Some preparations rely heavily on doubanjiang (fermented broad bean paste) or douchi (fermented black beans) but many do not and instead the key is a balance of tingly, spicy, sour, and fresh.
So you can definitely explore the cuisine at home without it being a sodium bomb.
A few of my favorite dishes are vegetables / salads: woodear / black fungus, lotus root, and shredded potato. The method of preparation is often similar: blanch, then toss with the dressing, and finish with something fresh (cilantro, scallion). The dressing is (black or rice) vinegar, garlic, chilli, sugar, oil, and sichuan peppercorn if you want it tingly. (I had to buy a new bag of sichuan peppper because the first bag – also new – yielded no tingle.)
Even in proteins, there are many that do not rely on the salt bomb ingredients, or use only a small amount for flavor – eg dry fried, “strange” flavored, hot and sour / pickled, “fish fragrant” (spicy garlic sauce).
