Chengdu, known formerly as Chengtu, is the capital of Sichuan province, of Southwest China, maintaining sub-provincial administrative status. Chengdu is also one of the most important economic centres, transportation and communication hubs in Western China. According to the 2007 Public Appraisal for Best Chinese Cities for Investment, Chengdu was chosen as one of the top ten cities to invest in out of a total of 280 urban centers in China. It is the hometown of Giant Pandas. Although there are giant pandas in zoos in various places around China, such as Beijing Zoo in Beijing, and Shanghai Zoo in Shanghai, the best place to see pandas is in Chengdu.