Sujia

Hidden within Chengdu’s sprawling urban landscape lies a forgotten town, Sujia. Once a bustling hub, Sujia ceased to exist as an independent entity in December 2019. Its story, however, continues to echo through the streets now under the jurisdiction of Qingxia Subdistrict and Wangsi Town. Sujia, meaning “Su family” or “Su household,” hints at a history rooted in familial clans and perhaps even a prominent Su family who once shaped this community. Imagine Sujia in its heyday, a thriving town on the fertile Chengdu Plain, nourished by the ancient Dujiangyan irrigation system. This system, a marvel of engineering, diverted the Min River’s waters, creating an agricultural paradise and supporting a dense population. Life in Sujia likely revolved around the rhythms of the land, with families cultivating crops like rice and perhaps even contributing to Chengdu’s famed silk industry. Sujia, although now absorbed into the larger city, remains a piece of Chengdu’s historical puzzle. Its story reminds us that even amidst the rapid growth and modernization of a city like Chengdu, traces of the past, like the name Sujia itself, continue to linger.