Zhiziluo (formerly Bijiang County)

　　This is an abandoned old town, located on the gentle slopes of the western side of the Piluo Heavy Mountain, facing the Gaoligong Mountains, with the Nujiang River flowing right beneath it. It was once the seat of the Nujiang Prefecture government and the former Bijiang County government. On December 25, 1986, this county, which had just built a new building on the mountainside, was suddenly announced to be abolished. According to analysis and assessment by geological experts, the area was at risk of a large-scale landslide. As a result, the name “Bijiang County” disappeared forever from the map of China. In the blink of an eye, twenty years have passed, and the catastrophic landslide has yet to occur, but the once bustling and dreamlike Zhiziluo has become a desolate ghost town. Yet no one knows whether Zhiziluo will still exist tomorrow. Though not as renowned as the ancient city of Loulan or the ruins of Angkor, Zhiziluo still marks a significant chapter in the development history of Nujiang Prefecture.

　　Walking along the slightly desolate streets of Zhiziluo’s ruins, time seems to go back twenty years. Yes, this is exactly what Zhiziluo looked like twenty years ago, and to this day, there have been few major changes. Meanwhile, the outside world has long since changed beyond recognition. Just imagine, if that so-called “landslide” had never happened, what would Zhiziluo be like today? The phrase “people gone, buildings empty” is truly apt here.