Sichuan, at the heart of China for cultural history and natural wealth, is a mountainous province that straddles the Tibetan plateau and Sichuan basin, a fertile plain that has fostered 3000 years of civilisation. The province encompasses 80 rivers, five geologic zones, hundreds of mountains higher than 4,000 metres, and a multitude of ethnic enclaves – our Sichuan loop is designed to introduce the diversity of the province in a circular trip around the central axis of Chengdu, the provincial capital. Even within this orbit, on some days it feels like time-travel – the pictures on this page show some of the faces and sights seen on the Sichuan Loop tour.