18 | Friday, July 31, 2020 HONG KONG EDITION | CHINA DAILY LIFE ‘Leftover Women’ a stunning portrayal of marital pressure in China
Ever since I arrived in Beijing I watched a documentary on the I was particularly shocked by the is dumb, selfish and abnormal for The other women featured in the no matter how old they may be, more than a year ago, I have made internet called Shengnu, or Left harsh criticism endured by the not wanting to start a family. Her film were Xu Min and Gai Qi, also are expected to obey their parents’ many efforts to learn about the lan over Women, that was released by woman featured most prominently parents said they constantly worry professional women living in Bei wishes. The struggle for these guage and the culture of the people. PBS earlier this year. The film fol in the film, a Beijing lawyer named about her being alone as she gets jing. Xu, 28, has dated successfully, women to live their lives the way I have made won lows three Chinese women who are Qiu Huamei. Qiu, 34, was interest older with no husband or children but is unable to go any further they want to while also trying to derful Chinese all dealing with problems related ed in finding a companion, but not to look after her, and that they because her mother dislikes every please their parents both dis friends and have to the immense social pressure marrying. Despite her success, her endure sleepless nights and taunts man she goes out with. Gai, mean turbed me and fascinated me at visited historical placed upon them by their families, apparently lower social class (her from neighbors because of her while, winds up marrying a man the same time. sites including the and Chinese society as a whole, to hometown is a rural village in bachelorette status. younger than her, which appears I won’t give away the ending of Great Wall, the Pal get married. Shandong province) coupled with As a Westerner, I was absolutely to be a major faux pas in Chinese the film, but I will say that I really ace Museum, the The term “leftover women” the fact that she was “not beauti shocked at the way Qiu was treat society. enjoyed it and I highly recom Jamal Summer Palace and refers to those who don’t get mar ful” and “too old”, as one relation ed. Admittedly, similar beliefs pre It was quite eyeopening for me mend it. It was quite an educa Branford others. ried by a certain age and are there ship expert callously told her, vailed in the United States for to see just how tremendously tional experience that gave me a Second Though I have fore ostracized as spinsters. conspired to prevent her from find decades, but in modern times, important marriage is deemed to shocking glimpse of one of many Thoughts enjoyed each of Though the unmarried women in ing a suitable partner. As if that marriage is not the huge deal that it be in China and the enormous interesting aspects of Chinese these sites for their the film were professionally suc weren’t bad enough, her family, was decades ago. The ire expressed pressure that younger people face, culture. historical value, I had yet to see any cessful, they feared being deemed particularly her father and sister, by her family, which clearly cut her especially women, to wed. I’ve real films depicting facets of tradi as worthless by society if they were were infuriated by her decision not deeply, seemed overly dramatic. I come to understand that Chinese Contact the writer at tional Chinese culture until recently. unable to find a mate. to tie the knot, suggesting that she just don’t understand it. society is filial and that children, [email protected] Candid camera: Imagemakers Canal steeped in history continues to charm
NANNING — Thrusting a pole region was listed as a national into the water, Ai Junming, 58, water conservancy scenic spot, weaves his way through a lengthy and one year later, the Lingqu canal on his aged wooden boat, Canal was inscribed on the World framing a quaint tableau for Heritage Irrigation Structures. throngs of nostalgic visitors. Along the river, the leisure and Three decades on, though hospitality sector provides a new motorboats have taken hold of the spur for the region and the canal tourist market, a punting tour, to pick up steam. guided by punters like Ai on the In 2019, the Lingqu Canal sce Lingqu Canal in South China’s nic spot received more than Guangxi Zhuang autonomous 300,000 visitors, up by 9.31 per region, has become an iconic cent compared with the previous experience not to be missed. year, and raked in about 3.72 mil “To eschew any oil leakage of lion yuan ($531,664), according to engines that could pollute the local authorities. water, we abandoned the power To date, over 500 residents from boats for the environmental around 150 households in Nan good,” Ai says. doukou, a smaller village within Lingqu is one of the world’s old Zheyuan, have benefited from the est and most wellpreserved arti region’s revival, working as boat ficial canals and was built more men, cleaners, security guards or than 2,000 years ago during the running restaurants and food Qin Dynasty (221206 BC) to serve trucks at the scenic spot. Villagers the emperor’s ambition of con can also cash in about 400,000 quering the tribes dotted in yuan in total as dividends from mountainous South China. Dur the firm that was authorized to ing the Song Dynasty (9601279), manage the spot, according to local officials jerryrigged dozens Jiang Gongyuan, head of Zheyuan of water gates to retool the canal village. for better irrigation of the nearby “I started my career as a boat farmlands. man at the age of 23. My entire The conduit, winding some family sees the canal as an inte Children seem fascinated by shadow play during an intangible cultural heritage class in Huafu communi Online 36.4 kilometers through the gral part of our lives,” says Ai. ty, Tangshan city, Hebei province, on Monday. The community is inviting folk artists to teach high school Scan the QR code for region, thus became a vital prop To preserve the cultural heri and primary students about aspects of culture, such as shadow play, papercutting and Pingju Opera, over subscription or to get a for Zheyuan village in Xing’an tage and bonanza, the National the summer holiday. ZHU DAYONG / FOR CHINA DAILY copy of today’s paper. county where Ai was raised, mak Cultural Heritage Administration ing the area an agriculturally funneled some 166 million yuan developed one in the following into the county, supporting its centuries. preservation and refurbishment. “Before 1937, when the railway The local government also raised was being revamped in the more than 80 million yuan to set Rural residents harvesting prosperous future region, the Lingqu Canal was still up a culture exhibition center, dis a breadandbutter artery for playing the stories behind the transportation,” Ai says. At that canal to visitors. By YANG FEIYUE in Beijing government and found a job at the time, the generations of his The rudiments of modern and SHI RUIPENG in Nanning orange plantation, where the local grandfather and uncle used to water gates can be observed along authority was developing a digital ship salt for chartered merchants the waterway, making Lingqu one Agriculture has transformed vil orchard. and Ai’s father followed suit, run of the most ancient canals lage life in South China’s Guangxi Trimming and watering trees, and ning cargo for a living. equipped with such gadgets, Zhuang autonomous region. taking care of fertilization and But as the 20th century drew to according to Liu Jianxin, presi Farmers were picking mulberry weeding have since been part of his a close, growing towns in the dent of the Guangxi Xing’an Ling leaves in the field and feeding them daily routine. wake of urbanization and the qu Historical and Cultural to silkworms in Changda village, In 2019, an Orah mandarin facili introduction of modern transport Association. Guangxi’s Qingxiu district in May. ty covering an area of more than 46.7 encroached on the surrounding “As the people and the govern This was symbolic of the changes hectares was established. Every farmland, and soon eclipsed the ment go all out in their efforts to that have taken place. Orah mandarin tree carries a QR canal. To find their feet, villagers explore and preserve the old canal, “The land here was deserted in code that gives information on its left their hometown and ditched I have confidence that the water the past,” says Fan Lichao, an official age and fertilization date. their farmland for jobs in bigger way will become a more riveting in the village. Pan then began to learn fruit culti cities. tourist destination and the village Nearly all the young people had vation from technicians and how to In the early 1980s, the country will get a fillip in the meanwhile,” left to work in the cities. Half of the run the information management fell back on tourism to help the Liu says. village’s farmland was unattended. from planting to harvest and sales ancient waterway make a come The local government began to after he finished the field work. The back. In 2017, the surrounding XINHUA develop mulberry trees and silk Farmers harvest litchi, hanging abundantly from trees, in Pubei orchard has introduced an worm industries a few years ago to county, Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region. The region has advanced water and fertilizer irriga boost growth. focused on the development of distinctive agriculture to improve tion system, whose operations are This resulted in a mulberry tree conditions in its rural areas. PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY fully computerized. plantation, covering an area of 20 “It saves time and costs,” Pan says. hectares, and 2,000squaremeter The facility was named a modern silkworm houses being built. mous region has developed a distinctive agriculture demonstra Rural residents can get land rent, national modern agriculture indus tion park last year. and they have been encouraged to try park, five major distinctive farm Pan can now receive 3,000 yuan a work at those facilities. I’m full of produce zones and nine national month, which he says is way more “I can get 80100 yuan expectations about agriculture towns. than what he got doing farming ($11.4$14.3) a day picking mulberry More than 7,000 modern distinc work at home before. leaves and sorting out silk threads,” my new life in future. tive agriculture demonstration facil After tasting the benefits, Pan says Liang Yuexiong, a local villager. I know it takes ities have been set up and are took the initiative to encourage Liang is happy that she can work running across the region, accord more local households to join the near her home, since she can take persistent efforts to ing to the provincial Department of orchard. He also provided them care of her children and the elderly walk longer on the Agriculture and Rural Affairs. with free plantation technique con at the same time. A total of 220,000 poor rural sultations. A total of 16 rural households have road toward households were engaged in the The orchard produced 130,000 engaged in the silk industry, and Fan prosperity.” special industries by 2019. kilograms of oranges this year, and says the local government plans to In Shangdong village, Pingnan every household can get more than scale up the mulberry tree and silk Pan Risheng, rural resident, county of southeastern Guangxi, 20,000 yuan, says Pan Yanli, an offi Pingnan county, Guangxi worm facilities to involve more vil Zhuang autonomous region Pan Risheng has not just got back on cial in Shangdong village. lagers. his feet by growing Orah mandarin At present, a teaoil trees project is In Jinhua town, about a 30min but picked up agriculture manage also under construction in the facili ute drive away, farmers are weeding received 2,000 yuan annually in the ment skills that enabled him to ty to make the best use of the land. and trimming the golden camellia past three years. become a farming leader among vil “I’m full of expectations about my trees. The town has evolved into a Guangxi has focused on the devel lagers. new life in future,” Pan Risheng says. leisure agriculture demonstration opment of distinctive agriculture to Pan’s family was already strug “I know it takes persistent efforts to zone. improve conditions in its rural are gling to make ends meet in 2015 and walk longer on the road toward Top: The Lingqu Canal in the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous It has helped more than 700 rural as. So far, a novel agriculture man things got worse when they had to prosperity.” region is one of the world’s oldest and most wellpreserved households increase income, agement and technical support pay for the medical costs after his artificial canals. LIANG SHUN / XINHUA Above: Tourists enjoy a boat including 50 poor families from system has taken shape. father suffered a stroke in 2018. Contact the writers at ride at a scenic spot in the region’s Xing’an county. Changda village. Each family has By the end of 2019, the autono Pan then approached the village [email protected] WANG ZICHUANG / FOR CHINA DAILY