Gou Yi, Class 2, Senior 1, Shenzhen Xin’an Middle School Instructed by Tang Ying My hometown is Mianyang which is in Sichuan Province. Mianyang is a unique city that has unique food and warm-hearted people. There are various kinds of food in my hometown such as hotpot. The hotpot in Sichuan can be especially spicy. You can see Sichuan peppers and chilli floating on the red oil. Beef omasum is one of the most delicious ingredients in hotpot. It not only has an elastic chewy texture, but also has a spicy and addictive flavor. Another local specialty is the rice noodle. It isn’t as spicy as hotpot, but it has a delicate flavor and it looks good. Can you imagine it? The onion decorates the soup, which is as white as milk. The round rice noodles are very delicious and when you swallow them, they are very smooth. The tea house is a symbol of Sichuan’ s culture and there are many tea houses in Mianyang. Not only do people chat with others there, they also drink a special kind of tea with local jasmine tea and dates, eat local specialties and watch Sichuan Opera in which changing faces is the most attractive performance. Once I watched it, the actor who was on the stage changed his face into another one so fast at the moment I looked at him that I couldn’t figure out how he did that. It was so amazing! Watching performances and tasting local sweets in a tea house is really fantastic! The people who live in Mianyang are kind, enthusiastic and warm-hearted. If you are a tourist who is unfamiliar with the city, don’t worry getting lost. Find a tea house in the street and you will be helped by the locals who are willing to help you and guide you to the places you want to go. The seniors there will ask you to play chess with them if you are curious about it. How hospitable and lovely they are! The Flower Festival is one of the greatest events in Mianyang. It usually starts in February and ends in March. There are various kinds of flowers to make the scenery beautiful and add a breath of fresh air during this time. What impressed me deeply are the peach blossoms in my hometown. When spring comes to Mianyang, the peach flowers will bloom immediately. It’s a beautiful experience to see the amazing flowers! When these pink flowers are on the trees, you can feel the power of life. You will see the vigorous vitality of these cute flowers. My hometown is a wonderful destination for many tourists. It’s a good choice if you want a place to visit. | 