Lizhuang (the Li's Village) is located on the southern bank of the Yangtze River near Yibin, Sichuan province. During the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression (1937-45), some 12,000 refugees flooded into this village and turned Lizhuang into a thriving town.

The sun was bright and warm when I arrived recently in Lizhuang. The first sound I heard was the scream of pigs. The tall white-washed walls with black-tiled roofs made it hard for me to find the source of the sound.

A three-wheeled vehicle broke down at the crossroad and a stout driver jumped down to fix it. The passengers were three pigs. They were rather thin and looked at me with tearful eyes.

The man said he was sending the pigs to the butcher. "They are very young," I observed. The man looked at me with a sideways glance: "If they grew fat, would you eat them?"

"Pigs are smart, do they know they are going to die?" I asked. "They sure have a clear heart!" "Then they must feel very sad." The man broke into laughter: "They don't have time to feel sad! They will be reborn as humans and it's their turn to eat meat!"

I soon learned that locals favor small pigs. The most famous "Lizhuang white meat" comes from pigs' bottoms and the dish dates back some three centuries. At the much-celebrated Liufen Restaurant, I knew what dish I had to order.