CHENGDU, July 8 (Xinhua) -- In early June, with thick dossiers in hand, Xu Yixin, former mayor of Jianmenguan Township, and her nominated successor, Wang Jiang, moved methodically from tree to tree along the timeworn bluestone road of Cuiyunlang, a renowned corridor of ancient cypresses in southwest China's Sichuan Province, cross-checking their records against each towering specimen. "Although this ancient cypre