ABSTRACT
The Red Basin of Sichuan is a hilly region of intense agriculture surrounded on all sides by high mountain ranges. Communication within the region is facilitated by the famous Four Rivers from which the province derives its name, but communication with the rest of China is difficult. The Yangzi River joins Sichuan to eastern China through a series of gorges, and the famously arduous ‘Road to Shu’ (Shu dao 蜀道) joins it to Shaanxi to the north. The fertility of the soil and the mildness and dependability of the climate make this one of the breadbaskets of China; it has attracted immigrants throughout Chinese history, and its population density is extreme. 1
