or Ch'eng-tu
City (pop., 1999 est.: 2,146,126), capital of Sichuan province, China.
It lies in the fertile Chengdu plain, the site of one of China's most ancient and successful irrigation systems, watered by the Min River . First set up in the late 3rd century BC, the system has survived and has enabled the area to support one of the densest agrarian populations in the world. Chengdu was the capital of various dynasties, and in the 10th century AD it was immensely prosperous; its merchants introduced the use of paper money, which spread throughout China under the Song dynasty . Chengdu was famous for its brocades and satins. The capital of Sichuan since 1368, it has remained a major administrative centre. Today it is a transportation and industrial hub, as well as an educational centre.