Poor Life in Slums of China

This part of China is never visited by tourists. It's always dark here, even in daylight. Its residents are poor but hardworking. They earn their lives trading... The place we're talking about is the slums of Guangzhou.

But before visiting such a gloomy place let's have a walk down some Chinese streets and markets.

These are the best streets in the pictures. Here you can buy Chinese ugg boots at a price of about $6.5 and higher. About half of the female population of China wear them every day. The temperature of 15 degrees above zero seems not to bother anybody - it's still winter.

All the cheapest fakes fully duplicate the logo and the name of UGG Australia while more expensive ones are sewn under their own brand names.

Objects of art and antiquities are also very popular products on all central avenues. The sellers with the same red cloth, the same old money, the same old photos, the same family's bronze and porcelain can be met almost everywhere.

Antiquities are sometimes diluted with hosiery, headphones and other junk.

This is the market of used radio equipment. As in any Chinese market there are many Chinese people there. All of them either eat, or sleep, or nurse their babies. And all this is done without leaving a counter.

By the way, "civilized" markets of electronics look exactly the same. The only difference - goods are kept in boxes there. 

But let's leave the central streets and move to the back ones. This store is obviously called "Everything and at once". Indeed, why stomp your feet if you can buy shoes, a live aquatic turtle, a bouquet, a fancy purse, a pot, and a charging for your phone in one place? Food seems to be the only thing you won't be able to find here.

But actually food is not a problem in China. At every step you can buy greens, or chicken, or both.

In the center of the counter the tubers of sweet potatoes lie. The Chinese bake them in barrels right on the street and then devour them with great pleasure.

It's not quite clear why they sold seashells on the street.



And this is a local flower shop.

The same shop in motion.

The Chinese use their bikes for many purposes. But their main fuction, as you have already guessed, is to carry various goods.

To be Chinese you must know the difference between all these roots and be able to find the most delicious one among them.

Dozens of species of seeds, beans, grains, sticks, balls and other dried fruit are sold here.

All these little dried masses weight not much but cost a lot.

Red and gold things for the New Year celebration.

Do you think there is a great many of different sorts of strange delicacies in China?

Well, actually not. Local exotica tastes terrible. But still there are few exceptions.

And one of them is sugar cane. You buy a stick, a seller peels it for you and that's it - the product is ready for use. It's a usual picture when Chinese walks down the street enjoying the juicy and sweet stick and spitting its solid residues at the feet of surroinding people.

Tomatoes can be easily sprinkled with sugar here. A fruit salad with watermelon can be spiced with mayonnaise. However, it seems better than a smoked rat.

Many people believe that fried scorpions and other insects are just an attraction for tourists. But actually live insects are quite normal here. They are usually sold in the slums where tourists never drop in. Scorpions are like lobsters - the larger, the more expensive. According to Chinese traditions, a live scorpion must be dipped in hot oil before going to the mouth.

They say that during severe famine the Chinese ate all edible insects. Now the harsh times are over, and bananas are sold year-round in this country.

You won't be able to see any frozen chicken here. But their broken off heads - easily. By the way, chicken feet are a great delicacy among the Chinese. They are even imported here from the U.S.

Such districts are composed of small square-looking yards surrounded by multi-storey buildings. There may be a children's playground in such a yard where you can comfortably dry your laundry.

But if space is not occupied by the playground or market, there may be a parking area for bicycles. At the same time, almost every yard has a special place where a table or a barrel or stone for playing Chinese dominoes and checkers are installed.

The passages between the houses serve as streets. Their width varies from zero to about two meters (nearly a wide avenue).

Unfortunately, this idyllic life in the "urban village" is gradually destroyed by the offensive of the city. And maybe in ten years the slums of Guangzhou will disappear forever. Who knows?

via mmet