KunmingMapSeptember 28, 2013 They’ve built a very glitzy new airport here. Looks beautiful.  Poles that harness wind and solar energy have been planted along the highway.  Don’t litter.  And here we are in Kunming.  The variety of police box shapes here boggles the mind. There’s the test tube.  The sphere.  The bread loaf with the ends cut off.  Another thing that makes the city interesting is its still-intact historic center, which gives some idea of how the Chinese used to live until fairly recently.  The old quarter is crumbling.  Some shops have closed their doors forever.  There are still a few architectural gems left to discover.  The big, large-scale, modern city is already advancing.  Heroic construction workers are already mixing up concrete for the next skyscraper.  Some rickety shops in the old quarter still sell assorted Chinese characters from old signs.  Soon, all of this will be gone.  Everything will be one big shopping mall.  All the scooters have electric motors now. This is what a busy street in China sounds like today:  A street without sidewalks. The street belongs to pedestrians, but cars are allowed to use it. Unlike the usual reverse situation, where pedestrians are allowed to dash across a street made for cars.  Car wash.  A fire hydrant.  Barrier chains and a sign asking people not to climb over them.  A street sign.  An old woman picking at something.  An old man trying to get a closer look at the flag-bearer’s boots.  Another old man leading a blind Chinese violin player behind him on a rope. They make a happy team, collecting money together.  |
