29th Apil 2011
First real day with the river
Today has been a full and important day. After months’ preparation, I finally had the opportunity to stroll and sit next to the river.
In the morning I set off to Li Jia Tuo Bridge in the south east part of the town. The 10-minute’s walk between 501 Artspace and the bridge is full of noise, dust and crazy vechiles, just as anywhere else in China. I walked to the other side of the bridge, found a steep path and descended all the way to the riverside. To my surprise, the exposed muddy river bed was covered by human and animal footprints. It seemed that it is actually a busy place, despite its ugly appearance. A couple were catching tadpoles for their child from a small pond formed by trapped water. They originally came to fly the kite but there was no wind. The river seemed to have changed now: when I was so close to it, it suddenly became alive: the water was running fairly fast, with small waves washing the shiny sand constantly.
In the afternoon I visited another stretch of the river with two local friends. By accident we called into a Buddhism temple, which is next door to the grey power station. The red wall and tranquil atmosphere of the temple are of sharp contrast of its neighbour, but we don’t how long it’ll be there for. This whole area is obviously waiting to be turned into yet more skyscrapers.
In the evening I was having posh coffee in a five-star hotel with a friend. Sitting in the lounge full of marble columns and crystal chandelier, I was actually thinking about the grey river with its messy concrete structures. There seemed to be a sharp contrast again.
