The View From My Window
I am currently in Guangzhou, China, staying at the Holiday Inn Shifu. It’s a beautiful hotel that I highly recommend to anyone. But that is not the subject of this post.
A major shopping district borders my hotel. It is one of many “walking streets” that exist in China, with numerous shops and restaurants of various quality and prices. The historic Guangzhou Restaurant is one of the centerpieces here. But that is not the subject of this post either.
I have included a small slice of the view from my window on the 13th floor of the hotel (see below for a more comprehensive view). If you notice the portion I have circled in white, you will see a row of buildings with an amazing facade. In many areas, where “Old China” (history, tradition, etc.) intersects with “New China” (Commercialism, capitalism, etc.) you see many “historic structures” with a new and attractive facade. The freshly painted and beautiful front, hides the age and disrepair that remains.
Honestly, I could write volumes of commentary about how this is a micro-illustration of what continues to be one of the greatest ironies of Chinese societies, but I will not.
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