Chengdu is back! Even if some of your friends aren't yet. As work resumes, and we slip back into relative normality, there's plenty going on in and around Chengdu. Get all the information you need to keep up-to-date with what is happening in the city right here.

Spanish Consulate General to Open in Chengdu

On Feb. 25, 2020, the Council of Ministers authorized the exchange of diplomatic notes between the Kingdom of Spain and the People's Republic of China to establish a Consulate General of Spain in Chengdu. Chengdu is currently only third to Shanghai and Guangzhou, in terms of having the most international consulates in a Chinese city.  Greece was approved to become the 19th country to be approved to open a consulate general in Chengdu in November 2019, and Spain will become the 20th country to open its consulate general in the city. 

Image: Chengdu Consulate General Overview. 纹理成都   

Zaha Hadid Architects' Unicorn Island Masterplan in Chengdu

Zaha Hadid Architects' 67 hectare Unicorn Island master planning project in Tianfu New Area is slowly beginning to take shape. They have reported the first building is nearing completion: a start-up exhibition and conference center. According to ZHA, the mixed-use project will provide living and working environments designed to enhance the well-being of some 70,000 researchers, office staff, residents, and visitors. 

Aerial view of Unicorn Island masterplan.

Rendering: Zaha Hadid Architects & Negativ. 

 Forest Fire in Xichang

Recent forest fires in Xichang have killed 19 people: 18 firefighters and a guide. This happened at the Lushan scenic area in Xichang, Southwest China's Sichuan province, on March 31, 2020. The fire almost reached the famous Guangfu Temple, residential areas and schools. Firefighters from Chengdu, Ziyang, Ya’an and Meishan hurried to the site to help. There were a worrying 42 cases of forest fires throughout March.

Chengdu Resumes After the Coronavirus

Chengdu has become the most important city in Sichuan (in terms of industry) to resume work amid the fight against the novel coronavirus outbreak in China, according to a report by AutoNavi Software Co (the Gaode Map developers). 

Chengdu Airport Express Metro Trains Delivered

The new Chengdu Tianfu International Airport will be located in Jianyang and scheduled to be completed on December 28, 2020 and to commence operation in the first half of 2021.It will be approximately 50 kilometers south-east from the center of Chengdu, and 80 kilometers from Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport. The airport express project that will link the two airports was approved on March 26 2020. The express will serve as a convenient path to future city planning. 

In meanwhile, CRRC Sifang has completed a fleet of 26 trains for Chengdu’s 66·2 km metro Line 18. It will serve the new Chengdu Tianfu International hub airport, which is due to open later this year. From a station serving Terminal 1 & 2 the line heads northwest to Expo City where there is interchange with lines 1 and 6. It then parallels Line 1 north to Chengdu South for interchange with metro lines 1 and 7.

There will be an express service with four intermediate stops that will provide a 35 minutes end-to-end journey time, while a local service calling at all 12 stations will take 50 minutes.

Sources: 纹理成都, Zaha Hadid Architects, China Daily, Xinhua News, Tencent, Metro Report International.

Retro-style tourist busses

On April 5, 2020, Chengdu's new tourist busses running between different tourist attractions officially came into operation. 

The tentative departure times are 8:30, 10:00, 11:30, 13:00, 14:30, 16:00 on Chunxi Road, and 9:30, 11:00, 12:30, 14:00, 15:30, 17:00 at Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda.