Prologue
Yichen Wang
In the forgotten landscape of Panzhihua, where nature has endured deterioration over time, an untold history is waiting to be unveiled. In the 1960s, amidst the rugged terrain, Chinese migrants journeyed from their native towns to extract minerals from Lion Mountain. This arduous task was pivotal for mass-producing iron and steel, which was essential for constructing railways connecting the area to the rest of China, driving industrialization and infrastructure expansion.
My grandfather, a geologic researcher of the land, witnessed these transformative events. His written memoirs and stories have deeply inspired me to share the narratives of this hidden land and its resilient people.
Through my project, I aim to construct a bilingual narrative that takes the accordion-folded form of the railroad tracks, guiding readers along a timeline of exploration and discovery. By intertwining human endeavors with the landscape's ecological evolution, I seek to shed light on the remarkable history of a forgotten people and the environmental degradation of the land, ultimately giving voice to the silent echoes of its past.