Chengdu is not a city within another city; rather, it is the capital and largest city of Sichuan Province in southwestern China. Functioning as a sub-provincial city, the Chengdu administrative area is vast and serves as its own administrative prefecture, covering over 14,000 square kilometers. It is subdivided into numerous lower-level administrative divisions, which as of 2023 include 12 municipal districts such as Jinjiang, Qingyang, and Wuhou, as well as 5 county-level cities like Dujiangyan and Pengzhou, and 3 counties including Jintang and Dayi. As a major megacity with a population exceeding 21 million residents, Chengdu is the central economic, cultural, and transportation hub of the Sichuan Basin and is globally recognized as the home of the Giant Panda.