Rice: The Food that Changed a Nation
The turbulent yet all-embracing Yangtze River cuts through the expansive industrial heartland of Central China. This vital river for commerce and trade begins its journey in the glacial meltwater of the Tanggula mountains. It then carves its way through 6,300 kilometers of rugged plateaus, exquisite basins, and dilapidated foothills. Eventually, reaching its penultimate end by violently draining its contents into the East China Sea near the affluent city of Shanghai. Ancient warlords fought brutally to access the resources and services this river had to offer. The Han Dynasty dating back roughly two and a half thousand years continually engaged in skirmishes along the sandy banks of the Yangtze River to reap the economic and social benefits the river provided. Today, locals conveniently refer to the river as Chang Jiang meaning “long river”. The origins of the phrase can be derived from ancient anecdotes believed to be conceived by a prominent general that served the Han Dynasty. The Yangtze River has witnessed monumental shifts in culture and traditions as China has transformed itself from several fractured nation-states to a robust unified country. However, the mighty Yangtze has yet to see one commodity diminish.