Mianyang

Mianyang is the second-largest city of Sichuan, set in the fertile basin north of Chengdu on the Fu River. It is officially designated China's 'Science and Technology City,' home to major defense-research and electronics institutes, including the China Academy of Engineering Physics and the giant appliance maker Changhong. The nearby town of Jiangyou is celebrated as the birthplace of the great Tang poet Li Bai, and sites honoring him draw literary pilgrims. Ringed by green hills and rivers, Mianyang combines a comfortable climate with a strong base of universities and research talent. It suffered heavily in the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake and has since been fully rebuilt.