It is easy to have a quick look at China's past and present, but it takes time to gain a panoramic knowledge of China. The "Panoramic China" series is meant to assist readers, especially those overseas, in this respect. Each volume in the series focuses on a province, municipality or autonomous region, describing, with illustrations, the outstanding characteristics of each area from different perspectives.

Sichuan: Land of Natural Abundance

Sichuan Province has been known as a "Celestial Treasure House" since ancient times. It is blessed with a beautiful landscape of topographic diversity, and it is home to a splendid human civilization. Its history goes back thousands of years and is refined by brilliant historic and cultural legacies, colorful and enchanting ethnicity and folklore, and a rich pool of literacy giants and luminaries from other fields. In Sichuan, nature, human civilization, and rich social customs are mutually interwoven, creating a "Celestial Treasure House" that abounds in natural resources.

We can describe Sichuan as a "wonderful world of nature", a "mystic world of culture", and a "sublime world of soul". With all these gifts, Sichuan emits an eternal magic, one of profundity and mystery.