tandem4family – Mit der Familienkutsche von Shanghai nach Beijing
When the family is reunited after two days, I tell Volker of my Tai’er zhuang experience and we make a brainstorming. If Yaowan was Toontown, then what Tai’er zhuang Ancient Town should be? Chinese Disneyland? – Fitting, for the whole “ancient“ town is newly built and it displays some historically dressed statists. But Disneyland makes no pretence that it is for real, plus it offers rides. Potemkin village then? – Even better, for most of the buildings are nothing but impressive facades, with empty concrete interiors. However, this does not capture the air of cheerful consumerism. A ghost town? A historically themed, open-air shopping mall? But what about the exuberant entrance price, almost triple of that to the Forbidden City? At the end we resign. Tai’er zhuang is simply Tai’er zhuang, sad as it is.
