In numerous places across China I have been noticing the immense changes in the environment following various development projects. It seems that traditional China is rapidly vanishing, so I keep looking for those tranquil villages with hundred of years old wooden houses that kind of symbolize rural China. After some exploration I found Gongtan. A unique 1700 years old village-town located along the deep Wu Jiang Gorge, at the west edge of Chongqing’s remote Youyang County. What made me choose Gongtan over other options was the fact that it is already known fact that the village will be vanished underwater, due to the construction of the Pengshui Dam on the Wu Jiang (river). I knew it would take two days only to get there from Chongqing, so I decided to allocate a whole week for the Gongtan adventure. The boat journey along the Wu Jiang was an experience by itself, but Gongtan was indeed a superb welcome. Knowing that the village will disappear in a few months, I documented people and places.
First and creepy sign: Water elevation sign painted in red on one of the guesthouse walls where I stayed. Will this be the water level after the dam construction is completed?
Let’s meet the people of Gongtan…
Gongtan is famous for its Mung bean noodles, and everybody takes part in preparing them
Summer time, and children help in agricultural duties – here treating corn seeds
Now let’s take an architectural tour, to admire Gongtan’s wooden houses built upon stone foundations
So long Gongtan, I wonder what will you look like a few years from now…
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