pictures | URBACHINA

The China Watch. Who moved China’s bicycle? December 26, 2011. Retrieved 30 January, 2014, from http://www.thechinawatch.com/2011/12/who-moved-chinas-bicycle/

Source : 网易新闻. 《看客》第22期：谁动了中国的自行车. October 5, 2010. Retrieved 30 January, 2014, from http://news.163.com/photoview/3R710001/11177.html#p=6I76BCCN3R710001

Bicycle has been the most familiar “stranger” for China and Chinese people, from “bicycle kingdom” known to foreigners to often hit foreign headlines because of cars made a traffic jam, from be proud of a bike to hot debate for returning bicycle. Who moved Chinese bicycle after 61 years of statehood, as increasing economic development, forward city plan and boom desire of people.

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Monique Abud

Centre d'études sur la Chine moderne et contemporaine, EHESS, Paris, France

Comments:

What’s interesting about this is not so much that some Chinese rivers are full of trash – this should not come as a great shock to anyone – but that it is a clever way of making a local issue into a national one. Sina Weibo has proved to be fertile ground for this, and we have seen the same story play out with corruption over the past few years and more and more weibo users realize that corruption isn’t just a local issue after reading weibo accounts of “local” corruption all over the country. Deng Fei appears to be trying something similar here, as while one river being full of trash is a local problem, everyone’s rivers being full of trash might point to a larger problem. – Jacqueline Nivard

Tags: pollution, images, Weibo

by: Jacqueline Nivard