Sichuan is a province in central-western China. Sichuan's borders have remained relatively constant for the past 500 years. This changed in 1997 when the city of Chongqing as well as the surrounding towns of Fuling and Wanxian were formed into the new Chongqing Municipality. The new municipality was formed to spearhead China's effort to develop its western regions as well as to coordinate the resettlement of refugees from the Three Gorges Dam project.

The area lies in the Sichuan basin and is surrounded by the Himalaya to the west, Qinling Range to the north, and mountainous areas of Yunnan to the south. The Yangtze River flows through the basin and thus is upstream to areas of eastern China. The Minjiang River, in central Sichuan is a tributary of the upper Yangtze River, which it joins at Yibin.

The Three Gorges Dam, the largest dam ever constructed, is being built on the Yangtze River in nearby Hubei province to control flooding in the Sichuan Basin, neighboring Yunnan province, and downstream. The plan is hailed by some as a Chinese effort to shift towards alternate energy sources and to further develop its industrial and commercial bases but others have criticised it for its potential harmful effects, such as massive resettlement of refugees, loss of archeological sites, and ecological damage.

Sichuan's nominal GDP for 2003 was about 545 billion Yuan (about 66 billion USD) and a per capita of 6270 RMB (757 USD).

Sichuan is a province of China which has a long history of both folk and classical music. Sichuan opera is an ancient tradition that is well-known across China, while the folk-based Sichuan lantern drama is popular in the region. The Sichuan Conservatory of Music in Chengdu is one of the older establishments of musical education in China, having been established in 1939. It is the only such institution in southwest China.

There is deeply religious music in Sichuan, played by Daoist priests in their temples. Married lay priests have their own kinds of music, performed at various rituals. The first Buddhist temple in China was built here in Sichuan Province in the 1st century A.D. in very beautiful surroundings atop Mount Emei.

Szechuan cuisine is a style of cookery originating in the Sichuan province of western China, has an international reputation for being spicy and flavorful. Although the region Sichuan is now usually romanized as Sichuan, the cuisine that originated there is still usually spelled Szechuan in the West. Some well-known Szechuan dishes include Kung Pao chicken and Twice Cooked Pork.

Fire Dragon Dance
In Shuangliu County, Sichuan Province. The fire dragon dance is played to celebrate the Spring Festival on every year.