Jiangnan 江南 - West of Shanghai

On the right is a home built in the new style of architecture. This model can be seen in Beijing as well. On the left are a row of homes in the more traditional architecture. In Beijing, the government called a halt on the development of single family houses in 2004 in the suburban areas of Beijing. As the city sprawl spreads to the suburbs rural villages are turned into industrial parks, recreational areas, and housing developments. The pressure on the traditional economy is overwhelming. On the one hand, agricultural jobs are replaced by machinery and on the other, the amount of available land for individual farms is shrinking.

The trees in the foreground are young saplings supported by a grid of bamboo. Trees along the road help to control emissions, cool the road, and screen sounds from the passing traffic.





China Index >> History of Shanghai and Suzhou Region >> Jiangnan, Rural Shanghai

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Last update: February 2007
© Marilyn Shea 1996, 1999, 2002, 2007