Chinese Manufacturing
China, On the Banks of the Yangtze 2003
We stood on the deck of our old cruise ship scanning the river banks. Signs posted on the steep hills displayed the depth the river would be when it reached that spot. Farms and villages would soon be underwater thanks to the dam being built downriver.
I imagine this factory is underwater, too, and maybe that is a good thing. It looked a hellish place to work. The few workers I could see had only their hands and strong backs to carry material from the river to the factory and back. They did have a little funicular, but I think it, too, was powered by men. The cart looked like a version of a soap box derby car. The sky was gray. Mud was everywhere. Men worked in the mud and smoked their cigarettes squatting in the mud.