Chongqing. Three Gorges. Select Essence. Pick Relics

Author: Li Yanyi
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-12-01
Features: Unlike most Yangtze Three Gorges art books on the market, this collection does not focus on introducing the scenic beauty of the Three Gorges. It also avoids delving into the widely circulated but lack of factual basis ghost stories that are prevalent in society. This is a collection of true historical stories from the Three Gorges Reservoir area. We attempt to review the thousands of years of human history in the reservoir area with a serious attitude, presenting the rough trajectory of the cultural development of the area to readers. Many events in the famous Chinese literary classic Romance of the Three Kingdoms take place in the reservoir area. These vivid stories and the suspenseful legends of the Ba people have added an alluring charm to the Yangtze Three Gorges and the Three Gorges Reservoir area. However, it is precisely this identification that has led to a distorted perception of the Three Gorges Reservoir area by the world. The literary Three Gorges and the ghostly Three Gorges have replaced the historical Three Gorges and the real Three Gorges. This should not have happened. If this collection can help people re-examine the Three Gorges Reservoir area, we will feel immense satisfaction. Another factor that prompted us to publish this collection is the implementation of the Three Gorges Project's water storage in June 2003. This is a historic moment. The century-old dream of the Chinese nation has been realized. It holds milestone significance in the process of China's modernization; it has also brought a series of transformative changes to the social, cultural, economic, and even geographical aspects of the Yangtze Three Gorges and the entire Three Gorges Reservoir area. We, as a group, have all drunk water from the Three Gorges to some extent. Some of us have even trekked through the gorges, slept on the wooden beds of the mountain villagers, and tasted the wild vegetable rice served by the warm and hospitable villagers. The ancient customs and serene tranquility of the deep forests in the gorges, far from the hustle and bustle of the world, have deeply moved our hearts and given us insights into life, somewhat altering our principles. As the water level in the gorges gradually rises and the once familiar mountains and rocks fade into the water, this collection etches our love and nostalgia for the Three Gorges deep in our hearts. Of course, the Three Gorges Reservoir area has a long history and a profound cultural heritage, with countless interesting stories that cannot be fully captured in a mere 200 pages. Therefore, this collection is merely a "supplement" and an "extraction," but we have made every effort to "edit" it, striving to present to readers the most exciting and lesser-known fragments of the reservoir area's history. The Three Gorges, eternal and forever.