Wangyu is a small town located south of Ya'an in western Sichuan. Located upstream the Zhougong River, Wangyu was built on a huge rock on Wawu Mountain in the early Qing Dynasty (1644-1912). Since the rock looked like a cat eagerly staring at fish in the river, the town was named Wangyu, which means "looking at fish." In those days, it was an important post on the ancient Tea-Horse Ro.

With its noisy barber shop, tea house, which also provides accommodations and tour services, famous "Ya" fish in thnearby Zhougong River, bluestone path and traditional wooden houses, the town is like a time capsule.

The huge stone

Under my friend's guidance, I traced the big stone at the base of Wangyu. Crossing a narrow alleyway from the primary school behind the main street f the town, I found the huge rock sat amidst villagers' houses. Some parts of the main bluestone path were even laid on top of the rock.The noisy barber shop

There are more than 50 families, around 200 residents, living in Wangyu, with a grocery store selling salt, vinegar, cigarettes, wine, towels, toothpaste and laundry powder, a barber shop and a newly opened teahouse and hostel.

The barber shop was the noisiest place. The barber Yin, 60 years old, has lived here and worked as a hairdresser since his teenage years.

"Some of tools in the shop are even older than me," he said.The surface of the old wooden barber chair had taken on a shine from years of use; old pictures of magpies and plum blossoms painted in red were slightly visible on the surface of the big mirror on the wall; the blade's age was marked by half-moon shape tracesalong its hone left by grinding razors.

"I used to help people clean their eyes with razors, but had to give up because of the government's ban-it was too dangerous.Yin has never traveled to a distant place, but he's the most knowledgeable man in town. Although the barbershop is small, its bench remains packed full of people waiting for their haircut and sharing stories with Yin.Most of the residents didn't wan me to take their picture, except for a young man Gu Yong, the owner of a tea house.

Tea house hostel

The tea house was more a hostel. Its second and third floors were all for visitors to live in. The walls were decorated with bamboo.

Gu was a local, but didn't live in the old town. He bought the old house to run his tea and hostel business. His hostl also provides tour guide services for visitors.

Gu bought a camera for more than 6,000 yuan (US$775) to take pictures of the town's beautiful views and put them on his website. He worried only the old street and townwere attractive, and worried one day, the environment of the town could be destroyed by tourism. "Though tourism is developing, the visitors might stop coming if the environment here loses its quaint appeal," Gu said.

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