And there are signs of hope--Shenzhen, which at 20 years old is an older and more developed city than Dongguan, has put in an underground subway system, and they are planting trees on the sidewalks, and they seem to be getting cleaner, as you can see the sky. So I think maybe (in my hopeless optimism!) that going through an ugly industrial revolution and then cleaning up may just be the normal course of human activity. After all, conditions in the factories are still better than they are reported to have been during the US and European industrial revolutions. I was very, very, very upset (with a liberal splash of bourgeousie guilt) to see that no-one on the factory floor was wearing basic safey equipment, like safety glasses, ear plugs, even in the machine shop! But my old college friend Su (who loves in Shenzhen, and whom I see when I can) informs me that at her factory, they do have access to safety equipment, but they refuse to wear it. I dunno what to think now.
Oh well, enough musing. Here are photos.
This temple was fantastic--it was one of those manufactured cultural
heritage sites that China is spewing all over the country to inspire
patriotic fervor, but it was also a functional temple. Locals were
coming to chant and pray and leave offerings and burn incense
(available for purchase at the Candle Departmentalism). The monastery
was still under construction, so all these plastic-wrapped deities
were lying around waiting to be unpacked.
If I were ever to choose a formal religion, I think I'd go with
Buddhism--no history of mass slaughter or holy wars, love of animals
and nature, and delightful self-irreverence. I love that people are
okay with tramping back and forth in front of and around
shrink-wrapped deities, but bow solemnly in front of them once they
are assembled and propped up!
A few more random China photos
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