The mighty Min flows down from the Tibetan Plateau, through Dujiangyan, passing by the birthplace of Daoism  -- Qingcheng Mountain. Here, the River meets the 2000 year old irrigation project that splits the river into two parts: one headed south to Chengdu and the other, which rushes along the mountains all the way down to the Leshan Grand Buddha, where it swirls at the Buddha's feet with two other rivers, before draining into the Yangtze.

The Min is the source of Chengdu's abundance. If it weren't for the dam at Dujiangyan, Chengdu would be a foggy, dry town with murky water and gloomy citizens. As it is, Chengdu is famous for its teahouses and relaxed lifestyle, due in large part to the lush hills made lusher by the roaring Min.

It is an amazing river. I always love to stare at it as it rushes through Dujiangyan. I stand at the Southern Bridge and watch the eddies and waves slap into each other as the river runs white and silver through the town. The Min is always fast and powerful. The locks at the irrigation project control the flow, but in summer the locks open a bit to keep the "inside river" -- which irrigates the Chengdu basin -- from flooding.

Right now extra water released from the Zipingdu Dam and from the quake lakes farther north has made the river a raging torrent, splashing high against the walls and battering the pillars of the Southern Bridge.

It looks molten as it swirls by, murmuring to itself, the spirits of the river ducking in and out of view, oblivious to me and my glass of emerald tea.