The Yunlong Bridge on a Sunny Day in Yulin

I had planned to post more context by now for a story I will tell, but I have been derailed. To get back on the rails, here is a photo of Yunlong Bridge (云龙桥) on the hot and sunny afternoon I observed Yulin's Lychee and Dog Meat festival not far away.

More later of course . . .

A Day When Police Didn't Stop Me From Taking Photos at Nanqiao Market in Yulin, China

Nanqiao Market (南桥市场) in Yulin, Guangxi

In numerous cities in China and elsewhere in the world, I often visit wet markets. Each one has its own character, and they offer a glimpse into local culture. They can also be a great place to pick up some cheap and tasty prepared food. Last month in Yulin I stumbled upon the Nanqiao Market (南桥市场) on Jiangbin Road (江滨路). I took relatively few photos, since the market was rather quiet and many stalls weren't in use at the time.

I hadn't planned to mention this market around now, but my first experiences there provide some useful context for a story I have to tell. So I will add that while I was there on the first Monday of May, no police officers stopped me from taking photographs and no strangers clearly prepared to block access to certain areas accompanied me uninvited. Instead, my time there was relatively uneventful, except for meeting two friendly boys excited to meet a foreigner. In addition to the one above, below are some more photos I took there that day, like I have taken without problem at many other wet markets in China.

Wet market on a wet day

"Pork row"

Some dry goods for sale at the wet market

Many stalls didn't have any activity

One boy does his homework. One boy provides entertainment.

I of course freely roamed about.

Some color

Almost Injured by a Motor Scooter While Being Closely Watched in Yulin

I took the above photo of the crosswalk in Yulin because something unexpected happened to me there. As I attempted to cross it a woman riding a motor scooter passed so closely in front of me that our bodies touched. I didn't see her coming because she was driving the wrong direction on a portion of road used for making right turns at an intersection. She presumably saw me, though, unless she had taken things to another level by driving the wrong direction on a road and not looking forward. After I took two photos of the crosswalk following the incident, a man riding a motorcycle in the above photo kindly provided me an opportunity to capture a moment of somebody doing something similar to what the woman had done. Fortunately, he didn't feel inspired to include the almost-injure-somebody part.

Incredibly, something even more unexpected was happening to me during the close encounter, yet I didn't know it at the time. I was being followed by at least one person wearing plain clothes. Noticing something curious later caused me to become suspicious. Actions I then took confirmed my concern. And later experiences confirmed my belief this was not just some random person who was innocently curious about the rare foreigner they happened to notice.

Instead, the reason the person was following me was clearly tied to my observations that afternoon of the first day of the Lychee and Dog Meat Festival in Yulin. I had had interactions, also unexpected, with relevant authorities and what I suspect were relevant unofficial authorities. More followed that day.

So, this touches on why I didn't post anything here on the first day of the festival. It also touches on why there was no post yesterday when I spent eight hours on the first relevant bus. Needless to say, I'm not in Yulin anymore.

Also, needless to say, I have a story to tell.

Now, I wonder what my follower(s) thought when I was nearly hit. I'm not even sure if a more unfortunate event had occurred whether it would've simplified or complicated matters for them.

More later.

This Dog's For You: Budweiser Advertising at a Dog Meat Restaurant in Yulin

Tomorrow is a special day in Yulin, Guangxi — the first and biggest day of the Yulin Lychee and Dog Meat Festival. And for the first time, I will be observing the festival person. I hope to better provide some important context that I feel much past reporting in Western media about the festival lacked. So there will certainly be multiple posts here in the future about dogs in Yulin, the festival, and the more general culture of eating dog meat in China.

To get the ball rolling, in the spirit of highlighting the everyday side of eating dog meat in China I will first share a photo of one of the easy-to-find restaurants which feature or serve dog meat in Yulin year round like many (many) other restaurants I have seen across China — no festival required. So here is the Camphorwood Dog Meat Restaurant (樟木狗肉管) on Dabei Road:

Restaurant signs with advertising for alcohol — typically baijiu or beer — are a common sight in (at least some parts of) China, and the Camphorwood Dog Meat Restaurant didn't pass up on this practice which at the very least helps save money on signs.

So if you want to wash down your dog meat with a cold (or outdoor / room temperature) American Budweiser beer, Camphorwood might be the perfect place.

The signs with Budweiser advertising would really be something if they included Budweiser's retired dog mascot Spuds MacKenzie.

Regardless, the Budweiser slogan on the sign says, "Be Your True Self". So fear not if you don't want dog meat. According to the sign you can get assorted cow or pig innards & meat there too — also with a Bud.

Towing the Food Cart in Yulin

A Lingering Father's Day Display in Yulin

At least one sign of Father's Day in Yulin could still be found today at the Nancheng Department Store (南城百货).

It isn't unusual in China for holiday displays in stores or restaurant to remain long after the respective holiday is long past. The special Father's Day promotion was over according to the posted dates. But perhaps people could still get a deal if they asked.

Motorcycles, Dinosaurs, and Drums: Some Father's Day Fun in Yulin, China

In the past, I have shared signs of Mother's Day in China, whether in Guiyang, Hengyang, or Zigong. However, I have never done the same with Father's Day. The main reason is that I typically don't see anything as dramatic in terms of types or amount of business promotions.

This year was the same. But I did see some children spending time with their fathers.*

So to bring some balance, I will share that this evening on Father's Day in Yulin, Guangxi, I saw a girl help her father win a motorcycle race . . .

. . . a boy help his father shoot some menacing dinosaurs . . .

. . . and another boy play a drum duet with his father.

And on this note, Happy Father's Day to the fathers out there.






*I didn't verify the relationships, but I consider this a low risk claim to make.

The Economist Depicts a Handcuffed Hong Kong

The statement about the extradition protests in Hong Kong on this week's cover of The Economist is rather . . . arresting.

Source

It seems safe to say that it won't be easy to get a complete copy of this issue in China. The image has all the stronger of a punch to me given that I spend most of my time in mainland China. I often associate Hong Kong with the greater freedoms and protections available there. An article in the magazine helps to explain the use of handcuffs on the cover and how the extradition law could negate important aspects of what Hong Kong offers:

With the threat of extradition, anyone in Hong Kong becomes subject to the vagaries of the Chinese legal system, in which the rule of law ranks below the rule of the party. Dissidents taking on Beijing may be sent to face harsh treatment in the Chinese courts. Businesspeople risk a well-connected Chinese competitor finding a way to drag them into an easily manipulated jurisdiction.

That could be disastrous for Hong Kong, a fragile bridge between a one-party state and the freedoms of global commerce.

More at The Economist in "The Rule of Law in Hong Kong".

Students, Tear Gas, and Masks: Today's Hong Kong Extradition Protests in 42 Tweets

Photo taken by Chung-wah Chow of the protest in Hong Kong today before police cracked down

The march in Hong Kong two days ago against a proposed extradition bill was not the end.

Today in Hong Kong people continued to protest. Today in Hong Kong the police responded with tear gas and more.

Below is a series of selected tweets covering a variety of topics regarding the protests that I shared after checking into Twitter this afternoon. They are presented here in the order I shared them, not the order in which the tweets originally occurred, with the exception of the first two since they provide overviews of what has motivated then protests. As usual, if you are viewing this post through an RSS reader and the images, videos, or referenced tweets don't tweets appear, try viewing the original post.

The last tweet was made not long before publishing this post. As it indicates, the protests haven't ended. What will happen next isn't at all clear.

If you’re looking for a primer on why hundreds of thousands of people are demonstrating in Hong Kong, check out this thread 👇 https://t.co/PCVtsAtVXz

— Megha Rajagopalan (@meghara) June 12, 2019

Also a very good overview and analysis of the current Hong Kong protests, with some recent history to provide more context—this piece by @benjaminbland at @bopinion. https://t.co/x1duW3w3ze

— Maura Cunningham 马丽娜 (@mauracunningham) June 12, 2019

Long video thread documenting the anti extradition law protests going on in Hong Kong today.... https://t.co/NzXf0eClXH

— BenjaminRobertson李博岳 (@BMMRobertson) June 12, 2019

I havn't posted anything on WeChat except this one image, with a caption "tear gas". Friends in China tell me they cannot see my post. #censorshiptech pic.twitter.com/S5HqcaihdI

— SJ (@SijiaJ) June 12, 2019

Multiple tear gas rounds fired towards the backs of retreating crowd, almost sparking a panic. Credit to all the protesters for keeping calm while being overcome by tear gas. pic.twitter.com/Pw6Uu3HcLA

— Antony Dapiran (@antd) June 12, 2019

Enraged Lawmaker Charles Mok argues with police on disrespecting the legislature: “This is Legco! Do you think you’re the boss here? ... you’re beating up Hongkongers!” #HongKong #ExtradictionBill #HongKongProtests pic.twitter.com/LwLfZY43Qn

— Naomi Ng 吳家殷 (@ngnaomi) June 12, 2019

#LIVE: Hong Kong police chief has just declared the clashes a riot. That declaration will carry serious implications for anyone arrested. https://t.co/fpKl8rH1bn #extraditionbill

— SCMP News (@SCMPNews) June 12, 2019

He added that protesters would experience “regret the rest of their lives if they did not stop,” but there was no need - at the moment - to declare a state of emergency or curfew. Photo: @appledaily_hk
Full coverage: https://t.co/kmLJLFCnSX #NoToChinaExtradition pic.twitter.com/vmTe4cnr8j

— Hong Kong Free Press (@HongKongFP) June 12, 2019

Some #extraditionbill observations:
1. Super young protesters
2. Leaderless but very organised
3. Unlike #OccupyHK, they‘re v cautious to protect their identities with face masks & reluctant to give their full names - prolly bc what happened to the young activists over years pic.twitter.com/Yps0btPaw2

— Jeffie Lam (@jeffielam) June 12, 2019

#HongKong's largest teachers' union has just declared it's launching a territory-wide school strike#NoExtraditionToChina

— Yuen Chan (@xinwenxiaojie) June 12, 2019

Pepper spray hurts, but these young protesters keep hanging around; there are still thousands here blocking a major road artery. “If I don’t come out this time, there is no next time,” one of them told me. pic.twitter.com/tanR0tHqiJ

— Mike Ives (@mikeives) June 12, 2019

Me: Are you closed?
Apple staff: We are closed.
Me: When will you re-open.
Apple: We are closed for the day.
4:15 pm.
Stores closing at Hong Kong’s IFC mall as #AntiExtraditionBill protests continue. pic.twitter.com/9vpaywEo6k

— 🚶🏻Curtis S. Chin (@CurtisSChin) June 12, 2019

More scenes from retailers closing at IFC Mall in Hong Kong at 4:15 pm. Clearly an #economic toll is beginning as HK government seeks to push thru an #extraditionbill & speed #onecountryonesystem #AntiExtraditionBill @cherykang @fion_li @SCMPNews @HongKongFP @endacurran pic.twitter.com/BjP1vW4GjM

— 🚶🏻Curtis S. Chin (@CurtisSChin) June 12, 2019

1000s of bottles of water and sodium chloride for treating tear gas victiums, thousands of construction helmets, miles of cling film to cover exposed arms, all ferried person to person to the front line. Saw a guy at lunch handing out maybe 200 burgers from Maccy Ds from a box.

— Mike Bird (@Birdyword) June 12, 2019

Brawl now pic.twitter.com/MLgPkOnHmx

— Mike Ives (@mikeives) June 12, 2019

Tear gas surrounds demonstrators carrying umbrellas as they clash with police outside Hong Kong's government HQ #ExtraditionBill #香港 #反送中 pic.twitter.com/s7e0C6S3OK

— TicToc by Bloomberg (@tictoc) June 12, 2019

“Special conditions” and “large scale activities” in Hong Kong today mean cross border buses from Shenzhen are being rerouted. It’s incredible that Shenzhen is only a 14 minute train ride from HK yet almost everyone I’ve spoken to here in SZ doesn’t know what is going on pic.twitter.com/foK2uixG4n

— Sue-Lin Wong 黄淑琳 (@suelinwong) June 12, 2019

The scene descended to chaos as the police move on the protestors. #ExtraditionLaw #HongKong pic.twitter.com/0Gy38xlrIo

— Katherine Li (@Katherineli1997) June 12, 2019

British consulate opens door to protesters needing sanctuary. #HongKong #antiELAB

Other consulates should do the same, immediately. pic.twitter.com/tdNF5XitqX

— Adam Ni (@adam_ni) June 12, 2019

So much tear gas was used by Hong Kong riot police that commuters waiting at nearby subway stations and people in shopping malls were coughing and tearing up, and many sought medical attention https://t.co/11vfkcurTe

— The New York Times (@nytimes) June 12, 2019

Ice cream break #hongkongextraditionlaw #hongkongprotest pic.twitter.com/Gex98Srd5A

— Hannah Dormido (@hannahdormido) June 12, 2019

Hong Kong police have just fired tear gas on protesters who demand the withdrawal of the #ExtraditionBill

TicToc's @JosieWonghk is there #香港 #反送中 pic.twitter.com/Q4C7ls66Of

— TicToc by Bloomberg (@tictoc) June 12, 2019

Powerful quote that shows how the motivations of the protestors in HK today go far beyond the extradition bill. https://t.co/z41aNc8thS

— Sui-Lee Wee 黄瑞黎 (@suilee) June 12, 2019

pic.twitter.com/ean6ZgOlsN

— Nathan VanderKlippe (@nvanderklippe) June 12, 2019

Tear-gassed and pepper-sprayed out of Admiralty, protesters close streets of Central. pic.twitter.com/97nZXvH1cy

— Sheridan Prasso (@SheridanAsia) June 12, 2019

There is usually never a line at the train ticketing machines. Judging from an overheard convo, it appears that people are reluctant to use their rechargeable Octopus cards for fear of leaving a paper trail of them having been present at the protest. pic.twitter.com/s1rsgSnCqL

— Mary Hui (@maryhui) June 12, 2019

"We're afraid of having our data tracked," one female protester told me.

She said that this ticket-buying was't as prevalent during the 2014 Umbrella Movement. Five years on, however, people are more wary & aware.

— Mary Hui (@maryhui) June 12, 2019

A quirk of history: it used to be too humiliating for China to even ask for extraditions from Hong Kong. How the tide has changed with the passing of time. It would unquestionably be an embarrassment for China if the extradition bill were shelved now. https://t.co/NDHb7KNA8M

— Mary Hui (@maryhui) June 10, 2019

Hong Kong protests on the front page of Wednesday's New York Times Live coverage here https://t.co/t86Q43LG4u pic.twitter.com/Yf1j5epy18

— Austin Ramzy (@austinramzy) June 12, 2019

Asked if she will withdraw the #ExtraditionBill, Carrie Lam said as a mother, she cannot budge every time her son demands something #HongKong https://t.co/nO92qsIy0o

— RTHK English News (@rthk_enews) June 12, 2019

Central is occupied right now, full of people checking their phones, trying to figure out what is happening. Teams are giving out water and bread. pic.twitter.com/aCmvJmiTL5

— Louisa Lim (@limlouisa) June 12, 2019

Earlier inside Pacific Place shopping mall in Admiralty as #extraditionbill protest continues into evening. (courtesy of witness there) #HongKong

Police Fire Tear Gas, Rubber Bullets at Hong Kong ‘Riot Situation’ https://t.co/gwRbD0AhqQ @bpolitics @tictoc pic.twitter.com/NtreEhlxV9

— Fion Li (@fion_li) June 12, 2019

“A person residing in the U.S.—or any country that has an extradition agreement with Hong Kong—could technically be transferred from the city to mainland China, according to Jerome Cohen, a law professor at New York University.” https://t.co/RyOKe6U7MS

— Muyi Xiao (@muyixiao) June 12, 2019

Some incredible photojournalism by @LamYikFei for @nytimes of the Hong Kong extradition protests. https://t.co/pbtYxMpgv9

— Andrew Peng (@TheAPJournalist) June 12, 2019

New barricades are being erected. The occupation does not appear to have dispersed, just moved further into the CBD. pic.twitter.com/Br6TwjFV2f

— Louisa Lim (@limlouisa) June 12, 2019

The view in Central tonight. pic.twitter.com/n6lakjvpY8

— Louisa Lim (@limlouisa) June 12, 2019

What a timing?! Telegram is the key plateform for #HongKong #antiELAB protest organisers. https://t.co/dSBVnX3AXv

— Adam Ni (@adam_ni) June 12, 2019

When you're joining the revolution but also need to prepare for your math test. #HongKong #NoToChinaExtradition #extraditionbill pic.twitter.com/f9xSog9uDm

— Christopher McCandless 🇫🇷🇪🇺 (@ChrisMcCandl) June 12, 2019

I’m not sure it is a miscalculation: starting from the post-SARs Article 23 protests in the early 2000 Beijing seems to have taken the tack that to give an inch is to invite a mile.. their MO seems to be to possibly allow mild concessions but press on. #2047

— Mei Fong/ 方凤美 (@meifongwriter) June 12, 2019

The view, a stonesthrow away from the HSBC building. You can see the lines of peaceful protestors stretching back from Central to the frontline close to the Government HQ @SCMPNews pic.twitter.com/p3ejoMc27Z

— Danny Lee (@JournoDannyAero) June 12, 2019

One scene from HK’s streets, which still reek from the gusts of teargas via Instagram: https://t.co/ApYlz1HA9H pic.twitter.com/Ptx8L1wteq

— Louisa Lim (@limlouisa) June 12, 2019

This truck just rolled through in Centra with additional supplies, to cheers from the crowd. People are now helping to unload& unpack boxes of bottled water. The crowd claps. #HongKongProtest pic.twitter.com/EbFyUlsgOu

— Mary Hui (@maryhui) June 12, 2019

Added note: Although there were relevant reports, the word "blood" in the original title was changed to "masks" since none of the above tweets directly mention them.

Yulin Too Has a Horse Flying for Tourism

Some readers may have noticed that a photo of Yulin's Youth Square in a recent post included a sculpture based on the iconic Flying Horse of Gansu bronze sculpture similar to the one at the Ganzhou Railway Station in Ganzhou, Jiangxi, I featured last year. Indeed, as in Ganzhou, the horse is a symbol for the China National Tourism Administration (CNTA) and the base of the sculpture indicates the city was identified as a "Top Tourist City of China".

Unlike the sculpture in Ganzhou, the one in Yulin is surrounded by area frequented by pedestrians — or on some days skateboarders.

My impression is that in their central districts Ganzhou offers more for tourists than does Yulin. However, I suspect Yulin's award may be for the many sights in its other districts. In any case, Yulin has its horse sculpture.

Protesting Against Extradition in Hong Kong

There was a big march in Hong Kong today:

Over a million people have joined a mass protest against the Hong Kong government’s controversial extradition bill, according to organisers. . . .

The protesters marched towards the legislature over an issue that has underscored divisions in society over trust in the legislature and the Chinese judicial system.

Hong Kong’s government first proposed legal amendments in February to allow the city to handle case-by-case extradition requests from jurisdictions with no prior agreements, most notably China and Taiwan.

To add to the many already out there, with permission I will pass on some photos of the protest shared by friends in Hong Kong. A few were shared publicly, and those are attributed. Most were shared privately, so out of care and such they aren't attributed.

Source: Chung-wah Chow

Source: Chung-wah Chow

Source: Chung-wah Chow

A Claim About Truth at a Uniqlo Store in Yulin

The Japanese clothing retailer Uniqlo recently made the news due to the some shoppers', shall we say, intense desire to buy items from a newly released clothing line. I don't know whether the only Uniqlo store, which opened less than two weeks ago, in Yulin faced similarly enthusiastic customers. A shirt from another collection did catch my attention on the 30th anniversary of the crackdown at Tiananmen though. I had noticed the shirt similarly displayed before, but the words and apparent image of a brick wall on it had a stronger effect that day.

The shirt also reminded me of last year's post here "A Tiananmen Story Told Through Shirts & Dresses in Guangzhou, China". Had I done something similar this year this Uniqlo shirt probably would've been part of it.

Another Anniversary of a Crackdown in China: Today in Yulin and 30 Years Ago in Chengdu

In Yulin, Guangxi, nothing seemed unusual at Youth Square (青年广场) this evening on the 30th anniversary of the crackdown at Tiananmen Square in Beijing.

The same held true for Dongmen Plaza (东门广场) in Yulin.

And again, nearby on the other side of the Dongmen Commercial Plaza (东门商业广场) nothing seemed out of place, including the children running about and chengguan (Urban Administrative and Law Enforcement Bureau officers) keeping street vendors away.

While considering the date's significance I have previously shared the seemingly everyday nature of what I saw in front of my eyes on June 4 in Chinese cities as far apart as Hengyang, Hunan, and Xining, Qinghai. But the first time was eight years ago when I was in Chengdu, Sichuan. So of all the excellent recent pieces on this topic, for now I will just share a link via a tweet to U.S. Representative Andy Levin's account and photos of the crackdown in Chengdu, where he was a student at the time. It's yet another reminder that what happened 30 years ago in China wasn't at all limited to just Beijing.

Thirty years is such a long time, and yet it was as if I was in Chengdu yesterday, wetting my bandanna to put over my face to battle the teargas, stepping through the glass and rock strewn streets to be with the people as they battled the authorities. https://t.co/9aPNKhJDw7

— Rep. Andy Levin (@RepAndyLevin) June 3, 2019