Situated on the fertile Chengdu plains against an impressive backdrop of the Longmen and Qionglai mountains is Chengdu, the capital of western China’s Sichuan province. Nicknamed ‘Turtle City,’ Chengdu’s original architect is purported to have based the city's design on a turtle motif, evident in the city’s shape. Its borders, however, are rapidly changing as the city experiences unprecedented growth. As the birthplace of paper money, it is fitting that the Sichuan capital is now recognized as one of China’s most important investment centers. Chengdu now houses more than 200 Fortune 500 companies and the thriving high tech business hub continues to attract multinational heavyweights from a spectrum of industry sectors. With success comes wealth and hedonism often follows. Historically famed for literature and opera, the city has more recently become renowned for its passion for partying and its laid back attitude. Chengdu boasts more teahouses and bars than Shanghai, despite having half its population. Being in Sichuan, Chengdu ren (people) like it ‘hot.’ The dishes here are extremely spicy, varied, and incredibly tasty. The local chefs are wonderfully experimental, and the flavors reach beyond the taste buds to the imagination; every dish has a story. It is worth noting that the roots of Chengdu’s tea culture run incredibly deep; the city lies at the starting point of the Silk Road and the once-thriving tea trade. Those moving to Chengdu are in for a cultural treat; its plethora of temples, shrines and monasteries hint at the city’s ancient culture, which dates back 4000 years. The region’s temperate climate makes exploring this richly diverse city a pleasure. If you feel the need to get back to the future, Chengdu’s Chunxi Road is lined with hip boutiques and trendy malls. Afterwards, you can rest your weary feet and dine in Han Dynasty-style in the wonderful Jinli district.