Chengdu – As a foreigner living in Chongqing, I was intrigued the first time I heard the proposal for the Chengdu-Chongqing economic circle. Chongqing and Chengdu are already two of my favorite cities in China, and as I am writing this, I am in the middle of a trip that will help me understand how these two twin cities are working together to form an even stronger bond.

On May 9^th, along with several other foreign and local media members, I departed Chongqing headed for Chengdu. As the trip's events would start early the following day, Monday, May 10^th, it made sense for us to arrive in Chengdu on Sunday to avoid traveling early in the morning. This allowed some time for what the first surprise of the trip would already be, a visit to the Jinsha Site Museum in Chengdu.

Historical Context

The Jinsha Site was unearthed in Chengdu in February of 2001. The site lies in what was the capital of the ancient Shu State, a civilization that, according to what we know, thrived here between the 12^th and 7^th centuries BC. So it was very fitting to start this tour, which is so much about the future of Chengdu and Chongqing, by looking at where the city originated.

The Jinsha site museum now stands over these relics, and they are on full display for the public to see and enjoy.

The visit to the museum was a great way for this trip to start, as it gave me, personally, a bit of historical context. Chengdu and Chongqing have always shared a special relationship and a long history. This relationship and this history will only get stronger with the development of the Chengdu-Chongqing economic circle. But what exactly is the economic circle?

Chengdu-Chongqing economic circle

The national strategy of the Chengdu-Chongqing economic circle has been proposed for coordinated regional development. The aim is to turn it into an important economic center, center for scientific and technological innovation, a new highland for reform and opening up and a livable place for high-quality life of national influence.

One of the most obvious benefits of the economic circle has been improvements to the infrastructure, making traveling between Chongqing and Chengdu faster and more convenient than ever. A trip that, years ago, would have taken several hours, even by train, can now be completed in as little as 1 hour on the new high-speed railroads.

This may not sound like a big deal, but it is important to remember that the Chengdu-Chongqing economic circle is not only about those two cities. It encompasses more than 42 cities and districts and will affect the lives of around 100 million people.

Over the next few days, I will be traveling from Chengdu back to Chongqing and visiting some of these areas along the way and myself, learn more about this huge undertaking.