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RELATED THEMES development migration OTHER THEMES IN NE COLLECTION THEMES IN SW COLLECTION BACKGROUND |
communications in the northeast collection Huanglongsi began to be connected by (non-tarmac) roads to surrounding communities at the end of the 1970s. A cobbled road to Lingxi was completed in 1982. The Transport Bureau provided funds for construction and the villagers (including several of the narrators) provided the labour. The roads have brought much change to the area: children can now bicycle to school, there are more trading opportunities and it's easier to reach the nearest hospital. Better transport links have also meant that some traders travel to the village to purchase goods, rather than the villagers always having to travel long distances to sell their produce. Although the roads have made the village less isolated, it is still considered remote in Hebei district and the distance to the nearest town prohibits the marketing of fresh fruit: "…we are 45 kilometres from the town and there will be a lot of trouble with the fresh fruits, which easily get rotten. [But] with this special kind [of apricot] used for the kernel, we do not need to worry about the long transportation to Tianjin, Baoding, even Shanghai. We also planned to build a wholesale fruit market in the township [and] transport our fruits there by motor tricycle. It is still a plan. Lack of funds is still the problem" (China 30). In 1997, when the testimonies were collected, there were no telephone facilities although many households had a television. Television is recognised for its educational potential as well as its entertainment value. It is used as a means of learning about new farming techniques and to gain knowledge of the outside world, as one woman (China 30) notes: "People come to know a lot of important events from watching TV, such as Hong Kong's return to our motherland." The village head also describes her ideas for communication and change which include setting up a speaker system for Huanglongsi to broadcast news and music; and installing cable TV to bring "more information about the outside world". Two narrators mention that before people had televisions, they would travel to different villages to see films: "Now few films are shown here, because every family has a TV set. When we wanted to see films, at that time we had to walk 7 or 8 li (2 li = 1 km) to Wanxian county if we wanted to see a film. We had to scramble up the hills. Now no one would take the trouble" (China 33). The extent of male migration suggests that the men must bring back different kinds of information and experience to the area. Some women have also worked away from the village, and the female head of Huanglongsi describes how she gained the idea to cultivate the mountain slopes from visiting other areas: "In 1993, I had some chances to attend meetings outside of our place, even as far as Ling Xi. At Longju village I met a Party secretary who cultivated a hill. The condition of their hillside is just like ours with a very thin layer of soil" (China 30). quotes about communications"I think changes are greater here because of better transportation…In 1976 before I graduated from high school, I used to walk 20 kilometres on foot to my school everyday…[nowadays students go to school] by bicycle. The county town is 45 kilometres away from here, so nobody goes there on foot as people did in the past…It was the Transportation Bureau of the county who provided the money [for the road], and the workers were from our village. I took part in the construction of the roads." "Every evening we have a chat on the threshing ground. There are men and women. We talk about the children, the crops and the things that have happened in the village." "Before the road was built I had never seen an automobile. Now the transport facilities are much better than before…There's no need for children to go to school by foot. If we cut twigs of the chaste tree (deciduous tree used for basket making) we had to use a donkey to carry them, so we could sell them, but now we don't need to…Someone rides a tricycle to the village and buys the twigs [from us]." "I like reading newspapers, and am concerned about what is happening in the outside world. I also like watching news and stories [on TV]..." "The change is great. The change is mainly in transport conditions. It has come to be more convenient than before. When my husband was ill, I had to walk for 40 miles to Lingxi to get the medicine... But after the road was built there were buses on the road. I give thanks to our Party." "…my parents were reluctant to let me go [to become a film projectionist], for they thought a teacher would have a better future and being a projectionist meant a lot of hard labour. At first I would not listen to them. But later I experienced all the hardship... In the daytime, I had to learn the skills and maintain the machine. In the evening I rushed around showing films. Often I would not be back home until one or two at night… We didn't have any vehicles…Wherever I went, I went on foot, carrying the projector on my shoulder… up and down the mountains to different villages." "[We plant] mainly persimmon trees…It is easier to transport persimmons… Plums and apricots easily go rotten; however, persimmons can last the winter… [and] bring about more money. We didn't gain any profit from peppers last year." "The county earmarked funds for us to build the road but it was built by the local villagers… we used spades to clear the broken bits of stone. We got blisters on our palms. And our feet had chilblains. At that time [of collectivisation] we had our meals in the [communal] dining-hall. We had to eat corn and rice that had not been husked. Everyday we had pancakes and salted cabbages. Recalling the past we think the conditions are better now so we work more vigorously. It was really hard at that time. If I see those scenes about wasting food and money on TV I feel indignant." |
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communications in the southwest collection
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Summary
