Along the Xiang River

The largest river in Hunan Province, the Xiang flows through Changsha and eventually into the Yangtze. Along the tree-shaded path by the river, people sit and drink tea. They play chess on grids drawn on the ground or sleep, heads covered with towels, on benches.

Along the Xiang River, I passed men writing Chinese characters on the ground but instead of ink or paint they use water. Sun-darkened men with wheeled carts sold stinky tofu at the curb. Performers in thick make-up performed Chinese opera, while onlookers drank tea, long green leaves sinking to the bottom of paper cups.



In Changsha, between the east and west banks of the Xiang River, is Juzi Dou, or Orange Island. There used to be a charge to enter the island, but now anyone can walk across the bridge and enter what feels like a private yard. The island is named for its orange trees, although I only spot a few trees with round green fruits I think are oranges. I had imagined walking through an orchard and picking oranges straight from the branch.

The broad leaves of bright pink lilies floated in a pond with a fountain. Tour trams were parked below an overpass but there were few people on the island. Most of the people I saw were workers in broad straw hats tending to bushes and lawns. The path next to the water was clean of any garbage. An occasional breeze swept aside the heat.