CHENGTU, the administra tive centre of the province of Szechwan and the regional capi tal of West China, situated 3o° 40' N., 104° E. In the north west corner of the Red Basin of Szechwan there lies a smooth plain some 70 miles by 4o, whose even surface contrasts strongly with the rest of the highly dis sected Basin. Chengtu is the cen tre of this plain which forms the deltaic fan of the Min-Ho below its debouchure at Kwan-hien from the high mountain country of north-west Szechwan. By means of a marvellous irrigation system, initially planned by Li Ping in the 3rd century B.C. and further elaborated at several sub sequent periods, the river waters are now led off at Kwan-hien along innumerable irrigation channels to fertilize the whole plain instead of littering it with gravel as in its natural state. At the lower end of the plain the channels are drawn together and issue as two rivers, the Min-Ho, and the Chung-kiang, which join the Yangtze at Suifu and Luchow respectively. Although on the average 2,000 ft. above sea-level, the Chengtu plain lies in a very sheltered position and yields exceptionally heavy crops of all the varied products typical of Middle China (see CHINA).
Chengtu also serves as the commercial outlet of the mountain country of north-west Szechwan, the pastoral products of which are utilized in the industries of the city. Because of its position at the contact of plain and mountain Chengtu focuses the life of the sheltered agricultural Red Basin and the rugged pastoral mountain country of the west Szechwan border. The Red Basin of Szechwan lies in the far west of China and Chengtu is placed on the western border of the Red Basin. It epitomizes therefore the distinctive and isolated Szechwanese culture, and clearly con stitutes the capital of interior West China. Chengtu is the seat of the West China Union University, one of the five Union Univer sities of China, each of which has a definite regional significance. The region served by the West China University includes Yunnan and Kweichow as well as Szechwan. The population of Chengtu is estimated at over 400,000.