The face changes; the opera does not
Face-changing is one technique in Sichuan opera, not its whole story. The form has five vocal styles, five roles and thousands of plays.
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Chengdu
7 articles
The river that is split, not stopped
Dujiangyan has no dam. For more than two thousand years it has divided the Min River, shed sediment and watered the Chengdu plain.
The collection without the building
Jinsha Site Museum is closed for renewal until 2027. The gate is shut, the objects are in storage or on loan, and the Sun Bird is still the city's sign.
A roof of grass, replaced many times
Du Fu built a cottage by the Huanhua River in 759. The house that stands now is a reconstruction, and the rebuilding is the history.
The gate that is also a park
Wuhou Shrine holds the tomb of Liu Bei and a hall to Zhuge Liang, and it is also where the neighbourhood walks in the morning.
Four birds around a sun
The Jinsha gold ornament is 0.2 millimetres thick, almost pure gold, and now the emblem of China's cultural heritage.
Tea before the city
In Chengdu, the first useful thing to learn is how to sit down: a bamboo chair, a lidded bowl and an afternoon that is not rushed.