Myths & Misadventures: South China
by neonconfidential
“Since China launched its reform and opening-up policy 30 years ago, Foshan has experienced a rapid and continued socio-economic growth. At present, she is dedicated to building a prosperous and harmonious city and a modern metropolis of profound culture and distinctive industry.” – Foreword, Guide for Foreigners in Foshan, 2010
I picked up a”Guide for Foreigners in Foshan” during a recent visit to South China, at one of the purported 5 star hotels we resided in. I, along with 13 of my extended family members, mostly comprised of septuagenarian aunts plus 2 uncles, and 4 cousins, were on a family sojourn to trace the roots of my paternal great grandfather. Foshan, was just one of the cities we passed on our 7 day bus tour of South China’s Guangdong Province.
There are no blue skies in South China. Even on a sunny day, the region is covered in a haze of brown smog. While “beautiful” isn’t the first word that comes to mind, “industrious” is. Everywhere you look, the region is eager to display what the process of “rapid and continued socio-economic growth” appears to be. What it looked like was a country impatiently building up their idea of a “modern metropolis”. Along the highway, derelict stone houses stand next to vast expanses of farmland, lined with the occasional palm tree. Tall cranes hoover like storks in a koi pond, while scaffolding surrounds the skeleton of the newest 50 storey plus high-rise. It’s all very disconcerting, and the dichotomies are stark.
