Sichuan Commandery (6.0)

Sichuan is a province of China, currently governed by the Reorganized Military Affairs Commission in Chongqing.

## History

Following the failure of the Xi'an Convention, elements of the National Army and the Kuomingtang, claiming to be the continuation of the National Government of the Republic of China, retreated to their former capital in Chongqing. They adapted the Xi'an Convention, establishing constitutional government in mainland China under a civilian administration, led by Kung Hsiang-hsi and Tian Songyao. Nonetheless, there was significant friction between the military, led by Deng Xihou and Liu Wenhui and the civilian government led by Kung Hsiang-hsi and Tian Songyao.

The murder of Songyao in 1964 quickly became a coup as Deng Xihou and Liu Wenhui, nervous about being condemned as assassins, seized the city of Chongqing and Chengdu, dissolving the National Government of the Republic of China in Sichuan, declaring all positions in the government vacant, and establishing the Reorganized Military Affairs Commission a month later. By 1965, they had banned all political organizations outside the military, and with Deng Xihou's death to cancer in 1966, Liu Wenhui established a stratocratic administration in Sichuan.

Liu Wenhui retired from the RMAC in 1972, succeeded by Liu Yang-Sen, who ruled until 1981. Since Liu Yang-Sen's death, the RMAC hasn't had a single dominant personality, and is currently led by General Liu Sheng Tang and General Qiao Feng Wei Zhi. Though Sichuan does not claim to be independent, it nonetheless does not recognize any other Chinese authority. It maintains a military-first policy in its affairs.

## Politics

The government apparatus is led by the five chair Reorganized Military Affairs Commission, currently led by General Liu Sheng Tang and General Qia Feng Wei Zhi. Other members include Colonel Chen Qi, Colonel Shi Yang, and Captain Liu Peng. The RMAC oversees the Civilian Affairs Authority in Sichuan, led by Captain Liu Peng, which coordinates non-military logistical and economic policy in the province.

The country is divided into three Districts, the Western District based in Chengdu and the Eastern District based in Wenxian, as well as the District of Chongqing. Each District is overseen by the District Garrison, which reports directly to the Reorganized Military Affairs Council.

District Command is usually subdivided into Areas of Control and Municipalities. These cooperate with a local Council of representatives made up of the residents of the Area chosen by the District Command Officer. These authorities handle most day-to-day operations of government, in conjunction with the local office of the Civilian Affairs Authority. Criminal cases are handled by District Courts, and rarely, by direct court-martial by the Reorganized Military Affairs Council.

## Society & Economy

### Society

#### Culture

Sichuanese culture is split into the valley and mountain cultures, roughly in the eastern and western parts of the country respectively. The Sichuanese once spoke their own variety of spoken Chinese called Ba-Shu Chinese, or Old Sichuanese before it became extinct during the Ming dynasty. Now most of them speak Sichuanese Mandarin. The Minjiang dialects are thought by some to be a bona fide descendant of Old Sichuanese due to many characteristics of Ba-Shu Chinese phonology and vocabulary being found in the dialects, and little mutual intelligibility with standard Sichuanese Mandarin. Today, most public announcements are made using Sichuanese Mandarin, with Standard Mandarin used as a diplomatic language.

The most important holidays in the country, which enjoy governmental recognition, are the Mid-Autumn Festival and the Lunar New Year. The country also recognizes the birthdays of Lao Tzu and Siddhartha as national holidays. Other holidays include Qingming Festival, Tomb-Sweeping Day, and the Dragon Boat Festival. Since 1968, the government has also recognized May Day as a Day of Rest.

Sichuan is well known for its spicy cuisine and use of Sichuan peppers due to its more arid climate. Sichuan cuisine has bold flavours, particularly the pungency and spiciness resulting from liberal use of garlic and chili peppers, as well as the unique flavour of Sichuan pepper. The rich agricultural productivity of the province have made it an innovator in different styles of cuisine, and one of the Great Cuisines of China. Abundant rice and vegetables are produced from the fertile Sichuan Basin, whereas a wide variety of herbs, mushrooms and other fungi prosper in the highland regions. Pork is overwhelmingly the most common type of meat consumed. Rabbit meat is also much more popular in Sichuan than elsewhere in China. Sichuan hotpot, the most famous Chinese hotpot, is one of the representative dishes in Sichuan cuisine and famous for its numb and spicy taste.

Sichuan opera is one of the most respected art forms in Sichuan today. It is one of the five distinct opera styles of China. Overall the art form is well known for its singing, which is less constrained than that of the more popular Beijing opera form. Sichuan opera is more like a play than other forms of Chinese opera, and the acting is highly polished. The music accompanying Sichuan opera utilizes a small gong and an instrument called a Guqin, which is similar to the Erhu. Today's Sichuan opera is a relatively recent synthesis of 5 historic melodic styles. Regionally Chengdu remains to be the main home of Sichuan opera.

#### Religion

The country is dotted with Buddhist monasteries, Confucian schools, and Daoist temples. Tibetan and Chinese Buddhism are popular in the province, with Tibetan Buddhism being based predominately in the mountainous Western District. Tibetan and Chinese Buddhists disagree on some issues, but not many - with most Tibetan Buddhists in the province being adherents of the Gelukpa School, while Chinese Buddhists tend to belong the Humanistic School or of Pure Land Buddhism.

There are two significant Daoist institutions - the Wanxian School, which was formalized by General Yang-Sen in 1974 and follows the teachings of Master Li-Ching-yuen.General Yang knew the Taoist Master Li Ching-yuen personally and became his disciple, practicing his teaching until the end of his life. In 1927 he invited him to his residence in Wanxian, Sichuan. After his master's death, General Yang wrote the report "A Factual Account of the 250 Year-Old Good-Luck Man." Later, in 1976, the General, then the leading authority in the country, established the Wanxian School. General Yang-sen also recognized the rights of the Golden Gate Society in 1977, granting them extraterritorial control of several temple complexes around Sichuan, but predominately in Wanxian.

Non-Chinese religions, such as Islam and Christianity, are treated with suspicion by the RMAC government. There are five mosques in the country that enjoy legal recognition and protection. There is also a single recognized Christian church in Chongqing. Discrimination against Muslims and Christians is widespread, but not necessarily malicious - simply viewing them with the same general distrust as anything else "foreign".

#### Education

Education is mandatory until 12 years of age, and focuses on basic arithmetic and literacy. Between 1982 and 1992, more than 2,900 primary schools were built across Sichuan. There are also 146 public boarding schools available across the country which parents may choose to send children to so as to continue their studies. Additionally, there are several private schools, predominately run by Buddhist, Daoist, or Confucian organizations that exist alongside the public schooling system.

The largest university in Sichuan is the Agricultural University of Szechwan, which operates three campuses - one in Chongqing, another in Chengdu, and a third in Leshan. The Normal School of Chongqing is the leading university in the training of teachers, though smaller normal institutions exist in Wenxian, Chengdu, and Menjiang. The Chengdu Institute of Engineering & Aeronautics is the leading technical institution, and has a close relationship with the Army. The Academy of Sciences of Chongqing is the leading university producing scientists and especially doctors, though the geneticist programs at the Agricultural University are comparable. The Army itself also operated three military academies, at Chongqing, Wenxian, and Yiping. The School of the Celestial Master in Wenxian is the leading institution specializing in traditional Chinese medicine and Daoist practices, and was established by General Liu Yang-Sen in 1973. It is owned and operated by The "Golden Gate" affiliate of the Yellow Way Society.

### Economy

Sichuan has been historically known as the "Province of Abundance". It is one of the major agricultural production bases of China. Grain, including rice and wheat. The Sichuanese economy relies on extensive agricultural production, with a small industrial base in Chongqing and Chengdu. Most farms are small, privately owned fields tended to by the peasant class.

Rivers are the main transportation hub of the province, linking cities and bringing agricultural goods to market. A rail line was built in 1986 linking Chengdu and Chongqing with Leshan, but no rail links exist to connect with outside the province. The government maintains an extensive series of paved roads and highways, though rural roads and village roads are generally unpaved or covered only in gravel.