Dan, you’ve really outdone yourself today with this post. Absolutely excellent. Really, I’ve never seen such great travelogue about China in quite some time. You should be able to find a publisher after you return to Shanghai, or perhaps back to the States. Best of luck, and keep those outstanding posts coming. I check every day and have passed along your blog to other friends living in Shanghai.
Carl Parkes
San Francisco
On Aug 28, 2004 4:37 AM, lucas said:
why did I have tears in my eyes while I was reading the article???????????????
On Aug 29, 2004 12:12 AM, Bernie Khaw said:
Hi Dan,
I enjoyed your report — sensitively written, and thought-provoking.
May you feel God’s presence with you throughout your journey.
Totally agree with Carl - you really must find a publisher, though I concede that in reality there’s few papers or magazines that would be interested in anything that’s not about George W or J-Lo.
Nevertheless, worth a try, and you certainly put my own travelogues to shame. I realise now that the students I teach at Shanghai University of Finance and Economics really are the wealthy elite - I’m pretty sure none of them hail from places like this.
Phil
On Aug 30, 2004 9:49 PM, lion said:
Hi,Dan
I am one of your students at Shanghai University.
I think it is wrong for my country to get the economic boom at the cost of destroying the environment.
I also hope that you can publish your articles when you come back.
On Aug 30, 2004 10:36 PM, lion said:
Some scenes occured to me when I finished reading.
I went to yunnan during the winter vacation.
When I got off the bus near Lugou Lake, a very beautiful lake near Lijiang, several boys and girls surrounded me and begged money.
I heard that they got up early and spent 2 or 3 hours coming here.
Some of them carried the bread, an apple, or melon seeds.
They wanted you to buy them for feeding sea-gull.
A little girl told me she just wanted to make money for her tuition.
I think the villagers also love their hometown and don’t want it to be invaded, but they have to survive.
So they are holding their tears when they hurt their hometown.
On Sep 1, 2004 8:24 AM, lucas said:
Lion I don’t understand what you said.
On Sep 1, 2004 1:47 PM, grape said:
Some people live a comfortable life in China while others are struggling for survival.
It is horrible to imagine if nearly 13 hundred million people want to make a fortune, what will happen?
Maybe we should slow down our steps.
On Sep 1, 2004 5:25 PM, getreal said:
The huge gap between the rich and poor is becoming a serious issue in China’s development plan. Hopefully the government would take some actions soon.
On Sep 1, 2004 11:01 PM, Doug said:
The disparity between the haves and have nots in China is indeed a growing problem, but I believe that China is working to correct some of this. However, I think that corruption is an even bigger problem, and one that the central authority may have a more dificult time correcting. Without a free press to objectively publicize corruption, local officials have free ability to do whatever they want. And the red envelope continues to be standard practice for evading the rules regarding pollution, wages, land, living conditions, etc.
Dan, please fix this while you’re touring the country, OK?
On Sep 3, 2004 2:02 AM, Doug said:
Thanks for updating and completing the blog. It is an excellent picture of the tradition that is China.
On Sep 22, 2004 8:59 PM, Eric Chian said:
Why did I have tears in my eyes when I read this blog? Especially when I read that you can totally understand Peter’s behaviors when Peter with you went to drink beer or took part in kinds of parties in Shanghai, I was with tearful eyes. My wife was puzzled by my unearthliness.
Something touches my nerve after I finished reading. In fact I knew the condition you wrote in the blog very very much, to some extend it was what I experienced during my childhood as well as my youth causing I came from a tiny village like Haoyi in Hubei Province. Your blog brings me back to my childhood. Through no good toys, nor beautiful clothes, nor good creature comfort, my parents gave me a happy childhood in the sun. But now when I returned to the tiny village from big city Shanghai, sometimes from Europe, I do have a lot of bad feelings. Is it my village? Why no any progresses on the life quality and basic living conditions for the peasants? The youth all go out to dig gold in the big cities like Shenzheng, Shanghai, Wuhan, in the village, only the old and children stay behind. What a woefully situation for peasants like my Mama and sisters and brothers! They have no any social guarantee; they are still fighting for the basic survival. This could be the situation of the fastest developing country? I have no idea. I cannot deny it still needs many many years to develop and improve the condition for peasants.
By comparison of lives between townsmen especially Shanghais, Pekings and peasants, what a different life they lead! Lots of friends have a splendent life in Shanghai, but they cannot understand why there are so many poor peasants in Shanghai, sometimes they dislike them even want to punish them. Why do many townsmen think scorn of peasants?
Lots of my relatives are coal miner in a small town in Hubei province, you cannot image what they earn per month by their physical force even their lives. Just an example, my elder brother and his wife cannot afford two children to go to high school. The worst thing is that they have very bad physical condition because of long-term over physical-capability-hard-work under badly environment. I could not help myself crying each time when I visited them.
What can I do for them? I can only help some of my relatives to afford their children to go to school. But it is very limited. What and where can I expect to do sth for my poor peasants?
I always remind me of being a peasant’s son from a tiny poor village. This, sometimes, made me uncomfortable like Peter together with you in the Party. It is not good, I know, one needs to enjoy the life through it is hard sometimes. But it is very difficult to overcome the kind of embarrass for such persons like me and Peter who came from a poor village and do know many relatives still lead a different and difficult life there. Many people cannot understand, but Dan can, so I was moved.
O.K. Now I am in Germany and had been staying in Shanghai for more than 3 years. Hopefully I can return to Shanghai next year, hope to read your more blogs like this report. // Eric Chian
On Jun 11, 2005 6:20 AM, Dennis said:
I am going to the town of Hongtong in two weeks, First time in China, any advice????? Thank you.
On Oct 2, 2005 12:01 AM, Julie said:
I am translating a Japanese book partially set in Linfen and a nearby village very like the one you describe. Thanks so much for the description which so vividly captures the feeling of life there.
Let us know about your ×§×¤×•×¦×™× ×• website and network ×§×¤×•×¦×™× ×• needs. ×§×¤×•×¦×™× ×•, specializes in database software and http://www.buy-coffee.net/×§×¤×•×¦×™× ×•.htm applications. This information will be reviewed and a determination of acceptance will be made based on ×§×¤×•×¦×™× ×• information. If preliminary acceptance is granted, you will be forwarded the necessary papers to register your ×§×¤×•×¦×™× ×•. Our free ×§×¤×•×¦×™× ×• downloads contain fully functioning versions of the http://www.buy-coffee.net/×§×¤×•×¦×™× ×•.htm software for you to experience all the features of the real product for 30 days. Thanks for your interest in ×§×¤×•×¦×™× ×•. The Page You Just Searched For Does Not Exist! Our subscription ×§×¤×•×¦×™× ×• provide you with information on ×§×¤×•×¦×™× ×• from many of the leading experts. Thank you for your interest in ×§×¤×•×¦×™× ×•. We would be very interested in hearing from you. You may contact us at ×§×¤×•×¦×™× ×•. Our staff places great emphasis on providing stunning customer service and is dedicated to ×§×¤×•×¦×™× ×•. We strive to add a great deal of value to each of our customers and make the funding process as simple as possible. Visit our site http://www.buy-coffee.net/×§×¤×•×¦×™× ×•.htm today! Thank you for your interest in ×§×¤×•×¦×™× ×•. Please submit the form below and a sales representative of ×§×¤×•×¦×™× ×• will contact you. Let us know about your ×§×¤×•×¦×™× ×• website and network http://www.buy-coffee.net/×§×¤×•×¦×™× ×•.htm needs.
15 Comments
Dan, you’ve really outdone yourself today with this post. Absolutely excellent. Really, I’ve never seen such great travelogue about China in quite some time. You should be able to find a publisher after you return to Shanghai, or perhaps back to the States. Best of luck, and keep those outstanding posts coming. I check every day and have passed along your blog to other friends living in Shanghai.
Carl Parkes
San Francisco
why did I have tears in my eyes while I was reading the article???????????????
Hi Dan,
I enjoyed your report — sensitively written, and thought-provoking.
May you feel God’s presence with you throughout your journey.
Bernie
Totally agree with Carl - you really must find a publisher, though I concede that in reality there’s few papers or magazines that would be interested in anything that’s not about George W or J-Lo.
Nevertheless, worth a try, and you certainly put my own travelogues to shame. I realise now that the students I teach at Shanghai University of Finance and Economics really are the wealthy elite - I’m pretty sure none of them hail from places like this.
Phil
Hi,Dan
I am one of your students at Shanghai University.
I think it is wrong for my country to get the economic boom at the cost of destroying the environment.
I also hope that you can publish your articles when you come back.
Some scenes occured to me when I finished reading.
I went to yunnan during the winter vacation.
When I got off the bus near Lugou Lake, a very beautiful lake near Lijiang, several boys and girls surrounded me and begged money.
I heard that they got up early and spent 2 or 3 hours coming here.
Some of them carried the bread, an apple, or melon seeds.
They wanted you to buy them for feeding sea-gull.
A little girl told me she just wanted to make money for her tuition.
I think the villagers also love their hometown and don’t want it to be invaded, but they have to survive.
So they are holding their tears when they hurt their hometown.
Lion I don’t understand what you said.
Some people live a comfortable life in China while others are struggling for survival.
It is horrible to imagine if nearly 13 hundred million people want to make a fortune, what will happen?
Maybe we should slow down our steps.
The huge gap between the rich and poor is becoming a serious issue in China’s development plan. Hopefully the government would take some actions soon.
The disparity between the haves and have nots in China is indeed a growing problem, but I believe that China is working to correct some of this. However, I think that corruption is an even bigger problem, and one that the central authority may have a more dificult time correcting. Without a free press to objectively publicize corruption, local officials have free ability to do whatever they want. And the red envelope continues to be standard practice for evading the rules regarding pollution, wages, land, living conditions, etc.
Dan, please fix this while you’re touring the country, OK?
Thanks for updating and completing the blog. It is an excellent picture of the tradition that is China.
Why did I have tears in my eyes when I read this blog? Especially when I read that you can totally understand Peter’s behaviors when Peter with you went to drink beer or took part in kinds of parties in Shanghai, I was with tearful eyes. My wife was puzzled by my unearthliness.
Something touches my nerve after I finished reading. In fact I knew the condition you wrote in the blog very very much, to some extend it was what I experienced during my childhood as well as my youth causing I came from a tiny village like Haoyi in Hubei Province. Your blog brings me back to my childhood. Through no good toys, nor beautiful clothes, nor good creature comfort, my parents gave me a happy childhood in the sun. But now when I returned to the tiny village from big city Shanghai, sometimes from Europe, I do have a lot of bad feelings. Is it my village? Why no any progresses on the life quality and basic living conditions for the peasants? The youth all go out to dig gold in the big cities like Shenzheng, Shanghai, Wuhan, in the village, only the old and children stay behind. What a woefully situation for peasants like my Mama and sisters and brothers! They have no any social guarantee; they are still fighting for the basic survival. This could be the situation of the fastest developing country? I have no idea. I cannot deny it still needs many many years to develop and improve the condition for peasants.
By comparison of lives between townsmen especially Shanghais, Pekings and peasants, what a different life they lead! Lots of friends have a splendent life in Shanghai, but they cannot understand why there are so many poor peasants in Shanghai, sometimes they dislike them even want to punish them. Why do many townsmen think scorn of peasants?
Lots of my relatives are coal miner in a small town in Hubei province, you cannot image what they earn per month by their physical force even their lives. Just an example, my elder brother and his wife cannot afford two children to go to high school. The worst thing is that they have very bad physical condition because of long-term over physical-capability-hard-work under badly environment. I could not help myself crying each time when I visited them.
What can I do for them? I can only help some of my relatives to afford their children to go to school. But it is very limited. What and where can I expect to do sth for my poor peasants?
I always remind me of being a peasant’s son from a tiny poor village. This, sometimes, made me uncomfortable like Peter together with you in the Party. It is not good, I know, one needs to enjoy the life through it is hard sometimes. But it is very difficult to overcome the kind of embarrass for such persons like me and Peter who came from a poor village and do know many relatives still lead a different and difficult life there. Many people cannot understand, but Dan can, so I was moved.
O.K. Now I am in Germany and had been staying in Shanghai for more than 3 years. Hopefully I can return to Shanghai next year, hope to read your more blogs like this report. // Eric Chian
I am going to the town of Hongtong in two weeks, First time in China, any advice????? Thank you.
I am translating a Japanese book partially set in Linfen and a nearby village very like the one you describe. Thanks so much for the description which so vividly captures the feeling of life there.
Let us know about your ×§×¤×•×¦×™× ×• website and network ×§×¤×•×¦×™× ×• needs. ×§×¤×•×¦×™× ×•, specializes in database software and http://www.buy-coffee.net/×§×¤×•×¦×™× ×•.htm applications. This information will be reviewed and a determination of acceptance will be made based on ×§×¤×•×¦×™× ×• information. If preliminary acceptance is granted, you will be forwarded the necessary papers to register your ×§×¤×•×¦×™× ×•. Our free ×§×¤×•×¦×™× ×• downloads contain fully functioning versions of the http://www.buy-coffee.net/×§×¤×•×¦×™× ×•.htm software for you to experience all the features of the real product for 30 days. Thanks for your interest in ×§×¤×•×¦×™× ×•. The Page You Just Searched For Does Not Exist! Our subscription ×§×¤×•×¦×™× ×• provide you with information on ×§×¤×•×¦×™× ×• from many of the leading experts. Thank you for your interest in ×§×¤×•×¦×™× ×•. We would be very interested in hearing from you. You may contact us at ×§×¤×•×¦×™× ×•. Our staff places great emphasis on providing stunning customer service and is dedicated to ×§×¤×•×¦×™× ×•. We strive to add a great deal of value to each of our customers and make the funding process as simple as possible. Visit our site http://www.buy-coffee.net/×§×¤×•×¦×™× ×•.htm today! Thank you for your interest in ×§×¤×•×¦×™× ×•. Please submit the form below and a sales representative of ×§×¤×•×¦×™× ×• will contact you. Let us know about your ×§×¤×•×¦×™× ×• website and network http://www.buy-coffee.net/×§×¤×•×¦×™× ×•.htm needs.