After Beijing and Shanghai, Guangzhou is set to be the latest Chinese metropolis to get spruced up for a major international gathering. From AP:
For the past year, workers have been repainting hundreds of buildings in Guangzhou and topping them with pitched roofs made of PVC sheets molded to look like tiles. It’s part of a government-led campaign to spiff up this gritty metropolis for the Asian Games, a major sports competition in November.
The faux roofs have enraged many middle-class residents, but there is little they can do. Urban Chinese have enjoyed an explosion of personal freedom in the past three decades. They can pick their own jobs, start their own businesses and buy their own apartments.
But the government can still show up one day and announce that their homes will be getting a red roof — whether they like it or not. Though many believe they deserve a greater say in civic affairs, citizens remain powerless when officials launch a massive campaign with little or no public consultation.
“A few of my neighbors occupied their roofs and refused to leave, but they had to eventually,” said Zheng, an office worker. Like other residents, she wouldn’t give her full name, fearing trouble with officials. “We don’t have a choice. There’s no use challenging the government.”
