{"chapterKey":"china/taiyuan","title":"Taiyuan","regionSlug":"china","status":"published","photos":[{"sha":"fb2de0e1c64401d476c7c28ff59b90f24e66f61d6f07275e13b244f307fc1424","caption":"Aerial approach. Looks like a City of the Future, as envisioned early in the 20th century. Except that this is no artist's conception. That's the Fenhe flowing south toward its confluence, a couple of hundred miles downstream, with the Yellow River.","width":2048,"height":1536,"aspect":1.3333,"orientation":"landscape","layoutHint":"wide","srcThumb":"https://wtbl.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/fa668d0d3d65c2d8a447cc5054ebd942","srcSmall":"https://wtbl.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/b283fb8b26cd52c9794263a5de47ae1b","srcMedium":"https://wtbl.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/aacd9b593875dfd8182a9dedeaeee757","srcLarge":"https://wtbl.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/df89a5fc965337ccfa6f8fb0f686856b","srcOriginal":"https://wtbl.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/fb2de0e1c64401d476c7c28ff59b90f2","altText":"Aerial approach. Looks like a City of the Future, as envisioned early in the 20th century. Except that this is no artist's conception. That'"},{"sha":"d83df5529d915d1d568a3beeebb16c2dec5162ff116d5ff361b3deaef1d37249","caption":"Not only is this a place of high-rises, it's a place where high-rises grow in thickets or, in that ugly word, complexes. You can see at least three generations of housing here: pre-Revolutionary, Maoist, and recent.","width":2048,"height":1536,"aspect":1.3333,"orientation":"landscape","layoutHint":"wide","srcThumb":"https://wtbl.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/5ba6045a7ee4cc63887e767b49d8781b","srcSmall":"https://wtbl.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/f7bcafcbb18bc3f143a3f57e82b4da94","srcMedium":"https://wtbl.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/a159945a6b0a6287161519661724766c","srcLarge":"https://wtbl.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/037687255ddb9f6f9b9f241ff7ec39cd","srcOriginal":"https://wtbl.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/d83df5529d915d1d568a3beeebb16c2d","altText":"Not only is this a place of high-rises, it's a place where high-rises grow in thickets or, in that ugly word, complexes. You can see at leas"},{"sha":"62e2daa636c63eb70e16b911eb481a355eb823de40f0e98b083670905b3f656d","caption":"The older areas are a reminder of the poverty from which China is emerging.","width":2048,"height":1536,"aspect":1.3333,"orientation":"landscape","layoutHint":"wide","srcThumb":"https://wtbl.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/a0a1d5674399a804ca406f6b467686df","srcSmall":"https://wtbl.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/55af7210c6ad60bd4d0fb35eb99ccfb0","srcMedium":"https://wtbl.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/f4342bddd605006029f1db4a63de5477","srcLarge":"https://wtbl.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/77948258d82316949fefa6a95960ea51","srcOriginal":"https://wtbl.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/62e2daa636c63eb70e16b911eb481a35","altText":"The older areas are a reminder of the poverty from which China is emerging."},{"sha":"9a0f29bb9e7536a44960c041b96c60db221f3859813f7b23df16ec5522cdd6f2","caption":"Another view, with the Longtan Park in the upper left.","width":2048,"height":1536,"aspect":1.3333,"orientation":"landscape","layoutHint":"wide","srcThumb":"https://wtbl.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/d1b95756c6a2b9d955732d207d65363a","srcSmall":"https://wtbl.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/df27125d3e18100bf8c65ef0b0c161ad","srcMedium":"https://wtbl.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/b97cf8ecf558171a45ce781130352e7d","srcLarge":"https://wtbl.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/b6df93f5f5153cce3c631385373353dc","srcOriginal":"https://wtbl.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/9a0f29bb9e7536a44960c041b96c60db","altText":"Another view, with the Longtan Park in the upper left."},{"sha":"7191014dea085377a3915011f0873fbefc1009c618724f6b44ad31b58b0e79db","caption":"Fu Xi Street and Xin Jian Road. This corner is the city's aspirational focus.","width":2048,"height":1536,"aspect":1.3333,"orientation":"landscape","layoutHint":"wide","srcThumb":"https://wtbl.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/90a7a8ed1b6b821d5d88c7756ff4ea55","srcSmall":"https://wtbl.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/e0df279570d9978f12426f4fd2dabb6d","srcMedium":"https://wtbl.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/c3b563ccb976238e2dca81c803f8ff2c","srcLarge":"https://wtbl.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/758f9cfa6c0b90c6afaa6c77dfb2cb46","srcOriginal":"https://wtbl.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/7191014dea085377a3915011f0873fbe","altText":"Fu Xi Street and Xin Jian Road. This corner is the city's aspirational focus."},{"sha":"4d25527fadc92d971b100239a16e90e8902182c14f9bd56a16ff7bba80328fc4","caption":"The magnetic attraction of luxury brands, for the moment at least foreign.","width":2048,"height":1536,"aspect":1.3333,"orientation":"landscape","layoutHint":"wide","srcThumb":"https://wtbl.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/1c75a0fce9558d95ace35f0ac80419aa","srcSmall":"https://wtbl.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/98e1c1390fa1d3291d1067b0a5d712d7","srcMedium":"https://wtbl.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/c8cbf90ca943ca1f80135813918d5ce3","srcLarge":"https://wtbl.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/457c9a79041446c5ef1c1c26fba38a43","srcOriginal":"https://wtbl.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/4d25527fadc92d971b100239a16e90e8","altText":"The magnetic attraction of luxury brands, for the moment at least foreign."},{"sha":"ffabb737926c1bc797d04e70154c1ef17b36ed0f8562f6a732bae449c2a419a5","caption":"The models are White.","width":2048,"height":1536,"aspect":1.3333,"orientation":"landscape","layoutHint":"wide","srcThumb":"https://wtbl.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/2522b9669872dd4e5b8dfd2970206ed0","srcSmall":"https://wtbl.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/39bcdef7bde2c544d8b013f840b6c319","srcMedium":"https://wtbl.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/ebe54338ffb509d000ef2efac5cf79eb","srcLarge":"https://wtbl.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/105cba4c8150afeb7a017e82af61e838","srcOriginal":"https://wtbl.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/ffabb737926c1bc797d04e70154c1ef1","altText":"The models are White."},{"sha":"c39aaa98a83a7bbec079c2567f53633837474e08913956b3bd1135da626ed5b3","caption":"Surely the Chinese do not wish to be rich Whites, but the ad agency seems to have thought otherwise.","width":2048,"height":1536,"aspect":1.3333,"orientation":"landscape","layoutHint":"wide","srcThumb":"https://wtbl.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/b309617cf09f4bcff215ee708f5a8b99","srcSmall":"https://wtbl.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/33456ac9ec0e8ef981c8eccc5a59faa3","srcMedium":"https://wtbl.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/178add6a0a269960872d7c6eee0173fa","srcLarge":"https://wtbl.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/7e53c1bb084fcad062861b72b860d87b","srcOriginal":"https://wtbl.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/c39aaa98a83a7bbec079c2567f536338","altText":"Surely the Chinese do not wish to be rich Whites, but the ad agency seems to have thought otherwise."},{"sha":"ad2522ae59bdf364e437705bf14ceef7d6e8f12031144dd700507a7ed64b51bd","caption":"Taiyuan is sometimes called a rust-belt city, and when it appears in Western news stories, the topic is usually related to coal. You'd never know it.","width":2048,"height":1536,"aspect":1.3333,"orientation":"landscape","layoutHint":"wide","srcThumb":"https://wtbl.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/79ad1da4cc514045e9267a681a55eb2a","srcSmall":"https://wtbl.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/270da4acc2934de631592293493d6dc6","srcMedium":"https://wtbl.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/5219c71b3fdc49819aaf909e500cad30","srcLarge":"https://wtbl.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/91cba1c5b57a79e8b6a2276c28530355","srcOriginal":"https://wtbl.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/ad2522ae59bdf364e437705bf14ceef7","altText":"Taiyuan is sometimes called a rust-belt city, and when it appears in Western news stories, the topic is usually related to coal. You'd never"},{"sha":"0d73231826113b75a3945d3453411b5dc1729473998c66be0562ff1faa695ae3","caption":"Wealth, respect, and fun? Is that it, folks?","width":2048,"height":1536,"aspect":1.3333,"orientation":"landscape","layoutHint":"wide","srcThumb":"https://wtbl.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/b684240063de16485be9d7abbdd83748","srcSmall":"https://wtbl.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/e1de8b9eecb21debada960ce7f8103e2","srcMedium":"https://wtbl.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/3ee73d94ca32c95d1923f301970a9daf","srcLarge":"https://wtbl.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/ee37d6d997d54b82ae4b358237e81f7a","srcOriginal":"https://wtbl.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/0d73231826113b75a3945d3453411b5d","altText":"Wealth, respect, and fun? Is that it, folks?"},{"sha":"0a19bf0ff35958c91c02e8c8eb27461ed0406dc39eb08bebbb75b822b8f3b662","caption":"For people who work themselves as hard as the Chinese, perhaps nothing is as alluring as time-wasting.","width":2048,"height":1536,"aspect":1.3333,"orientation":"landscape","layoutHint":"wide","srcThumb":"https://wtbl.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/513acbe7ae413442d6334e36a25d3256","srcSmall":"https://wtbl.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/d7157a6bab6944836b5e4fe0751233dd","srcMedium":"https://wtbl.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/d26006c5f0d97988b50cd3a1a49db5b8","srcLarge":"https://wtbl.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/ba9c61f6e2a47610e46c2c15a397e24d","srcOriginal":"https://wtbl.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/0a19bf0ff35958c91c02e8c8eb27461e","altText":"For people who work themselves as hard as the Chinese, perhaps nothing is as alluring as time-wasting."}],"createdAt":"2022-02-28T01:38:59.000Z","updatedAt":"2022-02-28T01:38:59.000Z","lead":"Taiyuan is another of those second-tier Chinese cities that are hardly known outside China despite having populations approaching or in excess of three million. What to expect? The best short answer is: more than you expect.","visitedDate":"2009","publishedDate":"2009-03-24T04:00:00.000Z","originalUrl":"https://www.greatmirror.com/index.cfm?countryid=129&chapterid=1352&picturesize=medium","heroSha":"fb2de0e1c64401d476c7c28ff59b90f24e66f61d6f07275e13b244f307fc1424","authorLabel":"Bryan Wallach","_meta":{"sameAs":[]}}