Chengdu Aston

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Chengdu is one of the oldest cities in the world, and has been the most important center of economics, politics, and culture of the region for more than 2,400 years. This is the epicenter of Sichuan culture and one of the most interesting major cities in Asian.

The profound historical significance of the city is demonstrated by Chinese artistic traditions, such as embroidery, calligraphy, Sichuan Opera, and bronze working, which were first developed here and continue to the present. This is where tea was originally cultivated thousands of years ago, and the world’s first currency was issued.

Chengdu lays on the western edge of the Sichuan Basin. This is a sub-tropical region which is geographically cuff off from the rest of China by the massive mountain ranges which encircle it, allowing a unique style of Chinese culture to have developed here over the course of millennium. The climate is dominated by these mountains and the weather systems they generate. Summers are ferociously hot and humid with occasional heavy rains. Winter gets cold but freezing temperatures are rare. Spring and autumn are very pleasant.

Chengdu is one of the major cosmopolitan centers of Western China, and a major rail stop with convenient transport links throughout Sichuan and beyond. Chongqing is 4 hours away. Kunming and Guiyang are each reached easily on overnight trains. Kangding, the traditional frontier town between Tibetan and Han ethnic regions, is 6 hours to the west and there are several daily busses. Chengdu International Airport has destinations throughout the country and Southeast Asia.

Sichuan cuisine needs no introduction and Chengdu is the spicy heart of it. The restaurants of Chengdu prepare one of the world’s greatest cuisines and anyone interested in food culture will have a great time with what the Sichuanese have to offer. As if this weren’t enough, some of the best international food in all of China can be enjoyed here. There is fantastic North American, Italian, Indian, Thai, Japanese, Korean, French, and Mexican food.

School

Chengdu Aston is located on the 1st Ring Road on the west side of the city, neighboring the Traditional Chinese Medicine College and near the Daoist temple Qingyang Gong. The building is very spacious with a unique design, large classrooms, and comfortable teacher’s facilities. The Aston family here consists of approximately 20 staff, including a Western manager, several full time Western teachers, a number of professional Chinese teachers, and several hundred students. Having opened our doors recently in the summer of 2005, we retain an intimate atmosphere – although our numbers are growing fast!

Apartments

The teachers' apartments are all located in the western area of Chengdu, between a 5 and 20 minute walk from Chengdu Aston. The neighborhoods in this area of the city are very lively, with countless shops, restaurants, markets, tea houses, and people crowding the streets at most hours. Apartments are 2 bedroom, fully furnished, spacious, and modern in every way. Air-conditioning units are ubiquitous. Most residents in this part of the city use bicycles to get around or utilize the extensive bus network to venture further. The best shop in all of Sichuan for buying “foreign food” items is less than a mile away.

Resources

"Chengdu" on Flickr "Chengdu" on YouTube "Chengdu" on Picasa Chengdu City Guide

Top reasons to pick Chengdu

• An international city and the home of the panda.
• A state-of-the-art school design.
• Downtown locations.
• A provincial capital with a population of 5 million.
• Famous teahouse culture and where tea was originally cultivated in China.
• The home of Sichuan cuisine and some of the best international cuisine in China.
• Apartments in up market residential complexes.
• Doubles as a ski resort in the winter months.
• Chongqing (4hrs) Kunming (13hrs) Suining (2hrs)