Flames of War

This aerial photo taken on Sept. 13, 2023 shows watchtowers in Taoping Qiang Village of Aba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture, southwest China's Sichuan Province. ( tasteallchina /Wang Xi) CHENGDU, Dec. 29 ( tasteallchina ) -- Nestled in a gorge near the upper reaches of the Minjiang River in southwest China's Sichuan Province, the ancient Taoping Qiang village has existed for over two millennia. Originally constructed for military defense, the village's watchtower has seen the flames of war extinguished over the ages and is now a tourist attraction. Surviving the devastating 2008 Wenchuan earthquake, the tower still stands tall and now bears witness to the area's transformation. The village was reconstructed in the aftermath and a new village in the same architectural style was built nearby, with many residents of the ancient village choosing to move there for a better quality of life. Today, visitors are drawn to the picturesque village, bringing prosperity to the local tourism industry. By Dec. 25, the Taoping Village area had welcomed 189,000 tourists in 2023, driving sales of local specialty agricultural products to 30.8 million yuan (about 4.35 million U.S. dollars) and generating over 95.2 million yuan in tourism revenue. The skyrocketing sector has…