[Video] Eye on Sichuan series

(Teaser produced by Lingming Lu.)

Inside a traditional Sichuan family restaurant

While Sichuan cuisine has always been one of the more well-known cuisines in China, in recent times, fad foods like Zibo barbecue have taken some of the attention away. But one homestyle restaurant in Shanghai seeks to preserve the traditional tastes of Sichuan. As Shanghai-based writer Kyle Muntz finds out, Sichuan cuisine is less about the spice and more about the freshness of ingredients.

I was 11 when the earth shook: A child’s memory of Wenchuan

The 2008 Wenchuan earthquake is a tragedy etched into China’s collective memory, especially for those from Sichuan. ThinkChina’s Yi Jina was only 11 years old when she experienced this major event, and was too young to grasp the scale of what had happened. It took years before she understood what she had survived — and what so many others hadn’t. Even now, old footage and stories from those days still move her to tears.

Chengdu, where the everyday becomes art

Chengdu is a metropolis interwoven with tradition and modernity, embodying the paradoxical yet balanced relationship between “nature” and “construction”. Sichuan academic Zhang Jinyao takes us on a walk along the picturesque ancient alleys and streets of Chengdu, exploring how the everyday has shaped the city’s life, art and architecture.

How Sichuan rose from a famine unbeknownst to the world to become a ‘Land of Abundance’

From the Three Kingdoms and Xinhai revolution, to the establishment of communism in China and the Great Famine, Sichuan played significant roles in key parts of China’s history. Historical photo collector Hsu Chung-mao shares photos of those turbulent times.

The mask speaks: Unmasking the spirit of Sichuan opera

Face-changing or bian lian is commonly seen in Chinese opera, particularly Sichuan opera. A turn of the head or a swirl of a cape is all a performer needs to change their facial appearance in a sleight of hand that happens in the time it takes for the audience to blink. Sichuan academic Yan Pei explains more about this heritage art.

Western powerhouse: How Sichuan is shaping China’s energy future

With vast hydropower potential, growing solar and wind capacities, and supportive government policies, Sichuan has reduced its reliance on coal and increased green energy production. EAI deputy director Chen Gang explains how this province is playing a role in China’s green transition.

Related: Chinese economics professor: My two hometowns and their people [Eye on JiangZheHu series] | Can youths transform struggling northeast China? [Eye on Dongbei series]