![\"Lush](\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/lush_greenery_and_clear_skies_greet_visitors_at_the_entrance_to_dujiangyan-2.jpg\")
<\/figure>\nEvery street in Dujiangyan whispered stories of peace and connection. I saw how a city could hold onto its cultural soul while still welcoming the new. It\u2019s that same harmony I\u2019ve always loved about Kigali, and finding it in Dujiangyan was both surprising and heartwarming.<\/p>\n
Dujiangyan\u2019s ancient town is more than just a historic area\u2014it\u2019s a living symbol of China\u2019s frontier trade history. Once a key stop on the ancient Tea Horse Road and the connection point between Chengdu and the Aba Autonomous Prefecture, this area was a thriving center for goods, travelers, and culture.<\/p>\n Centuries ago, it bustled with merchants and traders who built prosperous businesses such as teahouses, inns, cloth shops, and even money exchange shops. The commercial vibrancy of the town earned it the nickname \u201cSmall Chengdu.\u201d<\/p>\n Today, the charm of that era lives on through its well-preserved architecture and winding stone streets, making it a must-see for anyone wanting to experience the soul of old China.<\/p>\n During my visit, I had the honour of listening to Li Huaqiang, Deputy Director of the Sichuan Foreign Affairs Office. In his speech, he highlighted how Dujiangyan has become not only a national ecological model and cultural treasure, but also an international partner.<\/p>\n “Chengdu stands alone as the world\u2019s only megacity where skyscrapers share the horizon with 6,000-meter snow-capped peaks. For 15 consecutive years, it has topped the list of the Happiest Cities in China. It\u2019s a city you won\u2019t want to leave once you arrive\u2014and one you\u2019ll always want to return to,” Li said.<\/p>\n The city is part of 10 international organizations and has built friendly relations with 36 cities across countries such as France, Germany, Japan, and the U.S.<\/p>\n Li emphasized the city\u2019s commitment to openness and sustainable growth, noting how Dujiangyan continues to be a bridge between cultures and a model for integrated development.<\/p>\n {{Technological progress Despite its deep roots in history, Chengdu\u2014which administers Dujiangyan as a county-level city\u2014is a symbol of technological progress. The city is home to several groundbreaking enterprises that reflect China’s rapid development and innovation.<\/p>\n One of the companies I visited was Sichuan Huati Lighting Technology Co., Ltd., established in 2004. It stands out as the first and only mainboard-listed company in the road lighting field in China. With designations such as National Industrial Design Center and Green Factory, Huati is helping lead the way in sustainable city lighting solutions.<\/p>\n Another major player in the city\u2019s industrial rise is TGOOD, a firm founded by German and Chinese engineers. It specializes in power distribution solutions such as prefabricated substations and switchgear. <\/p>\n Also based in nearby Chengdu is China Southwest Architectural Design and Research Institute Co., Ltd. (CSWADI)\u2014one of China\u2019s largest architectural firms, known for its blend of historical preservation and futuristic design.<\/p>\n Nestled in the west of China, just 39 kilometers from Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan Province, Dujiangyan is a city of both ancient heritage and forward-thinking innovation.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":131,"featured_media":2000085276,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[57],"tags":[75],"byline":[2252],"hashtag":[],"class_list":["post-53784","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-adventure","tag-homenews","byline-christian-mugisha"],"bylines":[{"id":2252,"name":"Christian Mugisha","slug":"christian-mugisha","description":"","image":{"id":0,"url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/?s=96&d=mm&f=y&r=g","alt":"Default avatar","title":"Default avatar","caption":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","sizes":[]},"user_id":null}],"contributors":[{"id":2252,"name":"Christian Mugisha","slug":"christian-mugisha","description":"","image":{"id":0,"url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/?s=96&d=mm&f=y&r=g","alt":"Default avatar","title":"Default avatar","caption":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","sizes":[]},"user_id":null}],"featured_image":{"id":2000085276,"url":"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/IMG\/logo\/dujiangyan_city_is_concidered_the_top_livable_city.jpg","alt":"","caption":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","width":0,"height":0,"sizes":{"thumbnail":{"url":"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/IMG\/logo\/dujiangyan_city_is_concidered_the_top_livable_city.jpg","width":1,"height":1},"medium":{"url":"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/IMG\/logo\/dujiangyan_city_is_concidered_the_top_livable_city.jpg","width":1,"height":1},"medium_large":{"url":"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/IMG\/logo\/dujiangyan_city_is_concidered_the_top_livable_city.jpg","width":1,"height":1},"large":{"url":"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/IMG\/logo\/dujiangyan_city_is_concidered_the_top_livable_city.jpg","width":1,"height":1},"full":{"url":"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/IMG\/logo\/dujiangyan_city_is_concidered_the_top_livable_city.jpg","width":0,"height":0}}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/53784","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/131"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=53784"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/53784\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2000085276"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=53784"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=53784"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=53784"},{"taxonomy":"byline","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/byline?post=53784"},{"taxonomy":"hashtag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/hashtag?post=53784"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"It\u2019s](\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/it_s_not_just_a_beautiful_place__it_s_a_feeling_one_that_stays_with_you_long_after_you_leave-2.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n![\"Chengdu](\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/the_snow_world_of_chengdu_sunac_cultural_tourism_city_is_known_as_the_world_s_largest_indoor_ski_resort.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n![\"Night](\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/night_view_of_chengdu_sunac_cultural_tourism_city.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n
\n}}<\/p>\n![\"Sichuan](\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/sichuan_huati_lighting_technology_co._ltd._stands_out_as_the_first_and_only_mainboard-listed_company_in_the_road_lighting_field_in_china.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n![\"TGOOD,](\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/tgood_a_firm_founded_by_german_and_chinese_engineers_specializes_in_power_distribution_solutions.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n![\"This](\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/this_is_anlan_suspension_bridge_which_is_one_of_the_five_famous_ancient_bridge_of_china.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n![\"Villages](\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/the_villages_in_dujiangyan_city_are_as_good_as_these.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n![\"](\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/this_is_a_south_bridge_which_is_the_first_one_of_the_land_of_abundance_dujiangyan_city_in_china.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/the_city_is_known_as_a_home_for_the_pandas.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n![\"Night](\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/night_view_of_xijie_street_in_dujiangyan_city_of_chengdu.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n![\"Night](\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/night_view_of_ancient_town_in_dujiangyan_city-2.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n![\"Nightscape](\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/night_scenery_of_dujiangyan_city-2.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n![\"From](\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/from_sunrise_on_the_mountains_to_sunset_over_the_river_dujiangyan_s_beauty_is_endless-2.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n![\"In](\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/in_dujiangyan_even_the_air_feels_lighter-2.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n![\"Dujiangyan](\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/dujiangyan_city_is_concidered_the_top_livable_city.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n![\"Cycling](\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/cycling_through_the_quiet_backroads_of_dujiangyan.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/a_quiet_path_blanketed_in_snow_near_mount_qingcheng_inviting_peaceful_winter_hikes_and_photo-worthy_moments.jpg\"){kind=spacer}
<\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"