Tianfu Square

Tianfu Square
Tianfu Square from the sunken plaza
Simplified Chinese天府广场
Traditional Chinese天府廣場
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinTiānfǔ Guǎngchǎng

Tianfu Square (Chinese: 天府广场) is a major public square in central Chengdu, Sichuan, China. Located at the geographic intersection of the city's principal north–south and east–west axes, it occupies approximately 88,000 m2 (22 acres) and is commonly regarded as one of Chengdu's principal civic landmarks.

The present square is characterized by a large taijitu-inspired landscape incorporating the Sun and Immortal Birds motif from the Jinsha site, fountains, water features, a sunken plaza, and elements derived from ancient Ba–Shu culture. A large statue of Mao Zedong, erected during the Cultural Revolution, stands on the northern side in front of the Sichuan Science and Technology Museum.

History

The statue of Mao undergoing repairs in 1988
Bicycle traffic on the square, 1988

The area occupied by Tianfu Square has long formed part of Chengdu's political and civic center. It was historically known as Huangchengba (皇城坝; lit. 'Imperial City grounds'), after the walled palace complex of the Ming dynasty princes of Shu that stood in the area. The palace was surrounded by a moat known as the Yu River, and the site remained an important administrative district in later periods.

After the establishment of the People's Republic of China, construction of Renmin South Road and new public buildings transformed the former Huangchengba area into Renmin South Road Square (人民南路广场). During the Cultural Revolution, in 1968, the surviving former imperial-city structures were demolished and an exhibition hall was constructed on the site. The building was later converted into the Sichuan Science and Technology Museum. The Mao Zedong statue in front of the building dates from the same period.

Skyscrapers on the corner of South Renmin Road
Skyscrapers on the corner of South Renmin Road

The square was renamed Tianfu Square in 1999. A major reconstruction was undertaken in the 2000s in conjunction with the construction of the Chengdu Metro. The landscape scheme selected in 2006 used a taijitu-inspired composition divided into eastern and western sections, with the Sun and Immortal Bird as a central visual motif and additional imagery drawn from the Jinsha and Sanxingdui archaeological cultures.

The reconstructed square was substantially complete by 2007. Its eastern half contains a sunken plaza, while the western half is dominated by fountains. The design also includes dragon-themed water sculptures, cultural columns, and other decorative elements referring to the history and landscape of Sichuan.

Surroundings

Tianfu Square forms part of a concentration of provincial and municipal cultural institutions in central Chengdu. The Sichuan Science and Technology Museum occupies the former exhibition hall on its northern side. Nearby institutions include the Chengdu Museum, the Sichuan Provincial Library, the Sichuan Art Museum, and the Sichuan Grand Theater. Sichuan provincial authorities have described the area around the square as a major public cultural area.

The square itself is open to the public and is used for recreation, tourism, civic displays and public events. Its present landscaping incorporates the Sun and Immortal Bird emblem, based on a gold ornament excavated at Jinsha that has become a prominent symbol of Chengdu's ancient Shu heritage.

Metro transport

Tiianfu Square station entrance
Tianfu Square Station West exit

Tianfu Square station is directly beneath the square and is an interchange metro station between Line 1 and Line 2 of the Chengdu Metro. Line 1, Chengdu's first metro line, opened on 27 September 2010 and included Tianfu Square station. Line 2 began operation through the station on 16 September 2012, making Tianfu Square an interchange station between Chengdu's principal north–south and east–west metro corridors.

The underground complex also connects to commercial and pedestrian spaces beneath the square. Together with the surrounding bus routes and arterial streets, the metro station reinforces the square's role as a major transport node in central Chengdu.

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Qin, Yong (5 March 2026). "天府广场："人民广场"的成都表达，随和地拥抱每一个过客" [Tianfu Square: Chengdu's expression of a "people's square"]. 川观新闻 [Sichuan Daily] (in Chinese). Retrieved 19 August 2026.
  2. 1 2 "成都优化城市空间形态" [Chengdu optimizes its urban spatial form]. China City News (in Chinese). People's Daily. 11 September 2017. Retrieved 19 August 2026.
  3. 1 2 3 "成都天府广场" [Chengdu Tianfu Square]. CCTV-2 (in Chinese). 30 July 2007. Retrieved 19 August 2026 – via Sina.
  4. 1 2 "Mao statues fashionable again after four decades". China Daily. 18 January 2010. Retrieved 19 August 2026.
  5. ↑ "成博所在的小河街是个什么样的所在？" [What kind of place is Xiaohe Street, where the Chengdu Museum is located?] (in Chinese). Chengdu Museum. 9 November 2020. Retrieved 19 August 2026.
  6. 1 2 "好雨时节——这里的地标 不信你没打过卡" [Season of Good Rain: Landmarks you have surely visited] (in Chinese). Chengdu Museum. 27 December 2018. Retrieved 19 August 2026.
  7. ↑ "都江堰离堆公园"张松银杏" 三挪而活1800年" [The "Zhang Song ginkgo" of Dujiangyan's Lidui Park] (in Chinese). Sichuan Provincial Local Chronicles Office. 26 April 2024. Retrieved 19 August 2026.
  8. 1 2 "四川科技馆" [Sichuan Science and Technology Museum] (in Chinese). Xinhua News Agency. 11 May 2025. Retrieved 19 August 2026.
  9. ↑ "安逸四川——新中国成立70周年四川发展成就述评之三" [Comfortable Sichuan: Review of Sichuan's development achievements over 70 years, part III] (in Chinese). Sichuan Provincial Local Chronicles Office. 2019. Retrieved 19 August 2026.
  10. ↑ "15:00 成都开启地铁时代" [15:00 Chengdu Enters the Subway Era]. news.sina.com.cn. 2010-09-27. Retrieved 2026-08-19.
  11. ↑ "成都地铁2号线16日正式迎客" [Chengdu Metro Line 2 to begin passenger service on the 16th] (in Chinese). China National Radio. 14 September 2012. Retrieved 19 August 2026.

30°39′36″N 104°03′48″E / 30.6599°N 104.0634°E / 30.6599; 104.0634