Sichuan (Chinese: 四川, known formerly in the West by its postal map spellings of Szechwan or Szechuan) is a province of the People’s Republic of China, located in the southwest of the country. The current name of the province, “四川”, is an abbreviation of “四川路” (Sì Chuānlù), or “Four circuits of rivers”, which is itself abbreviated from “川峡四路” (Chuānxiá Sìlù), or “Four circuits of rivers and gorges”, named after the division of the existing circuit into four during the Northern Song Dynasty.
