December 30, 2009

These Are the People Who Made China Cry

Each year, pictures like this cycle through the internet, with newer ones added in.

Title: These Are the People Who Made China Cry...A Hundred Times Better Than the List Compiled by CCTV

1. He kneels in front of the tomb of his wife and child
This man, Liangshan Zhang (张良善), is a member of the transportation corps in Tibet, and each medal signifies the contribution he made to China. Perhaps the greatest sacrifice he has ever made to the country is that in fulfilling duties as a soldier, he was not able to accompany his wife who underwent a difficult childbirth and died.


2. The life of an old women in the Chinese country side
Comments:
1. There are many old people like this where we live. Interested reporters and editors can come and take a look. There is one old man in particular who has not bathed in 10 years. I sometimes wonder how he makes a living for himself.

2. Too many similar cases in the villages. Some farmer became homeless in his old age because he gave the house to his sons!


3. Another elder striving to make ends meet
4. Let's look at the blossoms of our motherland ("blossoms of motherland" is an typical expression to mean children)

The Chinese in the picture translates to:
One day, an English teacher came to our village and taught us our first English sentence: "I want go to school."

Do you hear their plea? It's the most shocking.



5. A retired professor organizes an one-man protest against charging tuition for k-12 education.

He wrote:
"No school should view its students as profit-generating objects. No country should extort its students. They are not commodities and sources for money."

6. Contrast

In this Xi'an restaurant, somebody spent 30,000 yuan on one meal,

...while some children must have their lessons outdoors
7. Another contrast

In a promotion event, a female celebrity sold lamb kabobs on the street. One man bought her charred kabob for an astounding 17,888 yuan, turned around, and gave the bad-tasting meat to a kid.

Here two children dropped out of school because they could not afford a few hundred yuan of tuition. They must now take care of the farm and feed their families.

To them, 100 yuan is an astronomical number...
Another appalling classroom
8. Two classes
8. They were just trying to claim their wages...

Each year, similar incidents take place across China, some even make the news. A separate report for example: http://www.wangchao.net.cn/junshi/detail_28349.html
9.City urban administrators left this old man sobbing. They cut both the front wheel and chain, so he no longer can use this vehicle to sell baked potatoes.
But before being so thorough in performing their duties, perhaps the administrators should consider how else the old man can make a living? No construction site wants a weak old man. No brothel wants an old man.

10. Respect the old; love the young

11. Have you ever eaten what they are eating? Would you ever want to eat what they are eating?
12. In many Chinese news reports, it is the old who are still giving.
13. Just for a few yuan

14. Imagine walking more than 1km with a 200kg load on your back. This 17 year old mine worker has done that many times. Each trip only earns him 1 yuan.
15. Boat trackers
16. Mother and scavenger. This is how she grew old.
17. When we asked to take her picture, she borrowed this backpack. It used to be a 400g detergent box
18. To live..
19. One of the government slogans--the old will enjoy a good life.

Source(s):
http://www.greatwuyi.com/forum/viewthread.php?tid=650&extra=&page=1
http://web.wenxuecity.com/BBSView.php?SubID=mychina&MsgID=432901

3 comments:

  1. I've seen a few of these before. But they, together with the more recent additions, never fail to make an impact - especially when they resonate with what I have seen for myself in China.

    A great post.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I LOVE this collection. Would you mind if I reposted some of these onto my blog with slightly different captions? I'll give you credit for your collection, of course..

    ReplyDelete
  3. Hi Anna.

    You are welcome to repost the photos =)

    ReplyDelete

 
Veggie Discourse - Blogged