1. I do not understand the relevance of what does or doesn't go on in the U.S. to this discussion.
2. 'Voluntarily' traveling to work and live in the Dwarf Empire is not entirely voluntary, as an above message itself: the message mentions how poorly small people are treated when applying for other jobs - i.e., the problem is one of establishing a level playing field in the society itself - dwarf kingdoms etc. are merely escapes, which increase the public attitude that these people are a globally 'special' group who can perform cuddly roles, etc., for tourist amusement, and can't do anything else.
Winners: Best of Kunming Awards 2016-2017
Posted bySaw a couple people accept and then immediately auction off excellent raffle prizes they had won but would not or could not make use of, and give the money to a charity - seems to me to be a good and valid option to include in future events.
Dual high-speed railways usher in new era for Yunnan
Posted byNote that the South RR Station is on the underground/subway.
I have just returned from Guangzhou to Kunming South - 9 hours, good comfortable seats, quiet, smooth, bright & shiny; ran at about 200 kms/hr. Price a little over Y400. Even the food on the train was better than the usual quite-bad food on ordinary trains. There's a faster train that is supposed to take about 6 hours, price a little over Y800.
Around Town: Dancing in Green Lake Park
Posted byOn balance it's a good thing: public space for the public.
Heshun: Old school charm in western Yunnan
Posted byReally nice photos, makes me want to visit the place, although I object to the practice in China of charging entrance fees to visit whole towns, which turn them into museums.
Celebrating a Miao Christmas in Yunnan
Posted byI take your point, hedgepig, but cultures change, very often brought on by outside influences, and I'm not sure that taking on Christianity is necessarily more negative than taking on nationalism or various other doctrines - I'm not pushing anything in particular, except that the circumstances are always somewhat particular and have to be judged that way. For better or for worse, there is no hermetic sealing against the outside - the general question is, who's in charge here?