because of explore for oil and gas,I come to xichang

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Xichang, the capital of Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture, China’s largest Yi ethnic inhabitant, is known as the "image of the nation" and the "window open to the outside world". It is renowned for the titles such as aeronautics and space city, Sichuan’s famous historical and cultural city. It strives to be among Chinas excellent tourist cities and advanced cities harmonizing life and work with its irreplaceable aeronautics and space technology, unique folklore of ethnic groups and its alpine beauty. Located in the southwest of Sichuan Province, Xichang City encompasses an area of 2651 sq. km. with a total population of 618,000 and an urban population of 250,000 distributed in 8 townships, 29 villages (13 Yi autonomous inhabitants and 2 Hui townships included) and 6 community offices under its jurisdiction. There are 28 ethnic groups such as Han, Yi and Hui, accounting for 19% of the total population. Xichang is a famous cultural city with more than 2100 years of history, and it was a strategically important town on the South Silk Road, a hub of manpower, materials and tourism at border of Sichuan and Yunnan. In ancient times, it was called "the throat of Sichuan and Yunnan" and "a key town in southwest". It is an open city approved by the State Council, a trial zone for the reform of China’s ethnic areas and a nuclear city approved by Sichuan Province committee and government for comprehensive resources development in the west of Panzhihua region. Xichang is easy to access via railroads, expressways and air. It has been endowed with beautiful mountains and rivers, enchanting scenery, and glorious natural landscapes and cultural insights. For example, Qionghai Lake and Lushan Mountain are reputed as "Southern Sichuan’s Wonderland"; XSLC (Xichang Satellite Launch Center) has been formally approved by the state as a national tourist attraction of 3A Grade; the only museum of Yi nationality slave society is here also; the Earthquake Stele Forest is one of Chinas Four Stele Forests; Mt. Luoji and Huanglian Clay Forest have been renowned as "Chinas Ancient Glaciers Park"; the Torch Festival is an oriental carnival with Chinese characteristics. Great changes have taken place in Xichang and the city has retained an annual economic growth of 10% since the reform and openness. Xichang has several positive names such as "space city", "sunny city", "moon city", "famous historical and cultural city" and "home of Yi ethnic customs and folklore". The name of "space city" comes from the official approval of XSLC. "Sunny city" is due to its genial climate with spring-like seasons; "moon city", due to the bright and round moon in the clear blue sky purified by lakes and wind blowing through the pines; "famous historical and cultural city", due to its 2000 plus-year-history traced back to the Spring and Autumn Period. The tale of Zhuge Liang’s seven "play-hard-to-get" on Meng Huo happened here in the Three Kingdom Period. The name Xichang has been remained up to date since the Qing Dynasty when Emperor Yongzheng was in his reign. Xichang has discovered the cultural value of the South Silk Road and has built a golden tourist expressway to debut as an excellent tourist city.