https://www.scmp.com/rss/519274/feed Christopher St. Cavish is a writer, researcher and former professional chef. He has lived in Shanghai since 2005. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Christopher St. Cavish Christopher St. Cavish The records are clear and complete: about 300 years ago, a Huang clan from just across the Tan River got the idea to start their own village here, tucked into one of the river’s curves with Baizu mountain at its back. Hiring a feng shui master from Jiangxi province to lay it out, they built grey brick houses in a tight grid, with dragon-back or phoenix-crest ridges, surrounded by dense bamboo groves. Acres of fruit orchards were planted outside the village and a fish pond dug in front. A few... https://www.scmp.com/postmag/travel/article/3342496/how-taishan-learned-absorb-world?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/postmag/travel/article/3342496/how-taishan-learned-absorb-world?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 21 Feb 2026 03:00:09 +0000 Three butchers stand behind an open kitchen window, dicing rabbits as fast as they can on thick wooden tables. The woks are blazing with chilli, ginger and Sichuan peppercorn. Staff rush around the dazed customers standing in the middle of this back alley, as they try to make sense of the informal ordering and seating system. An elegant older woman commands the scene from her seat with a microphone and a loudspeaker, calling out table numbers to those already in line. It’s hard to define any... https://www.scmp.com/postmag/culture/article/3305202/how-salt-became-white-gold-sichuans-zigong-city-and-helped-shape-cuisine?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/postmag/culture/article/3305202/how-salt-became-white-gold-sichuans-zigong-city-and-helped-shape-cuisine?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 05 Apr 2025 23:00:12 +0000