Chengdu and the route to Jiuzhaigou.

They say it is a mistake to return. Ten years had passed. I no longer recognised the city after its metamorphosis. The citizens, I am sure, love the butterfly but I loved the caterpillar. Where had the old Chengdu of winding bustling streets disappeared to? My 19th birthday had been spent being initiated into the delights and dangers of huajiao (Sichuan peppercorns). Today the old shack of a restaurant near the river is no more and in its place sits a sparkling bank.

Unfortunately I don’t have a digital version of this article