"The emperor is the dragon, the first time is also the first occasion, the temple is also the monastery, and the answer is Longtou Temple." Zhang Jian announced the answer, which was followed by bursts of laughter.
Yesterday afternoon at 3 o'clock, more than 50 map enthusiasts who love collecting administrative division maps gathered in a bookstore on Zhongshan Fourth Road in Yuzhong District to celebrate the Lantern Festival early.
When the riddle was revealed, the map enthusiasts whispered and discussed for a long time without any result.
"Upon discovering an error on the map, we would even write letters to the map publishing house," Duan Li said.
The reporter found that most of the geography enthusiasts who came to the gathering were male. There were only five girls, all studying cartography.
With a blank sheet of paper and a ballpoint pen, Li Huang closed his eyes and thought deeply for half a minute. Then he picked up the pen, and lines flowed smoothly from the tip of the pen. In less than 10 minutes, a hand-drawn map with densely marked place names and lines like a spider web was successfully completed.
Li Huang is studying International Trade at Yangtze Normal University in Fuling and is now in his final year.
"I invited only 16 people online, but the rest came to attend the gathering out of admiration," Duan Li said. Most of the more than 50 map enthusiasts present were from Chongqing's main urban areas and other districts.
"When I see a beautifully drawn map, I want to buy it. Even if it's a map sold by street vendors, I will stop and take a look," Duan Li said. He has been obsessed with maps for 16 years. Whenever he goes to a city, he carefully studies the local topographic map and visits it in person.
Map enthusiasts are all netizens of a certain forum. They have formed friendships because of their love for maps and often discuss geographical topics online. The organizer of the event is the forum moderator Duan Li, whom everyone affectionately calls "Director" or "Duan Chief". Duan Li said that the age range of the map enthusiasts in the group spans from 11 to over 80 years old. This Lantern Festival gathering was organized to allow netizens to step out of the internet and exchange ideas face-to-face.
Duan Li, 27, is a local from Chongqing working in media planning. He is an ardent map enthusiast who fell in love with exploring geography due to his passion for traveling. He enjoys collecting maps from various places and paying attention to the development of administrative divisions in different regions, making him a seasoned map enthusiast.
"Will you pursue a career related to geography in the future?"
"No, it's just my hobby."
Zhang Jian said that since it's the Year of the Dragon, all the riddles are related to dragons, and the questions are all about geography that everyone likes.
Celebrating the Lantern Festival with riddles all related to geography.
Hualong News - The world is full of wonders, and there are such people who go crazy for maps. Because of their obsession with maps, they have met online through a common interest. Yesterday, these map enthusiasts stepped out of the virtual world, gathered together, and celebrated the Lantern Festival early. At the venue, 22-year-old map enthusiast Li Huang showed off his skills by drawing a map of Chongqing by hand within 10 minutes, accurately marking more than 30 place names.
The person in charge of the bookstore, Li Jing, is a beautiful woman who works at the Chongqing Geographic Information Center and is also a geography lover. "This is the largest gathering of geography and map enthusiasts in southwestern China. Looking at maps can satisfy one's thirst for knowledge and stimulate a sense of patriotism for our homeland."
The gathering began, and 22-year-old map enthusiast Li Huang first showed off his unique skill - quickly hand-drawing a map.
In addition, Duan Li and his friends had some unexpected topics. Three to five people sat around a table, facing a map, arguing red-faced about where in the city should be planned as a commercial area and where should be a residential area.
As the gathering was about to start, netizen Wang Haichao rushed into the bookstore with a large suitcase, having just gotten off the train. Wang Haichao is from Changchun and works in Chongqing. To attend the gathering, he specially started his journey back to Chongqing two days in advance from Changchun.
Reporter Li Miao
Among this group of netizens, there are many fans as obsessed with maps as Li Huang, and Duan Li, the group leader, is a typical example.
Li Huang switched to a red pen and drew several crisscrossing lines on the map, dividing it into several sections. "This is Jiulongpo District, and this is Dadukou District." It turned out that the red lines were district boundaries, and Li Huang labeled each part with its district name. Li Huang said that this map of Chongqing has more than 30 place names. Because of his love for maps, every landmark has become ingrained in his memory.
Celebrating the Lantern Festival naturally involves guessing lantern riddles. "The emperor's first visit to the temple, guess a place name in Chongqing." Zhang Jian, a member of the riddle society, finds coming up with riddles effortless.
Map enthusiasts, both male and female, gathered together to celebrate the Lantern Festival in their unique way. Reporter Yang Xin Yu took the photograph.