Chinese media digest -Tuesday, September 4

Source:Globaltimes.cn Published: 2012-9-4 17:54:58

Keywords: Petitioner injures six in suicide blast, “underpants” skyscraper gets locals’ knickers in a twist

 

Petitioner injures six in suicide blast

 

A villager in Shandong Province detonated a home-made bomb in front of the town government building on Monday morning, killing himself and injuring six over medical compensation dispute.

 

Qu Huaqiang from Tengjia town, Shandong, had previously threatened to blow up the local government building if he was not compensated, according to Chinese media.

 

With reports of vigilante justice resulting from citizens’ frustration with unresponsive officials on the rise, Chinese media sounded off after the Shandong case.

 

Changjiang Daily based in Wuhan suggested this is less an individual case and more of a symptom of larger social issues, perhaps an early warning against the lack of an effective social operational system. Qu’s act is an example of the desperation felt by many Chinese, of the individual struggling against intensifying social issues, the paper noted.

 

The article goes on to discourage such forms of violent protest and instead urges the public and officials to reflect on their behavior. 

 

Rednet.cn, a news website in Hunan Province, dubbed the recent phenomenon “petitioning syndrome”, whose symptoms include ordinary people taking extreme measures against authorities and over perceived injustices and putting pressure on local governments to achieve "stability”.  

 

“Communication is the cure”, wrote the news site, warning that desperation can be a fatal disease, and we should not take notice only after such problems explode in our faces.  

 

Ccvic.com, a news website operated by Beijing Hua Sheng International Club for Journalists, commented that the root of the matter lies in inept management and corruption, and officials should turn stop trying to block petitions and receive them instead.  

 

Suzhou “underpants” skyscraper gets locals’ knickers in a twist

 

“Gate of the Orient”, the 69-floor arched skyscraper under construction in Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, has recently attracted attention on the internet due to its resemblance to “giant long johns” and “low-rise jeans”.

 

Netizens are likening the structure to the new CCTV building in Beijing, which has a similar open-center design and has long been dubbed “big boxer shorts”.  

 

“Now CCTV tower doesn’t feel lonely anymore!” posted netizens on Weibo.

 

A Beijing News editorial regarded the recent online ridicule as an outlet for dissatisfaction over the buildings’ design, and suggests that both city officials and developers take the aesthetic tastes of the general public into consideration when launching new projects. The paper asserts that a landmark building of a city should not only win accolades from professionals but also from the public.

 

In addition, designers should introduce the design to the public in advance and collect suggestions before beginning construction, suggested the paper.

 

The West China City Daily, a daily newspaper in Chengdu, called the “underpants building” dispute a clash between architectural and public aesthetic, raising the question, “how on earth should a building’s aesthetic be examined.”

 

The paper opined the backlash is a result of local residents’ frustration over having no say when it comes to their city’s skyline. If public opinion continues to be overlooked, architects will lose credibility with the public, even if their building is well designed.

 

But news site rednet.cn urged netizens not to be over-critical. No matter if it is the Gate of Orient or the CCTV building, their semblance to “underpants” is just one impression, and if we change our perspective we’ll find that they are actually grand structures.

 

If viewed objectively, the Gate of the Orient resembles more of a gate than underpants. From this perspective, the building is welcoming and an expression of hope for the future – an appropriate symbol for both Suzhou and China.

 

The Beijing Daily echoed that we should be more open-minded towards new building designs. Like the CCTV building, while some feel it resembles underpants; others appreciate its post-modern style and unusual shape.

 

The paper also emphasized that beauty and ugliness are relative and arbitrary terms. Some designs were famously criticized at first only to win praise afterwards for their vision. “Although people may not accept an avant-garde building design at first, after a while they will get use to it. And before you know it, an ugly building is beautiful,” the paper added.



Posted in: Chinese Press, Chinese Media Digest

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