lasting symbol of China’s rich history, connecting visitors with a civilization that has endured and evolved for over a millennium.

08/06/2026

**Overseas Chinese-Language Media Explore Jianmen Pass and the Millennia-Old Legacy of the Ancient Shu Roads**
GUANGYUAN, Sichuan, June 7 (China News Service) — “Ah, how perilous and towering it is! The road to Shu is harder than climbing to the heavens.” More than a thousand years ago, Tang Dynasty poet Bai Li; immortalized the hardships of the Ancient Shu Roads in his famous poem The Hard Road to Shu. A millennium later, overseas Chinese-language media representatives found themselves tracing that same historic route, winding through steep mountain passes and dramatic cliffs that once linked China's heartland with the Bashu region.
On June 7, participants in the “2026 Overseas Chinese Media Tour of Sichuan and Chongqing — Focusing on the Chengdu-Chongqing Twin-City Economic Circle” visited Jianmen Pass Scenic Area in Guangyuan, Sichuan Province.
Standing before the towering cliffs and looking out over the rugged landscape, Yumei Sun, associate publisher of the Romanian Chinese-language newspaper European Overseas Chinese News, expressed her admiration. “I had heard of Jianmen Pass before, but I never imagined it would be this magnificent and awe-inspiring,” she said.
“Steep and lofty stands Jian'ge; one man guards the pass while ten thousand cannot break through.” Xue Yang, a staff member of Jianmen Pass Tourism Development Co., explained that Jianmen Pass was a strategic gateway along the Jinniu Route of the Ancient Shu Roads. Known as “the most formidable pass under heaven” and “the gateway to Shu,” it served for centuries as a vital corridor connecting central China with the southwest, facilitating trade and cultural exchange while also holding immense military significance.
Speaking about heritage preservation, Yang noted that efforts to protect the area's cultural relics and ancient trees have continued to intensify in recent years. “Our goal is to preserve these ancient sites and trees in their entirety and pass this invaluable heritage on to future generations,” she said.

On June 7, overseas Chinese-language media representatives receive an introduction to Jianmen Pass during the 2026 Overseas Chinese Media Tour of Sichuan and Chongqing. Photo by Zhang Lang.
“For people in ancient times, without modern technology, carving a road through such steep mountains must have required unimaginable wisdom and effort,” said Mao’e Li, editor-in-chief of The World Overseas Chinese Weekly in South Korea. “I was just telling my friends that this is truly one of the great transportation achievements of ancient China.”
Not far from Jianmen Pass lies the Cuiyun Corridor, where ancient cypress trees line the historic road, their canopies forming a continuous blanket of green. Stretching approximately 150 kilometers, the corridor is famous for its vast collection of ancient cypresses, many of them more than a thousand years old. It is often described as both a national treasure and a world wonder.
Unlike the dramatic cliffs of Jianmen Pass, the Cuiyun Corridor reveals another dimension of the Ancient Shu Roads. Beyond transportation and commerce, it reflects a longstanding tradition of planting trees to protect roads, respecting nature, and preserving civilization through ecological stewardship.

On June 7, overseas Chinese-language media representatives visit the Shidonggou section of the Cuiyun Corridor during the 2026 Overseas Chinese Media Tour of Sichuan and Chongqing. Photo by Zhang Lang.
Yang explained that the Cuiyun Corridor is home to 7,778 ancient cypress trees. “Each tree has its own identification plaque and unique number beginning with ‘5108,’” she said. “Interestingly, the ID numbers of Guangyuan residents also begin with ‘5108.’ In a sense, the ancient cypresses have their own electronic identity cards, just like local people.”
She added that conservation efforts now follow the principles of “one tree, one file; one tree, one protection plan; and one tree, one caretaker,” ensuring that every ancient tree receives individualized management and protection.
Walking among the ancient cypresses in the Shidonggou section of the Cuiyun Corridor, Ping Wang, deputy editor-in-chief of French Overseas Chinese News, gently placed her hand on the trunk of a towering tree. “Encountering these ancient cypresses in the misty rain feels like a gift from nature,” she said. “It is remarkable that such majestic trees have survived for more than a thousand years. I hope that through today's scientific conservation efforts, they will still be standing here a thousand years from now.”

07/06/2026

Exploring Xindu, One of Ancient Shu’s “Three Capitals”: Overseas Chinese Media Discuss New Paths for Chinese Culture Going Global
On June 5, Jiuyue Dai, deputy director of the Beijing bureau of Europe Times, paused in front of a jacquard loom at the Sichuan Silk Museum in Xindu, Chengdu, capturing the intricate process of Shu brocade weaving on camera. “France is home to many luxury brands, but Shu brocade is truly a luxury product of the East,” Dai said. “Its exquisite craftsmanship reflects a distinctly Chinese aesthetic.” She suggested promoting Shu brocade more widely in fashion-oriented countries and cities such as France and Italy.

Overseas Chinese-language media representatives visit the Sichuan Silk Museum. Photo by Wang Lei.
Participants of the “2026 Overseas Chinese Media Tour of Sichuan and Chongqing — Focusing on the Chengdu-Chongqing Twin-City Economic Circle” visited Xindu District in Chengdu. The group explored Jinmen, known as the starting point of the Southern Silk Road, and toured the Yang Sheng’an Memorial Hall and Guihu Lake. Through immersive experiences with Shu brocade and Shu embroidery, they explored a cultural legacy spanning thousands of years while discussing new ways to share Chinese culture with global audiences.
According to the ancient chronicle Chronicles of Huayang, Xindu, together with Chengdu and Guangdu, was once known as one of the “Three Capitals of Ancient Shu.” With nearly 2,800 years of urban history, the area has nurtured a rich cultural legacy—from the ancient Shu people who cultivated mulberry trees and raised silkworms to the renowned Ming Dynasty scholar Yang Sheng’an. Today, Xindu continues to explore innovative ways of sharing traditional culture, serving as a vivid example of China’s cultural outreach to the world.
Located in Xindu, Jinmen is widely regarded as the starting point of the Southern Silk Road. Visitors strolling through this key hub for the Shu brocade and Shu embroidery industries can discover the thousand-year evolution of silk production, from sericulture to textile craftsmanship, at the Sichuan Silk Museum. As early as the Western Han Dynasty, Shu brocade was already traveling along the ancient Silk Road to distant lands.

Overseas Chinese-language media representatives watch the making of Shu embroidery at Jinmen. Photo by Wang Lei.
In recent years, Shu brocade has gained growing international attention as a cultural ambassador. According to Wei Liu, head of marketing and operations at Jinmen Scenic Area, the site has introduced more than 100 representative intangible cultural heritage projects, including Shu brocade, Shu embroidery, and Chengdu lacquerware, while attracting over 200 inheritors of traditional crafts. “Jinmen is not only a showcase for intangible cultural heritage, but also a living space where these traditions continue to thrive,” Liu said.
Not far from Jinmen, the blooming lotus flowers at Guihu Lake drew the attention of overseas Chinese media representatives, many of whom stopped to take photographs. Dating back to the Sui and Tang dynasties, Guihu Lake later became associated with Yang Sheng’an, one of the most celebrated literary figures of the Ming Dynasty. He planted osmanthus trees around the lake and composed the poem Song of Guihu Lake: Farewell to Hu Xiaosi, from which the lake derives its name.
During the visit, Xiaoguang Zhang, director of the Social Education Department of the Yang Sheng’an Museum, the visitors learned about Yang Sheng’an’s belief in placing righteousness above personal gain and his family’s “Fourfold Values,” a tradition that produced seven successful imperial scholars as well as prominent statesmen.

Overseas Chinese-language media representatives visit the Yang Sheng’an Memorial Hall. Photo by Wang Lei.
This year, Xindu made another significant step in promoting Sheng’an culture internationally with the overseas broadcast of the documentary Yang Sheng’an. “Through Phoenix Television’s global broadcasting network, the documentary has brought Yang Sheng’an and his cultural legacy to audiences around the world,” Zhang said.
For Yuanyuan Shao, editor-in-chief of Brazil Chinese News Network, the documentary offers an accessible gateway for the children of overseas Chinese communities to learn about China’s traditional culture. “The ‘Fourfold Values’ upheld by Yang Sheng’an’s family embody a profound sense of responsibility toward both family and country,” Shao said. “There is much inspiration and spiritual strength that younger generations can draw from this legacy.”
Shao added that Xindu’s rich cultural heritage and forward-looking spirit make it an ideal window for presenting Chinese culture to the world. “Through video reports, I hope to share the traditional culture I encountered in Xindu with Chinese-language schools overseas,” she said. “I also hope more young people from overseas Chinese families will have the opportunity to visit their ancestral homeland and experience their cultural roots firsthand.”

05/06/2026

**Shu Brocade** known as Shu Jin in Chinese, is one of China’s oldest and most celebrated silk weaving traditions, with a history of more than 2,000 years. Originating in Chengdu, it was highly prized along the ancient Silk Road and often presented as an imperial tribute. Renowned for its vibrant colors, intricate patterns, and exquisite craftsmanship, Shu Brocade reflects the cultural richness of ancient Sichuan. Today, this UNESCO-recognized intangible cultural heritage continues to be preserved by skilled artisans, offering visitors a glimpse into Chengdu’s remarkable textile legacy.

04/06/2026

**The Low-Altitude Aviation Talent Training Center,**jointly established by the China Flight Academy and Chengdu Eastern New Area, supports China’s low-altitude economy strategy and civil aviation development. Guided by the mission of cultivating future aviation talent, the center provides drone licensing, flight testing, instructor training, youth STEM education, research programs, and industry services. It features over 4,000 square meters of indoor facilities, extensive outdoor training grounds, dedicated airspace, and advanced simulators. Training more than 6,000 professionals annually, the center is also expanding international cooperation and developing globally aligned drone training programs and standards.

03/06/2026

Chengdu’s giant naked-eye 3D panda on Jiazi Avenue is one of the city’s most famous attractions and among the world’s largest 3D digital displays. The animated panda appears to emerge from the side of a skyscraper, creating a striking visual illusion for visitors. As China’s national treasure, the panda is closely associated with Chengdu, which is home to the world’s largest captive panda population. Combining advanced digital technology with the city’s most recognizable symbol, this unique installation showcases Chengdu’s blend of cultural heritage, creativity, and modern urban development, especially after dark.

03/06/2026

**Tower of Vitality** completed in 2022 as part of Chengdu SKP, is one of the city’s most recognizable modern landmarks. Located above Asia’s largest sunken shopping complex, the installation features six towering aluminum columns with water flowing downward, symbolizing “water from heaven” and the vitality of Chengdu. By night, colorful LED lights transform the towers into a spectacular visual display. Blending art, technology, and environmental design, the Tower of Vitality has become a popular attraction and a symbol of Chengdu’s innovative urban development.

17/05/2026

**Changzhou Science and Education Town(常州科技城)**established in 2002, is a major innovation hub in Jiangsu Province, China. Covering 5 square kilometres, it integrates education, research, and business incubation. The park is home to six universities and colleges, numerous national research institutes, and more than 4,000 technology enterprises. Focusing on industries such as new energy, artificial intelligence, advanced manufacturing, and aerospace, it has become a leading model for industry-university-research collaboration in China. With strong talent resources and innovation platforms, Changzhou Science and Education Town continues to drive regional economic and technological development.

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