Hei Hu (黑虎) is one of 11 official towns in Maoxian. It is a quintessential Qiang village, with a folksy central area that doubles as a cultural tourist attraction. I initially wanted to make a rather long and detailed post about this village but wasn’t satisfied with the photos I captured and spent only a few hours there. But the location left a powerful impression on me, and I earnestly hope to visit again. As breathtaking as it was, I…
Chengdu (成都) and Chongqing (重庆): the two major cities of the Sichuan region, each a megacity in their own ways. Well, at least until 1997, when Chongqing “separated” from the Sichuan province and became a municipality. While I’m not entirely sure what prompted the “separation” (I suppose its growth and size), and the true cultural impact of doing so, becoming a municipality enabled Chongqing to have increased political weight and detachment from provincial influence. Yet from my time in both…
Shèhóng (射洪) is a small city/county within Sùiníng (遂宁), in east Sichuan. Take a train from Chongqing to Chengdu (or vice versa) and it will pass through Suining on the way. From my brief visit, Shehong is a largely rural area. There is a small urban center that leaves an ordinary impression. But the primary environment is the type seen through the window of a train ride from Chongqing to Chengdu – rural outskirts and countryside communities. One particular community…