Xiangqi at the Lin Zexu Memorial Park in Guangzhou

A game of xiangqi almost over . . .

A new game of xiangqi just begun . . .

The Shangxiajiu Pedestrian Street in Guangzhou During the Qingming Festival

Many people in China remembered deceased family members during the recent Qingming Festival. Highlighting another side of how some spent the day, which for many was part of a three day holiday, a series of photos taken at the Shangxiajiu Pedestrian Street in Guangzhou appears below. One of the popular destinations for tourists visiting Guangzhou, the area was much more crowded than usual for a weekday though there were few signs of the holiday itself. The photos include both people who didn't have to work during that afternoon and people who did.

One of the wider portions of the street

Carrying a coconut to drink

Standing in line for Mango Big Mac drinks and stuffed chicken wings

Standing in line for fish balls

Preparing the fish balls

Keeping things clean

Selling fruit

Driving the bus on a portion of the pedestrian street which isn't as pedestrian-friendly as others

Providing security (and stopping people from riding bikes)

Riding high

Riding low

Riding somewhere in between

A few wore face masks

Walking

Photographing

Burning with Spirit During Qingming in Guangzhou

Today on an old street in Guangzhou some iPhones, watches, and shoes burned.

New clothing was added to the fire.

And more items, such as money and cigarettes, were added.

And the fire burned on.

Eventually, all that was left of the items was a pile of ash.

Water fully put out the burning.

And there was a quick cleanup of what remained.

Had the family needed more to burn, a shop just a short walk away offered plenty of options.

All of the items were paper replicas — part of a tradition of sending needed items to ancestors in the afterlife. Today was Qingming, Tomb-Sweeping Day, and many similar offering were made elsewhere in Guangzhou and the rest of China. Even if your beliefs differ, watching the burnings can feel cathartic.

A Soda for April 1st

April Fool's Day was unusually quiet for me. I had an idea lined up for here, but shortly after starting the post I wondered if it took things too far for my tastes. I didn't have a clear answer, which I figured was enough of an answer. I won't reveal the post, because my tastes may change in the future. I had other ideas, but then the internet slowed to a near halt. Seemed like a sign.

Instead I will pass on something I shared with my brother on that day. I wouldn't call it an April Fool's Day joke, though. We could have an interaction like this any day.

I told him I had found a great shirt for his young kid at a children's clothing market in Guangzhou but wanted to check something with him before buying it.

"He likes soda, right?"

I then shared a photo of the child-sized shirt.

And now onto April 3rd matters . . .

A Few More Details About the Photos Taken for the Guangzhou Twos

In the recent series of posts with the theme "Two Guangzhou [X]" I deliberately provided little context for each of the photos. I have posted photos in a similar format before before but not so many in a row. Initially, I had planned to conclude the series with a post exploring how additional context of one type or another could make an impact for better or worse in each case and then consider some broader issues. Since the process has happily caused me to think about many things and the series went on longer than expected, I would like to hold off on that post and possibly do it in pieces in the future. But I don't want to leave things completely hanging right now, so I will share a few very informal thoughts about each of the posts. They capture, sometimes indirectly, a tiny bit of what I had in mind and also offer a little more . . . context.

1. "Two Guangzhou Roses" — My attention was first drawn to the graffiti due a friend who I thought would appreciate the art, even though the artist unlikely had her name in mind. I usually wouldn't consider that context important to share here though. Instead, I wondered how I could best express the environment in which they were set and the degree to which graffiti is common there.

2. "Two Electric Toys for Sale Outside in Guangzhou" — While I mentioned the locations where the photos were taken I left unmentioned that both of the small lanes are just off of a popular pedestrian street. Does that added piece of information matter? Well, depends . . .

3. "Two Guangzhou Cokes" — This time I offered no details on the locations. Both photos were taken in the same neighborhood though. While the eateries themselves were common for the area, the I hadn't seen many similar examples of the advertising nearby.

4. "Two Guangzhou Eateries" — Both examples here are in the same general part of the city along with all of the examples in the previous posts. The main items — rice noodle rolls and congee — at both restaurants are traditional Cantonese foods, and both places are favorites of locals.

5. "Two Guangzhou Law Firms" — Now we are in a different part of Guangzhou. Although I saw both examples during a single rather long walk, they aren't very near each other. The locations may seem less relevant here for what caught my eye — the contrasting styles of the signs — but they may play an important role.

6. "Two Guangzhou Samples of Text" — Some relevant context for this post could be that this was far from the first time I have seen sample text left on signs or clothing. I did mention that I had seen both in the same day, though people could read different implications into that. Also, it could be worth mentioning that the shirt was for sale at a somewhat-pedestrian street targeting younger people. More about that street another day.

7. "Two Guangzhou Trains" — Since the two photos were taken from different vantage points, some people may not realize they both capture the same railroad crossing. More easy to spot, the photos included different trains. One is of the high-speed variety and the other is not. This was all pure luck. I was making my way to one part of the city and knew I would need to cross the railroad tracks at some point. And of course the way I chose was temporarily blocked when I got there. The delay was worth it.

8. "Two Guangzhou Garbage Bins on the Go" — This last post only included a single photo since there was no need for a second. Just yesterday I saw a similar vehicle towing far more than two garbage bins. Unfortunately it disappeared before I could photograph it.

OK, that is all for now. Maybe this answers some questions. Hopefully this raises some questions.

Two Guangzhou Garbage Bins on the Go

And this probably concludes the recent series of "two" posts. As mentioned before, a post connecting them is on the way.

Two Guangzhou Trains

Two Guangzhou Samples of Text

Both seen today . . .

I have in mind a point connecting all of the posts since last week beyond the simple "Two Guangzhou [X]" theme. After at least one more two I will try to make it.

Two Guangzhou Law Firms

Two Guangzhou Eateries

Two Guangzhou Cokes

Two roses, two toys, and now two . . .

Two Electric Toys for Sale Outside in Guangzhou

At Jihongju (吉鸿居)

At Shiliupu Main Street (十六甫大街)