Bang Bang Bang!

The locals had so much fun three weeks ago blowing up the People's Hospital, that they decided to blow up another building. This morning it was the turn of the Zhongshan Mansions Hotel (Zhong Shan Dasha) in the heart of the city centre. 

Right next door, they are also demolishing what was Guilinren restaurant and the adjoining cinema. Guilinren was, some years ago, relatively popular with the local expats because it was the only place in town with a semblance of a western menu. There was a small upstairs section which they called the "international section" and which did some steaks and their own take on a pizza - cooked by someone who had only ever seen a picture of a pizza and so, with Chinese characteristics. As time passed, the service became worse and worse. Half the menu they never had and finally, I gave up. The rest of the restaurant was a noisy semi-self service Chinese snack emporium. They even had a live band most evening which bulldozed its way through popular numbers of the day (or popular numbers from all our yesterdays when they decided to play western songs.) 

I only went to the cinema once. Many years ago. I forget which movie because I never saw it. The screen was so dark nothing was visible and the sound appeared to have been transmitted from the moon by someone with a speech impediment.

I left after 15 minutes and on complaining to the box office was told that they can't turn up the brightness or sound because it disturbs the clientele. It seems the venue was not so much for the cineaste's delight but a short time venue for sexual trysts among people who couldn't afford hotels. And the movies being shown were pirate VCDs anyway. It was cheaper to buy the VCD than go to the cinema and not  be able to see it!

And here's the video.

tags: liuzhou  china  demolition  cinema  

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