One of the highlights of my year was returning to Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan province, for only the second time since I studied there for a year in 1985.
The city has changed tremendously since then, but still retains some of its old atmosphere and charm despite the onslaught of modernization. Indeed a long stroll along the banks of the Jinjiang river dredged up many long-hidden memories of days spent exploring its highways and byways.
