From Shanghai Journal:
Reading propaganda signs is not only a great way to learn the Chinese language, but also a way to keep up with contemporary issues and concerns. Yesterday (Nov 30) I accompanied Martin Winter on a tour of his local neighborhood, Zuojiazhuang 左家庄。
Martin works from his home as a translator for a local newspaper and also translates Chinese fiction into German. He has cultivated a special interest in propaganda signs, which can be found in every neighborhood and on every street in the city.
Some of these signs are posters or billboards put up by the government, others are simply chalkboards that the local neighborhood committee uses to post messages in colored chalk. Some are quite simple, others are works of art. The use of chalkboards allows the local committees to keep up with the ever-shifting sloganry of the Chinese government, while putting in their own personal artistic touches. [Full Text]
