Jiangjin county in south-west China is known for its expansive forests and soaring mountains.
It is home to the Simian Mountain, which stands over 5608ft (1709m) above sea level. The stunning Wangxiangtai (Bridge of Nostalgia) Waterfall cascades down, rushing into the ferocious Chaba River.
Tourists come to revel in a landscape of outstanding natural beauty. Photographers make a living selling prints of images taken here. There is hardly anywhere to turn, which isn't intensely picturesque.
There are more prosaic industries making their livelihoods from this rich corner of the Chongqing province. Timber businesses thrive, as does agriculture of all kinds. The Jiangjin orange comes from here.
For Liu and Xu, the area held greater possibilities. Their village was nestled in its valleys, but the peaks above offered a wilderness in which they could get lost. The forest was so vast that people could wander the mountainside forever, without ever meeting another human being. This sounded perfect to the couple, as they desperately sought to escape the censure of all they knew.
Liu found a cave. It was far away from the trails and no-one ever went there. It had none of the conveniences of a home in the valley - no running water or wells, no proximity to the shops, no rooms or windows, no lights - but it was isolated. They could give their marriage a chance here. They would be left alone with their love.
The couple arrived with nothing but each other and their children. Their first priority was sheer survival. They had shelter, but no food. Xu searched the forest for wild fruit and roots, just to keep them alive. Liu cut down wood and fashioned it into furniture. At night, it was pitch black in their cave. Liu found an old ink bottle and turned it into a kerosene oil lamp.
Struggle by struggle, the couple created a virtue of necessity. As each challenge presented itself, they found solutions together. As the months passed, they forged a home from the stark cave and made it a comfortable place in which to raise their family.
What are YOUR favorite greatest love stories? Please share!
Part-timers. I've already done a day's work writing, and you're only just getting up with your good mornings. Tsh. Tsh. :p
I didn't post this to Reddit, but I certainly knew about it when somebody did. This is the one that got tens of thousands of hits overnight. I haven't seen the comments over there. I should go and check them out.
Nothing wrong with a bit of controversy, if it gets people thinking and debating. :D
(PS Thanks!)
Hey Jo! Good morning! It's Saturday!
Found this link because you submitted it to Reddit a year ago. I'm a sucker for a love story. But I also enjoy being amused. Compared the comments to this article here at Wizzley to the comments at Reddit? The Wizzley-ites versus the Reddit-ians? The Reds would skin us alive!! The Wizzlers are way too meek and mild.
Don't get tangled up in commenting over at Reddit. It is not for the faint of heart. Funny thing is, I think the Reddit group was actually trying to be tame and civil, and restrain themselves from devouring. Rawwrrrr! (O.o)
It's so like you to go around the web stirring up controversy Jo! :)
(P.S. You'll notice I made my comments here and not at Reddit.)
It's great, isn't it? Stuff like this makes me actually take an interest in romance!
What a story! It gave me chills.
Dustytoes - You're welcome. Thank you for reading it! And I agree. It is a beautiful love story.
2uesday - I love how you put that. Yes, 6000 examples of his devotion indeed.
This really is an amazing love story. Thanks for providing the wonderful pictures to accompany it.
It's my understanding that they did have some interaction with society while growing up. They'd come off the mountain for certain things, like Liu's job or market shopping.
As adults, the children each came down to take jobs themselves.
This is a wonderfully told story. What I am wondering is: what happened to the kids? They grew up isolated from society.
Ragtimelil - You and me both, but this one even cracked my hard-faced exterior!
Thank you very much. The ending to this one did leave me with tears in my eyes.