My Hometown -- Kangding

My hometown is a famous town called Kangding. Thanks to a song called "The Love Song of Kangding," Kangding is known throughout the world. But, people only know the name. Some people don't even know where it is. A few people think it's a wide prairie with many cows and sheep, where people live in tents and children go to school on horses or cows. In fact, Kangding is not only a busy place but also a beautiful one because there are several mountains around the town. Each of the mountains has many trees so the air is very clean. There is a river running through the town called Zheduo River, and some people call it the "mother river." In the center of the town, there are many tall buildings and all kinds of shops. There is a big market by the river. It sells meat, chickens, roosters, fish, seafood, vegetables, many kinds of fruits, and so on. The markets make this little town busy and beautiful.

A few years ago, it was cold most of the time, as is typical for places at such high altitudes -- sometimes, at the end of autumn, it would begin to snow heavily. But now, it hardly snows. The weather is getting warmer and warmer. I think it is affected by the ozone that has been destroyed.

The sights in Kangding are beautiful. In spring, the snow begins to thaw, and there is mist around the mountains. Then, summer comes. All the mountains turn green, and the flowers come out. It's so wonderful! In autumn, most of the time it's sunny, but it doesn't last very long. Then, winter comes. It's very cold. When it snows, everything is white: white ground, white trees, white mountains. The sights here are unforgettable!

Kangding is an area where national minorities gather. Most of the people are Tibetan but there are also other ethnicities. The people here are very kind, simple, and hospitable.

Every year, on April 8^th of the lunar calendar, people have a racehorse festival at Paoma (Running Horse) Mountain. I think the name of the mountain comes from that festival. It's the most important festival for Tibetans in Kangding, like the Spring Festival in China or Christmas Day in Western countries.

OK! I think I have written too much, but I'm not finished. If you want to know more, you only need to come! I'll be your guide! Or write me a letter and I'll tell you more!

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