On the afternoon of May 26, Tan Ping, Director of the Research Institute of Tianfu Culture of Chengdu University, successfully held the launch ceremony of his new book The Biography of Chengdu at the Fangsuo Bookstore in Taikoo Li.  The ceremony was attended by Lu Cairong, Deputy Director of China Foreign Languages Publishing Administration; Ma Rujun, President of New Star Press; Cong Feng, Vice Minister of the Propaganda Department of the Chengdu Municipal Party Committee and Director of the Information Office of the Chengdu Municipal People's Government; Tan Ping, writer of The Biography of Chengdu; and many other guests, media, and readers. The event was hosted by Mr. Zhou Dong, a famous cultural program host of Chengdu Radio & Television, producer, and Golden Mic Award winner.

The Biography of Chengdu: A Poetry Hall in Pandas' Homeland was written by Professor Tan Ping, Director of the Research Institute of Tianfu Culture of Chengdu University and Director of the Center for Urban Culture Research and Communication.  He is one of the Ba people from Deng Xiaoping's hometown (Wusheng County, Guang'an City), and a graduate of Grade 1978 and postgraduate of Grade 1985 of the History Department, Sichuan University. Having studied and lived in Chengdu for over 40 years, he calls himself a Ba person and more a Shu person. He has been an independent thinker on the culture of China, Bashu, and Tianfu, and has written and published several books on Sichuan and Chengdu (including English versions), either by himself or with his colleagues. In this book, he adheres to Chinese culture as the basis and integrates various elements of human civilization from the perspectives of the collision and fusion of ancient and modern Chinese and Western cultures, empathetic interpretation of city features and appeal, and the excellence of different cities along the Silk Road. In this way, he conveys Chengdu's and China's wishes for friendship, sincerity, and cooperation with the world, forming a style that combines literature and history, as well as emotion and reason. Coherent in content and smooth in writing, this book presents and interprets the consistent essence of Chengdu for at least three millennia in seven interwoven aspects, including the continued enrichment and refinement of the city's cultural image since the reform and opening up, as well as the pursuit of being a world-renown cultural city, which is strongly supported by Park City construction and Tianfu Culture Initiative.

Lu Cairong expressed his congratulations on the publication of the book. He pointed out that the city is an important carrier of human culture and civilization, and the city biography serves as a critical memory of the urban development and cultural progress. We can see a world from a city, and a city memory from a biography.  In the global forest of famous cities, Chengdu has a unique twist in its culture and life aesthetics.  The Biography of Chengdu: A Poetry Hall in Pandas' Homeland is the latest works of the series of Silk Road Cities.

According to relevant officials in Chengdu, the city, founded over 2,300 years ago, has a history of over 4,500 years in civilization and has enjoyed the reputation of being the "Country of Heaven" since ancient times.  The Biography of Chengdu is a masterpiece with a broad vision and historical depth.  On the basis of character stories, major historical facts, and important relics and landscapes, the book demonstrates the spiritual outlook and civilization development of Chengdu, allowing readers at home and abroad a deep understanding of the city's humanistic charm.

Ma Rujun praised the author for his clever combination of panda and poetry – an adorable image and a profound text – to reflect not only Chengdu's image but also its cultural temperament and historic depth.  The Biography of Chengdu, in the broad vision of "Belt and Road" construction, shows the landscapes and soul of Chengdu through the depiction of the city's history and roles in China and the world.