Siu Heng! 肇慶

In the column below I bemoan the fact that my first Inner Guangdong town, (where I coined the phrase ‘hovelage’ – excellent traditional Chinese architecture made to last but a little careworn) has become a roaring modern monstrosity.

That’s all true, but it also has really … special sartorial style as well as haircuts, notably in the youth discos:

Also, its former rather over-colourful water show with pounding military music is now all in white and with proper soothing muzak

BUT! The eight-lane highways through the formerly sleepy little town, the faux luxury condos all empty and the removal of all the outdoor restaurants – all is forgiven! Because everybody spoke Cantonese. When we talked to people in Cantonese, the just answered us in that, their own, language, as if we were normal human beings! Not in English. Not in Mandarin.

That’s worth a bit of mindless destruction, I reckon.

肇慶 – Siu Heng (Initiate Celebrations/”Zhaoqing”)
馬路 – Ma Lou (Horse Road/highway, any road with traffic)
大廈 – Dai Ha (Big Building/High-rise, skyscraper)