A friend of mine from huge, bustling Shanghai went to an anniversary shindig  in Chengdu recently, and while in Sichuan Province decided to spend part of two days in Shangli, an ancient city on the Baima River.

          The streets are narrow and covered with flagstone.  As it rains so often, people refer to Shangli as "Rain City", but it only rained during the night that she and her friends were there. 

            For dinner on the day they arrived they had a dish with yams, ferns, fish, and chicken with black bones.  Everything had been braised. 

          They were so pleased to be there that after dinner that they walked along the river hardly saying a word.  It was very peaceful.  Not a sound could be heard except the gentle ripple of the river gliding by.

          They were reluctant to leave as they knew they'd have to go back to the sounds of a big city.