First off, this whole “public space” thing keeps popping up. Apparently, there’s this book, “Re-Visioning the Public in Post-Reform Urban China: Poetics and Politics in Guangzhou” (try saying *that* five times fast!), that’s all about how we think about public spaces. It’s trying to like, shake up the usual Western ideas about who gets to be *in* public and who gets kept *out*. Makes you think, doesn’t it? I mean, who *decides* what “public” even means?
And then there’s this Li Shaoying person, or *about* this Li Shaoying person, who’s connected to this whole collective activities and public social life thing. Makes me wonder if they were involved in making these public spaces… *more* public? You know? More accessible to everyone? ‘Cause, like, in the early 90s, Guangzhou started ditching the entrance fees for parks. That’s a big deal! Free parks for everyone! Suddenly, everyone can just wander in and chill without having to shell out cash. That’s gotta change things, right?
Oh, and I saw something about the Canton Fair. Sounds massive. Like, a huge trade show. It seems that there’s a book on how this event affects the place. And there’s something that talks about the transformations in Guangzhou over the past ten years. New landmarks, old towns… it’s like watching a city grow up right before your eyes. Which is pretty cool if you ask me.
Speaking of cool, I saw something about a craft beer festival! The Bravo Guangzhou Craft Beer Festival! Sounds like a blast, right? Like, all the fancy thinking about public spaces gets put into practice – people just hanging out, enjoying themselves, drinking some local brews. It’s like a real-life example of what that book was talking about, maybe? Ok, maybe I’m reaching here but still.
