CHINESE cities are known for their drab architecture and congested streets. Old structures have been torn down and new ones built in their place with such disregard for aesthetics that there is often little variation in building design or street layout. Some, however, attempt to create a distinctive hue, for example by requiring shops to use mock-traditional façades, or by erecting fancy streetlights with a local theme.
In Ruili, a slightly seedy town on the Burmese border, lamp posts are topped with golden peacocks (see picture). The nearby town of Mangshi prefers diving swallows, and Lincang, farther south, uses small metal aeroplanes. In Yangshuo, a sightseeing mecca in the southern province of Guangxi, the lights are shaped like bridal headdresses. In Emeishan, a city in the south-west, they resemble camellias and flower buds. And in Xi’an to the north, home to the famous terracotta warriors, electric lanterns hang from the mouths of dragons’ heads.
But there is a dark side to this prettification. Chinese media have invented a term for it: “streetlamp corruption”....Continue reading
Source: China http://ift.tt/1j35hoD
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