Sichuan guide | Chengdu guide | Chengdu flights | Chengdu hotels Chengdu tours & activities  | Chengdu on the China Travel Blog The Chinese mania for taming rivers goes way back, preceding today's controversial Three Gorges and proposed Tiger Leaping Gorge projects by well over two thousand years. Sichuan's Dujiangyan Irrigation Project (Dujiangyan Shuili Gongcheng), for example, dates back to the 3rd century BC, when official and engineer Li Bing devised a scheme to both control the flood-prone Min River (Min He) and to use its waters to irrigate surrounding farmland. The project has continued and expanded in the centuries since, with today's network of dams, pumping stations, canals and bridges covering some three million hectares. Fulong Temple (Fulong Guan, or "Dragon-Taming Hall") was erected in 168 AD to honor Li Bing and commemorate the taming of the riv... more >>

Qingcheng Shan (Azure City Mountain) is one of the ancient cradles of Taoism. Numerous Taoist temples dot the mountain's slopes along paths that connect to lead to the peak. The mountain is relatively low, at 1,600 m (6,250 ft) above sea level, and remains pleasantly green year round. Well-maintained trails offer numerous spots for relaxing and enjoying the view. Jianfu Temple (Jianfu Gong), a large, well-preserved Daoist temple from the Tang Dynasty, sits at the base of the mountain. About halfway up, Tianshi Cave (Tianshi Dong, or "Taoist Master Cave") holds a temple and monastic school dedicated to Zhang Daoling, a famous Taoist who taught locally and helped spread Daoism throughout China in the 2nd century AD. The present Tianshi Cave complex was built at the end of the Qing Dynasty. Near the peak stands Shangqing Temple, originally established in the Jin Dynasty w... more >>