Read Chengdu: Walking Between Cities

Author: Shao Jun
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-10-01
Features: Chengdu, known as the "Land of Abundance" and a cultural sanctuary throughout history, is rich in natural beauty and talent. It was the birthplace of renowned figures like Sima Qian and Yang Xiong, the pioneers of Han Dynasty literature; the "Huajian" school of poetry, which gathered the talents of Five Dynasties writers; Lu You, who became a poet after arriving in Sichuan; Li Bai and Du Fu, whose works flourished in Chengdu; and the literary masterpieces of the Three Suus, each word a gem. The achievements of Zhuge Liang are celebrated through the ages. Chengdu has not only been the capital of various administrative divisions in Sichuan for centuries but has also retained its name unchanged, a rare phenomenon in Chinese toponymy and making it one of China's oldest provincial capitals. Although I have condensed Chengdu's three-thousand-year history into the simplest terms, it remains too profound for my daughter, a middle school student growing up in the United States. I don't know how much she will understand, but for me, it has been a valuable learning experience. Understanding a city is truly like reading a thick history book. Even though I prepared thoroughly before my trip, studying Fu Chongju's Comprehensive Survey of Chengdu (published in the first year of the Xuantong era of the late Qing Dynasty), which meticulously documented every aspect of Chengdu at the time, allowing me a glimpse of its past glory and earning the praise of historians as "a window into the truth of Shu and the essence of Jinli," it is still impossible to grasp the true soul of a city like Chengdu, with its long history and deep culture, through mere fragments and data. For me, Chengdu resembles a scroll filled with history, with generations of Chengdu natives leaving countless ink marks on it. These traces are scattered across Kuanzhai Alleys, Zhuge Liang Temple, Qingyang Palace, and Du Fu Thatched Cottage.