jobs

jobs, originally uploaded by china.sixty4.

A "notice wall", in a small village, in the far east of the city - Withe China's economy growing at an average of 11 % per year for the last twenty years it is still difficult (mainly because of the huge population) to find a job

hidden #2 - square # 48

hidden #2, originally uploaded by china.sixty4.

A man dressed in an 'army' coat, sits on a cement bench on the corner of a "nong tang" (alley) on the eastern edge of the city
photo: mhobbs

father and daughter - square # 47

father and daughter, originally uploaded by china.sixty4.

A middle aged man and his daughter, in a doorway of a "hutong" (traditional Chinese alley dwelling) in a "market street" in the centre of the city
photo: mhobbs

living the dream

living the dream, originally uploaded by china.sixty4.

A man (a sweeper) sleeps on the backsteps to a large department store in the centre of the city

As "the great economic boom" continues to push China further ahead in both its economic wealth and status amongst the worlds "Super powers", many of its 1.4 billion citizens are being left behind.

"Income shock" such as failing crops, health problems and injury were the main cause of a decline in the incomes of the poorest 10 per cent of China's 1.3 billion people from 2001 to 2003, the World Bank said on Friday.

World Bank economists revealed last week that the incomes of more than 100 million Chinese had fallen by 2.4 per cent during a period when China's economy was growing at an average of about 10 per cent annually.

With over 70% of its population still living in rural areas away from the growth corridors of the south and east of China, and the rural population "growing increasingly" dissatisfied with the pace of reforms and corruption within their communities. The totalitarian "central government" in Beijing is becoming nervous about the state of unrest amongst its people.
photo: mhobbs

drums - square # 46

drums, originally uploaded by china.sixty4.

A young woman sells "toy drums" on a street corner in the centre of the city, behind her is a man at his "candied sour apple" vending cart
photo: mhobbs

tinker #2

tinker #2, originally uploaded by china.sixty4.

A shoe repair vendor sits at his small stall in the centre of the city, his small business is overshadowed by a huge billboard on a wall behind him
photo: mhobbs

bing - square # 45

bing, originally uploaded by china.sixty4.

A woman stands at her small "Bing" (Pin Yin) "flat bread" store at the "Yan Da" market in the Laishan district on the eastern edge of the city

hat

hat, originally uploaded by china.sixty4.

An old man walks along a narrow "nong tang" (alley) on the western edge of the city
photo: mhobbs

rise

rise, originally uploaded by china.sixty4.

A man stands by his "stall" in a market "nong tang" (alley) on the western edge of the city, with a new apartment building 'going-up' in the background.
photo: mhobbs

taking a break - square # 44

taking a break, originally uploaded by china.sixty4.

An old man, with his shoe repair tools, relaxes on an abandoned couch on a busy street in the center of the city
photo: mhobbs

roasted sweet - square # 43

roasted sweet, originally uploaded by china.sixty4.

A street vendor stands by her "sweet potato roaster cart" in a small backstreet in the center of the city
photo: mhobbs

after the fall

after the fall, originally uploaded by china.sixty4.

"After the fall" - Arthur Miller
The stage is dark. Now there is a sense that some figure has moved in the farthest distance; a footstep is heard, then others. As light dimly rises, the persons in the play move in a random way up from beneath the high back platform. Some sit at once others come farther downstage, they seem to recognize each other, still others move alone and in total separateness.

The snow fell all day on December 2 2006, this is two days later, within the campus of "Shandong Institute of Business and Technology", early morning light shinning brightly through the beech trees.
photo: mhobbs

dried chilli's # 2

dried chilli's # 2, originally uploaded by china.sixty4.

Dried chilli's hang on a pink wall, outside a restaurant in a "nong tang" (alley) in the Laishan district, on the eastern edge of the city.