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…
On the topic of ancient towns, my opinion is arbitrary, I just felt like over-analyzing it by examining the authenticity and purpose of these locations. At a high level, these places are mostly just aesthetic cultural attractions. Styled after traditional Chinese architecture, with streets designed to guide high foot traffic towards shops and restaurants, ancient towns are deliberately quaint cultural attractions found throughout China. As with much of China’s rapid infrastructure development in recent decades, I view these cultural ancient…
During my visit to Chongqing, I traveled to the city’s most western district, Rongchang (荣昌). Unlike the big city, there are not many signs of modernity or luxury in Rongchang, it’s a mostly rural location. But one can find the remnants of a different spirit if they look deeply enough. Nearby, I went to see a particular dilapidated house, and the neighborhood around it. What is interesting about this old house is that it was built by a distant family…
In eastern Maoxian is the small town of Tumen (土门). The town is quite standard for the region, while being known for a bridge, the No. 3 Bridge (三元桥), or Sanyuan Bridge, which is over a hundred years old. Although this bridge is maybe unremarkable today, its locally important for being a solid, moon bridge constructed at a time where suspension bridges were commonplace (moon bridges are a common sight in other regions). I suspect that is partly due to…
This short post does not focus on a single park, rather some intriguing activities and encounters one might find at the typical Chinese park. In one quiet spot at a park in Chengdu, I heard a kind of constant, low, droning noise. At first, I thought it was coming from a musical instrument – musical performances of all sorts are common at parks, of course. But as I approached the whirring sound, I noticed several men playing with a spinning…
Many are familiar with the “mountain city” moniker of Chongqing (重庆). Just about anywhere you go in this enormous city, you will encounter endless stairs and an erratic terrain. Frequent rain and a dense fog are also defining characteristics of Chongqing, along with its highly concentrated urbanization. The landscape, environment are critical in the city’s identity. While much of Chongqing is unsurprisingly bustling throughout the year, some places in and around the city can be especially calm. More than an…
In northern Maoxian (茂县), there is a town and a lake in the mountains, both named Diexi (叠溪). If you peer deeply into the turquoise surface of Diexi Lake, you won’t see much. It’s too colorful and opaque. But be aware, there is an old town beneath that surface. This “lake” was actually formed less than a hundred years ago. In 1933, a horrible sequence of events precipitated by a major earthquake in Sichuan (四川), with its epicenter being Diexi,…
This post serves as an archive on my Qiang research. I collect all of my writing related to Qiang topics here. So, this page may be updated with more pieces in the future. Qiāngzú (Qiang People) Introduction Diexi: the Town under the Lake Tumen and No. 3 Bridge Hei Hu Village Fengyi: Urban Heart of Maoxian Rocks over the road The Maoxian Riverside A drive through Nanxin Fushun and Tumen More to be added
Liáng Xiāo (梁萧), my uncle, passed away in 2023. He was the oldest of three siblings, with two little sisters: my aunt and my mom. He had one son, who also is a father, making him a grandfather. It was not until after my uncle passed away that I learned more about him, and about how he looked out for me when I was a baby. The story is he located a local traditional Chinese medicine expert to help treat…
If you’ve spent time in New York City’s west side, you might have noticed an aircraft carrier docked alongside the many piers of the Hudson. This preserved US Navy aircraft carrier, the USS Intrepid, serves as a museum of military history. Back in October 2023, I had the chance to visit and take some photos. I actually walked there from where I was staying, along a nice path on the Hudson River side of Manhattan. While the Intrepid is now…