Crusaders would be stunned at the amiability among "heresies" in this small mountainous town in Southwest China's Sichuan Province, whose name means "peace-stability."

It amazes Zhang Jianquan to see lasting peace between different religions over the last century in Kangding, a county of Ganzi Tibet Autonomous Prefecture.

"I've worked here for 15 years, and amazingly have never seen any conflict or spat between different religious communities," said Zhang, deputy head of Kangding's religion bureau.

Since the 1860s, Buddhists, Christians and Muslims have peacefully lived together in this 1.45-square-kilometer town, which has a population of 30,000.

Ma Shenghua, 85, is a Muslim with a Tibetan Buddhist wife named Rinzin Lhamo, 77. The couple married 40 years ago. Ma goes to the mosque once a week while his wife pays regular visits to the Anjue Temple, the biggest of four Buddhist temples in Kangding.

"We respect each other's beliefs and care about each other in life. We are happy," said Ma, of Hui ethnic origin. Most Hui people believe in Islam. There are about 400 Muslims in Kangding.

Hui people first moved to the town in 1646, and the first mosque was built in the 18th century. Less than 100 metres from the mosque is the church for 300 Catholics. Two-thirds of them are Tibetans.

Ma Zezhi, the 38-year-old imam in charge of the mosque, said he has a vivid memory of priest Li Lun's inaugural ceremony two-and-a-half years ago, when people from all faiths made it a public celebration.

"In Kangding, we respect each other's religion with no interferences," the imam said. "We cherish this sort of historic tradition, and nobody would like to break it."

The government rebuilt three Tibetan Buddhist monasteries, the mosque, as well as one Catholic and one Protestant church in the early 1980s, following the destructive decade of the "cultural revolution" (1966-76).

Some 150 metres from the church is the Anjue Temple, which dates back 380 years.

"If people of different religions come in, we will give a warm welcome," Lama Wanggyai said. "We won't force others to follow our doctrines."

Kangding used to be a prosperous trading centre where Tibetan businessmen brought rare herbs and horses, and bartered for tea and silk from other parts of the country.

It became a key link connecting Tibet and inland regions, some 700 years ago, through which Tibetan senior lamas and officials went to Beijing to pay tribute to the central government. "Most people here follow Tibetan Buddhism, while minorities have other beliefs," Priest Li said. "We have government support, and it helps build a healthy environment for religious freedom."

(China Daily November 2, 2005)