Zhuang Fangyi

I didn't come to Dijiang for work this time... The pear trees in Wuling have fruited, so I thought I'd bring some to share with everyone.

When I was a child, I loved accompanying my master to the observatory. She would count the stars and point out one as Dijiang. I would watch it, thinking how far away it must be. Now, with Dijiang right before me, it is the memories that feel distant.

They say one should read widely and travel far. I've read a great deal, yet I've not visited many places. Hongshan, Wuling, and Dijiang make just three. This is hardly surprising, for I have a habit of lingering in one place for many years — ten, twenty ... or perhaps even a lifetime.