Area: 1,700 km2 (700 sq mi)
Density: 5,900/km2 (2,300 per sq mi)
2017 GDP: 1.4 trillion yuan (210 billion USD)
Per capita per month: 10,000 yuan (1,500 USD)
Chengdu is an exception among large Chinese cities. The largest city in mostly mountainous or arid West China, it is a concentration of the population of the fertile Sichuan Basin. The pace of life is the most relaxed of China's large cities.
Though industry does play a part in Chengdu's economy and there has been significant domestic investment, its growth is mainly a result of the tide of urbanization driving the rural population towards the cities in search of a better life. With Chengdu being the lone large city in huge Sichuan Province, the province's over 80 million people gravitate there.
