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Almost four months after the sudden shutdown of Xiao Ximen – one of Kunming's busiest intersections – the upper level of the new, so-called 'turtle back' flyover is preparing to open to traffic as soon as July 1, according to a Dushi Shibao report. The report, which cited sources involved in the construction project, said that the upper level of the flyover at the intersection of Dongfeng Xi Lu and Renmin Lu is nearly complete, aside from throwing down 16 centimeters of asphalt and installing four bus stops. Barring excessive rains the upper level should open for traffic on July 1, the report said. Construction of the flyover has had a major effect upon traffic flow in Kunming's Wuhua district, much of which has been rerouted through ill-prepared streets such as Wenlin Jie, Cuihu Nan Lu and Honghua Qiao. The reopening of Xiao Ximen to traffic is expected to alleviate traffic pressure on these side streets. According to traffic police statistics, a total of more than 21,000 automobiles, 26,000 bicycles and other non-motorized vehicles and 43,000 pedestrians pass through the intersection at Xiao Ximen during the morning and afternoon rush hours. Image: clzg.cn Related article: Construction of 'Turtle back' throws Kunming traffic into chaos Tags: construction, traffic, Xiao Ximen Auguste François, Yin Xiaojun and Kunming at the end of the Qing DynastyThursday, 29th May 2008 ~ Chris ~ Link ~ Comments (0)
Like most other Chinese cities, Kunming has been racing toward abstract ideas such as 'modernity' and 'development' via extensive demolition of the remaining older parts of the city to make way for gleaming high-rises filled with offices, apartments and retail space. First-time visitors to Kunming, be they Chinese or foreign, have to put a real effort into finding the few older parts of the city that are still around. Until 1952, Kunming was a walled city – the wall and its gates are long gone, but their existence still echoes today in place names like Xiao Ximen (小西门, 'Lesser west gate') and Beimen Jie (北门街, 'North gate Street'). There are also less obvious connections to the wall, such as Qingnian Lu (青年路, 'Youth Road'), which was once Kunming's east wall. The city government in 1952 ordered hundreds of young people to tear down the wall and use its bricks to make a new road running north-south. To show its appreciation for the young people that demolished the east wall, the city government named the new street after them. With the wall out of the way, Kunming began marching toward a future in which for several decades development trumped culture heritage. History is one of the primary contributors to any city's character, with older physical structures offering the most palpable connection to the past. In 2008, almost all of pre-1949 Kunming has been razed to clear a path for modernity. On some levels this could be considered true progress as many of Kunming's older buildings were built of earth and lacked simple amenities such as plumbing. That said, some may argue that wholesale demolition of a city comes at a psychological cost. "I feel that many Chinese people have no faith," Kunming native and private photo collector Yin Xiaojun (殷晓俊) told GoKunming. Yin has spent the last 10 years researching a collection of photos by Auguste François (1857-1935), who served as French consul in south China between 1896 and 1904, during which he spent several years in Kunming and elsewhere in Yunnan working on obtaining a concession from the local government to build the rail line from Vietnam to Kunming, which was then known as Yunnan-fu (云南府). "Many of us are looking for where we've come from and where we're going," Yin said. "Through the extensive photography of Auguste François, we can discover where we've come from. His photography is the earliest, largest and most complete collection of photographs documenting Chinese society at the end of the Qing Dynasty"
Over the last ten years, Yin has researched his entire collection of François' photographs, comparing them to documents from the Yunnan provincial government's archives as well as translations of François' memoirs. In order to make the photos more useful in a historical context, he has spent the last decade ascertaining the subject, location, social background and photographer. After acquiring 1,241 François photographs and motion pictures via purchase and exchanges with French cultural organizations, Yin held his first exhibition of 360 photos from the collection in Kunming in 1997 at the Yunnan Provincial Museum. More than 250,000 people bought tickets to take a look at Kunming at the start of the 20th Century, setting an attendance record for a single exhibition at the museum that still stands today. Subsequently Yin was invited by 44 mainland cities to bring his collection to their top museums – he chose four: Beijing, Xi'an, Zhengzhou and Chengdu. In 1999 he ceased exhibiting the photographs because he felt a need to find out as much as he could about each shot's story. Fast-forwarding to today, Yin says he has completed his research and is preparing several projects related to the François photo archives. In October of last year, he traveled to the locations of all the François photos to document the current conditions of the places François shot more than a century ago. His travels took him to Singapore, Hong Kong, Guangdong, Guangxi, Yunnan, Sichuan and Shanghai. He is planning on using the then-and-now photos in a new book he began writing this year. Yin said he would also like to organize a new exhibition of François' photos highlighting the massive change in China over the last century. His end game, however, is to build a museum that displays the collection permanently. GoKunming thanks Yin Xiaojun for providing a sample of photos from the François archives to share with our readers. Over the coming months we will publish 25 photos and their stories every Wednesday. We hope that the photos will help bridge the gap between Kunming's distant past and its dynamic present. Contact Yin Xiaojun: His ten years of researching the François photos behind him, Yin Xiaojun is open to discussing possible cooperation with individuals and organizations interested in the collection. Yin can be contacted at yinxiaoj(at)public.km.yn.cn. Auguste François image: Association Auguste François Tags: Auguste François, Beimen Jie, Guangdong, Guangxi, history, Hong Kong, photography, Shanghai, Sichuan, Singapore, Xiao Ximen, Yin Xiaojun, Yunnan-fu Construction of 'Turtle Back' throws Kunming traffic into chaosMonday, 3rd March 2008 ~ Chris ~ Link ~ Comments (4)
After an abrupt announcement on February 27 that the major intersection of Dongfeng Xi Lu and Renmin Zhong Lu – also known as Xiao Ximen – will be closed for six months, the intersection was sealed off the next day and construction on what is being called China's first "turtle-back flyover" (see model above) has commenced. The result of blocking off one of Kunming's main intersections from all four directions and rerouting bus, car, bicycle and foot traffic through several small side streets around Xiao Ximen has led to chaos and significant inconvenience, which is expected to last until September. Smaller roads such as Wenlin Jie, Cuihu Nan Lu and Honghuaqiao are now being used to accommodate heavy traffic, with gridlock and a cacophony of horns common on the more congested streets during peak times. The 63.6 million yuan (US$8.9 million) project will essentially raise the intersection for motorized vehicles, while pedestrians, bicycles and all other non-motorized vehicles will cross the intersection via separate channels within the "turtle belly" beneath the intersection. According to local media reports, the goal is to improve traffic flow and increase safety by separating motorized vehicles, bicycles and pedestrians. In the meantime, bus passengers used to taking routes 2, 5, 10, 22, 26, 52, 54/K2, 56, 61, 65, 66, 69, 81, 82, 84, 96, 98 or 100 are advised to learn the redirected bus routes that will be in effect until September - click here for Chinese-annotated maps of all redirected routes. Below is a translated summary of the new routes. Bus Route: 2 (Kunming Train Station to Huangtupo) Originally passed through: Renmin Zhong Lu, Dongfeng Xi Lu, Yieryi Dajie New route includes: Renmin Zhong Lu, Huashan Xi Lu, Wenlin Jie, Dongfeng Xi Lu, Yieryi Dajie Bus Route: 5 (Juhuacun to Liangjiahe Chechang) Originally passed through: Dongfeng Xi Lu, Kunshi Lu, Xichang Lu, Huancheng Xi Lu, Renmin Xi Lu New route includes: Dongfeng Xi Lu, U-turn at Xiao Ximen construction zone then mirrors bus route 82 Bus Route: 10 (Jindian/Golden Temple – Art Theatre) Originally passed through: Yieryi Dajie, Dongfeng Xi Lu, Renmin Zhong Lu, Wuyi Lu New route includes: Yieryi Dajie, Dongfeng Xi Lu, Kunshi Lu, Xichang Lu Bus Route: 22 (North Train Station – Daguan Lou) Originally passed through: Yieryi Dajie, Dongfeng Xi Lu, Renmin Zhong Lu, Wuyi Lu New route includes: Yieryi Dajie, Dongfeng Xi Lu, Kunshi Lu, Xichang Lu Bus Route: 26 (Huangtupo – Guanshang) Originally passed through: Kunda Lu, Dongfeng Xi Lu, Beijing Lu New route includes: Kunda Lu, Xichang Lu, Jinbi Lu, Beijing Lu Bus Route: 52 (Daguan Lou – Civilian Airport) Originally passed through: Daguan Lu, Xichang Lu, Renmin Xi Lu, Dongfeng Xi Lu, Baita Lu New route includes: Daguan Lu, Xichang Lu, Jinbi Lu, Baita Lu Bus Route: 54/K2 (Mianshan – Tanhua Temple) Originally passed through: Renmin Xi Lu, Renmin Zhong Lu, Renmin Dong Lu New route includes: Renmin Xi Lu, Xichang Lu, Kunshi Lu, Cuihu Nan Lu, Pucaotian (outbound), Honghuaqiao (returning), Renmin Xi Lu, Renmin Dong Lu Bus Route: 56 (High-Tech Development Zone – Nanping Jie Carrefour) Originally passed through: Renmin Xi Lu, Renmin Zhong Lu New route includes: Renmin Xi Lu, Xichang Lu, Jinbi Lu, Guofang Lu, Wuyi Lu, Renmin Zhong Lu Bus Route: 61 (Northern Bus Station - Baima) Originally passed through: Renmin Zhong Lu, Renmin Xi Lu New route includes: Renmin Zhong Lu, Huashan Xi Lu, Wenlin Jie, Dongfeng Xi Lu, Yieryi Dajie, Xichang Lu, Renmin Xi Lu Bus Route: 65 (Bashi Jiayuan – Xiao Ximen) Originally passed through: Yieryi Dajie, Dongfeng Xi Lu, Renmin Xi Lu New route includes: Yieryi Dajie, Dongfeng Xi Lu, Kunshi Lu, Xichang Lu Bus Route: 66 (Mianshan – Shidai Nianhua Xiaoqu) Originally passed through: Renmin Xi Lu, Dongfeng Lu, Guofang Lu, Jinbi Lu, Xichang Lu New route includes: Renmin Xi Lu, Xichang Lu Bus Route: 69 (Liangjiahe Chechang – Expo Gardens) Originally passed through: Dongfeng Xi Lu, Renmin Zhong Lu New route includes: Dongfeng Xi Lu, Cuihu Nan Lu, Pucaotian (outbound), Honghuaqiao (returning), Renmin Xi Lu Bus Route: 81 (Mingbo – Kunshi Lu) Originally passed through: Renmin Xi Lu New route includes: U-turn at Xiao Ximen and return to Mingbo Bus Route: 82 (Majie – Nanping Jie West End) Originally passed through: Renmin Xi Lu New route includes: U-turn at Xiao Ximen Bus Route: 84 (Northern Bus Station – Nanping Jie West End) Originally passed through: Yieryi Dajie, Dongfeng Xi Lu New route includes: Yieryi Dajie, Dongfeng Xi Lu, Kunshi Lu, Xichang Lu Bus Route: 96 (Northern Bus Station – Yongchang Xiaoqu) Originally passed through: Yieryi Dajie, Dongfeng Xi Lu, Renmin Zhong Lu, Wuyi Lu New route includes: Yieryi Dajie, Dongfeng Xi Lu, Kunshi Lu, Xichang Lu Bus Route: 98 (Juhuacun – Sujiatang) Originally passed through: Guofang Lu, Dongfeng Xi Lu, Jianshe Lu New route includes: Guofang Lu, Wuyi Lu, Huashan Xi Lu, Wenlin Jie, Jianshe Lu Bus Route: 100 (Mingbo – Xiao Caiyuan Flyover) Originally passed through: Renmin Xi Lu, Cuihu Nan Lu, Yuantong Jie New route includes: Renmin Xi Lu, Xichang Lu, Kunshi Lu, Cuihu Nan Lu Turtle-back Flyover Model Image: clzg.cn Related Articles: Major Kunming traffic arteries converted to one-way roads Kunming to address worsening traffic congestion Tags: traffic, Turtle Back, Xiao Ximen |
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