The boulders perched on ridges are eroding out of densely fractured bedrock.
Not far upslope were three rounded boulders, lichen-covered, with a hole beneath.
Moss covered torsos of men, women and children protrude from tree trunks and boulders.
A massive resort-size swimming pool nestles amid boulders and manicured lawns, adjacent to a huge putting green.
The earthquake crumbled the mountainsides surrounding Beichuan's county seat, burying a third of it in a wave of boulders that crushed buses and burst holes through buildings.
Although seemingly defenceless, it is capable of simply flinging itself from its perch, curling up into a ball and bouncing off boulders and down steep slopes to safety.
I was playing host to a couple from Britain, and as I soaked in an open-air bath with Ben, the husband, powdery snow began to shake off the surrounding boulders.
What results is a hauntingly beautiful town that looks as if it is both looking out on the world from its perch, but hiding within its own snug set of boulders.
