China's abandoned places

30th November - Chengdu, China

It seems that there are few outdoor spaces in China where you can go to be alone. Across the country people live their lives on the street and this makes for a vibrant experience. Thus it came as a bit of a surprise when, in Chengdu, we stumbled on a couple of places that were completely deserted.

Chinese cities often possess many of the qualities that I would look for if I were trying to persuade someone to vote for the Green Party. Having experienced a fair number of these, I can say that Chengdu rated really rather well and was a pleasant place to spend our last days in the country.

One of the nicer places in the city is the Wenshu temple. It appears to be an O.A.P. hotspot for those of you who like a nice cup of tea and a blanket over your legs. The vegetarian restaurant is run by monks and serves up some fantastically named dishes including; 'Jade and Crystal World', 'Dance of dragon and phoenix' and 'Treasure land'.

Another of the city's highlights, Remnin Park, does 'park' like it should be done, by including a host of different attractions. As a result, it bustles like a street market as people play mahjong, practice ball room dancing, sing opera music or practise their 'wax-on, wax-off' moves in the exercise area.

However, the one area of the park that was totally devoid of locals was the funfair. Like another episode of Scooby-doo, the aged rides lay motionless and rusty in the late afternoon sun. Even the sound of traffic seemed too distant and for the briefest of moments, it was as if we were no longer in China. As quickly as that feeling came, it departed; someone hacked up behind us and we were back in Chengdu.

A day or so later we were again graced with another deserted place; this time it was a shopping mall. Not many years ago, this large and impressive structure must have hosted more than 50 shops. Today it holds but a handful, thinly spread between countless empty glass units; a living example of retail death.