Sichuan Province

Abstract

Archeological evidence shows human activity in Sichuan going back some 20,000 years, perhaps even earlier. Long known as “a land of plenty,” among its more striking physical features include being surrounded by mountains, and this in many ways spared Sichuan during times of political violence throughout the Chinese empire. Classically, Sichuan is referred to as Shu (蜀 shŭ), a reference to the old kingdom. Going back to when Chongqing was part of the Sichuan (but now its own provincial-level city), one also sees Sichuan Province represented by the single character for river: (川 chuān), such as that found in the names of restaurants that serve spicy dishes (e.g., noodles). Prosperous through the Southern Song, and the first known to have issued paper currency, the Mongolian invasion brought Sichuan significant death and displacement of its population. Despite having a relatively high gross domestic product (GDP) when compared with mainland China’s 31 provinces and major cities, Sichuan’s per capita income (USD $4,125) is average, and likely helps to explain why significant numbers of its official registered residents live outside their hukou registry.