In China, Sichuan is a very interesting place in many ways. Here are some of the things that make Sichuan special.

So next time you hear about Sichuan, think about pandas, spicy food, pretty scenery and old interesting places. Sichuan is a lovely place with many amazing stories and cultural treasures to share!

The Chinese invented ice­-cream in the fourth century BC (公元前), using only two ingredients (原料): snow and fruit juice. Centuries later, Italian explorer Marco Polo brought it back to Europe, where it became popular at once. However, it was not until the 19th century that it was produced in large quantities (数量) by the American Jacob Fussell.

In the summer of 1922, Thomas Wall, who had been the owner of a food company for many years, decided that his factory in London would start to make ice­-cream. The public loved it and soon the factory was making 700 liters (升) of ice­cream a week. Thomas Wall had not been expecting his ice-­cream to be so popular. At first, the ice­-cream was sold only in shops, but then Thomas Wall had another good idea. He bought a lot of special bicycles and put boxes of ice-­cream on it. Wall’s workers rode from street to street around London selling ice­-cream. By the late 1930s, there were 8,500 bicycles selling ice-­cream around Britain.

Ice-­cream is not only eaten where the weather is hot. People in cold countries love it, too. In a survey, people in northern Europe ate 14 liters each. It is surprising that the Italians, who are famous for their delicious ice­-cream, ate only 9 liters each. However, the people of New Zealand ate the most: 22 liters each, and the Chinese, who invented ice­-cream, ate only 2 liters!