I went to Ciqikou today with Shu Wen to look at the traditional town, which was built in the Ming Dynasty and follows the traditional layout of the town, with the most important areas of the town in the centre, with an outer city and an exterior wall. We took two buses to get there, which took 1 hour 45 minutes, and cost 2 yen each way.
The town is a historic preserved site, and although it is a very popular attraction, quite a few of the original buildings (most of which are still occupied) have been damaged or modified with more modern appendages or modifications. In the centre of the town, is the Baolun Temple, which is a beautiful spot, and we lit some incense and made a wish. As it was a national holiday today, it was very busy, and many sweet treats were on offer. We had some hawthorn fruit and walnuts on kebab sticks coated in toffee – tasty and sticky! Another delicacy on offer was fried insects and chilli, maybe next time for this one!
I have also been discussing with Shu Wen how she and her contemporaries use the internet (she is currently studying Fine Art at the Sichuan Arts Institute). She uses ‘renren’ often, but not ‘fanfou’ although she is aware of it. She had heard of facebook, but the other websites she was not aware of as she has never left China. She too is pretty nonchalant with regards to the strict control over internet use.
I have been completing some more research into censorship online, (which is quite contradictory as I can access it within China), http://www.cfr.org/china/media-censorship-china/p11515. In particular, a paper that the government released internationally about their stance on internet control. I am going to continue with drawing tomorrow.
