A Boat, a River, and a Mountain in Ganzhou

In an earlier post about a rainbow I saw in Ganzhou, I wrote that I had hoped to photograph the rainbow at a more picturesque location at a river with a mountain in the background. The rainbow dissipated too quickly for that to happen though. So below is a photo from the location I had in mind. I have shared other photos from the Zhang River (章江) before, but this is from the other side and a long walk upstream from the other locations.

When I first arrived at this area, I wondered why the river appeared to be much narrower than at other nearby locations. I soon discovered that I wasn't looking at the other side of the river but at a long island in the middle. None of the maps I have looked at, either online or posted by the riverside, indicate a name for the island. In any case, the scene was a change of pace from the rapidly developing new urban area in Ganzhou I had just been walking through.

Burning Down The House: Scenes from the Hungry Ghost Festival in Ganzhou, China

Near Jianchun Gate (建春门) in Ganzhou

Last Thursday next to the ancient city wall alongside the Gong River (贡水) in Ganzhou, Jiangxi, I noticed a number of people burning ghost money — imitation paper currency.

Near Donghe Bridge (东河大桥)

Thursday was the first of three days in Ganzhou when people conducted rituals for Saturday's Hungry Ghost Festival (中元节), also known in English as the Ghost Festival, the Yulan Festival, and Zhongyuan Jie. The holiday is similar to the Qingming Festival in terms of burning paper replicas to send items to people in the afterlife. The National Library of Singapore has a useful overview of the holiday in general while also pointing out some details specific to Singapore and other countries while also covering some differences between Taoist and Buddhist beliefs regarding the holiday. Baidu Baike has an article (Chinese) detailing some of the specific practices in various parts of China.

On Saturday, while walking down Xijiao Road (西郊路) I noticed a lot of smoke in the distance. And that is how I stumbled upon one of the multiple sites the local government had established for the burning rituals.

The video below captures more of the living reaching out to spirits there.

At a location next to the old city wall bordering the Zhang River (章水), I came across another sanctioned site — this one more scenic.

Near Xijin Gate (西津门)

While there, I saw some people preparing to send a house, car, and other items to the spirit world.

Soon flames began engulfing the house.

The video below captures later stages of the house's journey and also some of the other offerings occurring in the near vicinity.

One advantage Saturday provided was a rare break from the recent hot weather. One disadvantage Saturday provided was occasional strong winds. The video below was taken later at the same area and captures how ghost money was flying about, sometimes while burning, at times. I didn't see anybody get hurt, but it was definitely worth staying alert.

During the earlier evening I came across another approved site, this one at an area where buildings had been demolished between Xijin Road (西津路) and Xingan South Road (新赣南路).

I also saw offerings being made or signs of recent offerings on a smaller scale at a number of locations which didn't appear to have been designated by the city. All of the government approved sites I came across had government employees, easily identifiable with their red hats, keeping an eye on things. The site near Xijin Gate also had a few chengguan, urban management officers, around. There were frequent sounds of firecrackers around the city, but I only heard a single one go off at the approved sites. Apparently since it was isolated explosion — unusual —a chengguan who clearly wasn't happy about it didn't intervene beyond sharing a stern word.

In my personal experience, I have never before seen so many people observing the holiday elsewhere in China. I'm not sure whether that speaks more to luck or regional variations in the holiday's observance, though I suspect the latter has a significant role. In any case, there was a lot of fire in Ganzhou during the holiday and possibly many pleased ghosts as well.

An Unexpected Ganzhou Rainbow

While walking outside bit after 6 p.m. today in Ganzhou, I saw in the distance a woman appearing to take photos with her mobile phone. I paid particular attention since she was photographing in my direction, and I couldn't think of anything especially remarkable in the scene behind me. As I got closer, I could tell her phone was aimed slightly upwards, seemingly towards the sky. My first guess was there might be a beautiful cloud in the sky. Now I couldn't resist, and I turned around.

I'm glad I did. I took a photo of the big rainbow in the sky myself. The woman then approached and asked if I could take a photo of her and the rainbow with her phone. She expressed surprise when I counted down to taking the photo using Chinese numbers. After that was finished, I quickly headed to another location. A nearby river with a mountain in the distance would be a great setting to capture the rainbow. Unfortunately, the rainbow was already quickly fading. So I took a photo halfway to my intended destination. The rainbow was gone shortly thereafter.

I haven't seen many rainbows in China, though I did catch one several months ago in Qingyuan. In that case, a recent rainstorm and the sunlight afterwards caused me to look for one. Today, there was nothing I noticed which would have made me think a rainbow could be around. A big thanks to the woman. I probably would have missed the rainbow if not for her.

Some regular readers might now be wondering if me sharing this story indicates more delay for a post I mentioned yesterday.

Well . . .

Um . . .

Look! Rainbow!

A Riverside Can in Ganzhou

I'm not yet finished with what I had originally hoped to post today. Uploading three large video files through a VPN across the Great Firewall added to the challenge, but I'm happy to say at least that part has been successfully completed. For now, below is a related photo taken next to the Gong River which serves as a bit of a teaser.

Much more burning is on the way — most of it somewhat controlled.

Seated Poses in Ganzhou

A number of places sell art or antiques towards the southern end of Bajing Road (八境路) in Ganzhou. The two paintings sitting outside an art studio in the above photo stood out from many of the Chinese-style pieces nearby, and they captured scenes foreign in location and time.

Boys With Big Branches in Ganzhou

Similar to a confrontation with four boys in Maoming four years ago, the other day in a park alongside the Zhang River in Ganzhou I met two boys with weapons.

Once again I was spared, and they allowed me to pass.

I didn't try taking a seat though.

Nighttime Xiangqi in Ganzhou

Don't Worry in Ganzhou

Sleeping in Ganzhou

Time for some sleep . . .

Balloon Sculptures, Singing, and a Pelvic Thrusting Dinosaur: The Grand Opening of a Jewelry Store in Ganzhou, China

When I stopped by a jewelry store with a notable logo on the afternoon of its opening day in Ganzhou, Jiangxi province, there were a few customers inside, but all was otherwise quiet. Especially given the hot weather and low pedestrian traffic at the time, this wasn't so surprising.

When I stopped by again later in the early evening, the weather had cooled down and the activities to celebrate the grand opening had heated up. Given what I have seen at a variety of promotions elsewhere in China, I wasn't too surprised to see somebody wearing an inflatable Tyrannosaurus costume entertaining people, especially children.

At an entrance to the store, somebody else was creating balloon animals and sculptures. I have seen the same thing at a number of jewelry stores elsewhere.

There was also a stage set up besides the store. While I was there a woman sang, also not so uncommon for events likes this one.

But then things came together in a way that wasn't so typical in my experience, and it was something to behold.

I didn't know a Tyrannosaurus could move like that.

On reflection, the movements were somewhat similar to how some cockatoos dance to music. Not only are birds dinosaurs, but the Tyrannosaurus is more closely related to a bird than to a Stegosaurus. Perhaps that's what the person had in mind, though I am not aware of any birds dancing quite the same way.

In any case, the dancing felt a bit surreal to watch. I can't put the experience fully into words, so I have shared a bit of it in the video below. Although the Tyrannosaurus stopped dancing, or whatever it was doing, and returned to other activities while I watched, I kept filming a bit longer. There is more to observe than just the dinosaur, though it steals the show.

Take a look:

A Curiously Misleading Logo: Not China Gold in Ganzhou

Late last night I saw preparations for a new jewelry store in Ganzhou, Jiangxi province. I called it a China Gold store in my post, in part because the logo for the store appeared to be a merger of the letters C & G and I didn't know they hadn't yet placed all the characters for its Chinese name on the storefront sign. The logo seemed unfamiliar, however, which caused some rumblings in the back of my mind.

Today the sign was complete, and the store was already open for business.

With the full Chinese name displayed, "中国金銀珠寶" (Zhōngguó Jīnyín Zhūbǎo), I realized it wasn't a store for the chain I had previously had in mind, 中国黄金 (Zhōngguó Huángjīn). Zhōngguó Huángjīn uses the English name "China Gold", a literal translation of the Chinese name, and the stores are franchised by a large state-owned enterprise based in Beijing — China National Gold Group Corporation — which also commonly uses the name "China Gold". I shared a photo of a China Gold store earlier this year in a post about International Women's Day Sales in Jiangmen, Guangdong. Their logo is visually distinct from the one used by the store in Ganzhou.

I didn't see any English names at the Ganzhou store today. The best I could easily find online relates to the Hong Kong registration of a company with the same Chinese name. They used "China Gold Silver Jewellery", also a literal translation of the Chinese name. I can't see a CGSJ acronym in the Ganzhou stores's logo though.

Whatever name the company would prefer to see used in English, their logo is not only notable for its similarity to the Chanel and Gucci logos but also for it capturing the acronym of a well-known competitor's English name. Both issues seem unlikely to be coincidences. The logo probably wouldn't leave either Chanel, Gucci, or China Gold very happy.

New China Gold in Ganzhou

Late night work for a new jewelry store on Dongyangshan Road in Ganzhou

Correction: I previously captioned the photo indicating the jewelry store was China Gold, in part due to the apparent CG acronym in the logo. However, it isn't a China Gold store. More about that in a more recent post here.

Elevating Ganzhou

Construction at Wenming Avenue in Ganzhou, Jiangxi

Late Night Tangerines in Ganzhou

You can't always find tangerines for sale around 11 p.m. But tonight in Ganzhou I got lucky.

Good tangerines . . .

Lotus Flowers, Bridges, and a Sculpture at a University Pond in Ganzhou

Recent posts (here and here) featured scenes from parks in Ganzhou, Jiangxi. To continue the theme, below are a few photos taken on a rather hot afternoon at Bajiao Pond (八角塘) at the Jiangxi University of Science and Technology campus on Hongqi Road in Ganzhou.

Ganzhou Xiangqi

A quiet game of xiangqi today at the Zhang River Right Bank City Citizens' Park (章江右岸市民公园) in Ganzhou:

Dancing, Cards, and a Liberation Monument at Ganzhou Park

A few scenes from Ganzhou Park in Ganzhou, Jiangxi, on a rather hot afternoon . . .

Dancing to music

Playing cards without music

The 10th Anniversary of Liberation Monument (解放十周年纪念碑)

A Place Not to Park Your Vehicle in Ganzhou

At Liuhepu (六合铺) in Ganzhou:

People Live Here
No Parking!!!

Not in Africa: A Brief Story of Taking the Train Out of Guangdong

In a waiting room at the Huizhou Railway Station
(photo doesn't include the children mentioned in this post)

As I approached my seat after boarding the train in Huizhou, the 8-year-old boy who would be sitting across from me excitedly announced to his mother and younger sister, "A European!"

Before I could helpfully correct him, I heard him less certainly suggested another possibility. I then decided it was now best not to correct him.

After all, I'm not identified as an African every day.

The train's seats were sold out, and there were a number of people who had bought standing-only tickets. It had been a while since I had taken a non-high-speed train like this one, but most things seemed the same. So much life.

As the train began moving, I found it hard to get excited about being on the train for another five hours. Yet I knew most people were likely in for a longer ride. Anybody there for the final destination still had more than 27 hours to go. Five hours now seems pretty good. Did I mention my ticket cost less than eight American dollars?

It took some time, but eventually I entered a train-Zen state of mind. There was so much to take in. The 8-year-old boy and his sister carried on at times, but, unlike their mother, I soon appreciated the entertainment. For what it is worth, my brother and I at that age would have been far less peaceful under such conditions.

Now I am in Ganzhou. No, that's not a typo for Guangzhou. I could've made it there in much less time. I'm out of Guangdong province and now in Jiangxi province.

This is my second time in Ganzhou, but it has been a while. More about this place, so far from Africa, another time.

Oh, that boy and his sister . . . they still had more than 4 hours to go after I disembarked the train. I'm guessing mostly all went fine.

Unlucky Duckies in Huizhou

Today on a street in Huizhou, Guangdong, I saw a bunch of a ducks restrained in a truck.

I don't speak duck, but some of them sounded as if they were complaining. If so, it would be hard to blame them. I didn't stick around to see if I could learn their fate, but I feel safe guessing it isn't anything they'd be happy about.

For a more cheerful, or at least more free, duck story, there's my confrontation last year with a mighty duck in Xiapu, Fujian.

Eight Assorted Thursday Tweets About China

In terms of news about China I saw in my Twitter feed, today felt especially heavy and had much to digest. Below are some those tweets which made their way onto my screen and especially caught my attention. Most include links to to relevant pieces. I deliberately left out tweets providing some discussion on a topic that I have covered at length before and is in the news once more. I hope to address the topic in a later post.

whoa. Chinese police literally broke into a professor's home while he was doing a live interview w/VOA & demanded he stop talking. "I am entitled to express my opinion. This is my freedom of speech," he said, before the line went dead https://t.co/X3pRR3IzVu

— Te-Ping Chen (@tepingchen) August 2, 2018

A searing critique of Xi Jinping’s leadership by Tsinghua U law professor Xu Zhangrun, brilliantly translated (with copious notes) by Geremie Barme. https://t.co/CijS3xJAoe

— Mike Forsythe 傅才德 (@PekingMike) August 2, 2018

China's MeToo movt is highlighting the astonishing bravery of the country's women. In addition to universal pressures, Chinese women lodging allegations face detention, police cover-ups, online censorship. No lawyer would take the case below: https://t.co/pBOnKWXvK4

— Eva Dou (@evadou) August 2, 2018

What worries me about this is the government's emphasis on women from 'good' backgrounds getting married and having biological children, which I've seen in policy language. Definitely a red flag https://t.co/zLglyMXlyY

— Rui Zhong 钟瑞 (@rzhong_notes) August 1, 2018

High-ranking Chinese monk accused of sexually harassing nuns https://t.co/1312ZRPEf7

— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) August 2, 2018

EXCLUSIVE: Huawei has applied for a security clearance in the Czech Republic, which would give it an official stamp of approval from a NATO ally and allow it to bid on restricted govt contracts & build critical infrastructure. My latest for @thedailybeast: https://t.co/IAtenZ4dEE

— B. Allen-Ebrahimian (@BethanyAllenEbr) August 1, 2018

A selection of my poems translating the names of schoolchildren crushed in the #WenchuanEarthquake—names like Elegant Moon, Heart of Humanity, & Wave of Dew. These poems are also my response to @aiww's efforts for those responsible to be held accountable.https://t.co/KiaakqwEtc

— Ian Boyden (@_IanBoyden) August 1, 2018

Beijing in 1949. Rare color photos taken by Vladislav Mikosha, a member of the Soviet delegation for the founding ceremony of PRC. pic.twitter.com/0Y7LCS51qJ

— Jin Xu (@xujnx) August 1, 2018

A Chance Chat in the Park with a Uyghur in Southern China

Another park in another Chinese city

Not so long ago on a quiet day at a park in southern China, I saw a man with two energetic children. After saying hello to them, the man and I started talking. I soon learned he was Uyghur and from far away Xinjiang, where he still had family. Having recently read reports about deteriorating conditions for Uyghurs there, I asked about their situation.

Sounding and looking like he had felt compelled to utter the exact same words not just now but many times before, he first explained his pride in being a Chinese citizen and his support for the Chinese government. Then he returned to his gaze to me and explained how the situation in Xinjiang wasn't at all good for them. What he shared was depressingly consistent with what I had previously learned.

I thought of the conversation today while reading a piece recommended by Josh Chin:

“The phrase adem yoq (‘everybody’s gone’) is probably the one I’ve heard the most this past year.”

It’s virtually impossible for Uyghurs to talk about what’s happening in Xinjiang. That makes this account from Gene Bunin, the rare foreigner who speaks Uyghur, a vital read. https://t.co/Po8pfJsuM1

— Josh Chin (@joshchin) July 31, 2018

An excerpt from Gene Bunin's piece:

At one point last year, I made an effort to see a friend in Xinjiang who had deleted me [from WeChat] but whom I really wanted to see. Navigating our friend networks, I set up a time and a place, and we met. In retrospect, I almost wish we hadn’t. Our lunch together was an incredibly silent and awkward one – there was too much to say but everything felt taboo, and there were entire minutes when we just sat there. It didn’t look like anyone was monitoring us, but my friend looked really worried all the same. When I passed him samples of a book I was working on, he only cast them a glance but didn’t flip through the pages. When I asked him if a mutual acquaintance of ours was still around, he told me that he “didn’t know” that person anymore, before adding: “Right now, I don’t even know you.”

I too will recommend reading "How the 'Happiest Muslims in the World' are Coping with Their Happiness". And I will wonder what has happened to the man, his children, and the rest of his family since our chance discussion at the park. I didn't ask for a way to contact him in the future. That might have been better for him.