3 RMB gets you one jin (1/2 a kilo or 1 pound) of coal, which you can conveniently buy off the back of trucks in downtown Haiyang.
Employees at stores throughout the city huddle around petite coal stoves like this one below for warmth.
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That’s their only heating? If so–wow.
Yep. Brrrrr.
Looks good inviting….NOT! Thankful for what we have!
I clearly recall that when I first came to China over 20 years ago, you would see chaps with handcarts stacked with coal-dust bricquettes going round the hutongs – it was the only way of fuelling heating and cooking, and no doubt responsible for some of the pollution. Now the powers-that-be in Beijing have tried to outlaw this, and indeed many of the hutongs are long gone – changing the city, changing China.
On a lighter note, last week my three year old grandson asked his parents why girls and boys had to be asleep before Father Christmas (aka Santa) would come. His father told him that those were Santa’s rules and they had to be obeyed, he continued by telling my grandson that children who had been naughty would not get presents, they would just find a lump of coal in their stockings. Grandson was suitably impressed by Santa’s power and went away. Half an hour later he was back, “What is coal?” he asked!!
I can believe it. The hutongs around us are starting to disappear as well. I imagine in another 10 years they’ll be bulldozed and replaced with apartment buildings. Very cute about your grandson! Hope Santa brought him some nice gifts.
Hey I recognize that thing in the lower left corner!
Ha! Was wondering if you’d catch that.
Isn’t all the stuff around that little coal stove highly flammable?
Why would that matter? TIC