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That photo looks like China had done a rural village improvement project. The buildings are new, not old farmers' homes. I wonder if that's one of the Tibetan areas in Sichuan. They had a project of tearing down traditional Tibetan architecture, and replacing it with "modern" architecture.
This one is not from Tibetan region but Bazhong in Northeast Sichuan.
Some old buildings in China do not really meet the safety code and must be replaced, especially in places where earthquakes are common. Nowadays nobody really wants to destroy history on purpose. The new buildings try to follow traditional styles too.
This is where villagers actually live, and there are thousands of such projects. Face or not, it is great.
My concern is quality.
Based on what I have read, many people in charge of construction tried to cut corners so they could line their own pockets or impress their superiors, and the results are shabby buildings.
Taiwan's cost of living is high, and thus per capita GDP is artificial to a large extent. Also, places without trade sanctions imposed are further inflated by the US dollar evaluation of per capita GDP. In this case, Taiwan looks poorer because it is. Ukraine's GDP is about 1/20th of Taiwan's, but it's artificially undervalued.
Yeah, but Japan has a lower GDP per capita than Taiwan and Japan ain't any cheaper either.
Yeah, but Japan has a lower GDP per capita than Taiwan and Japan ain't any cheaper either.
Many Taiwanese tourists' experience in Japan is that Japan is cheaper than Taiwan, and a common sentiment from Taiwanese I often read online is that taking a vacation in Japan is cheaper than in Taiwan.
Based on what I have read, many people in charge of construction tried to cut corners so they could line their own pockets or impress their superiors, and the results are shabby buildings.
It's improved in recent years, especially in "sensitive" areas drawing a lot of attention (minority groups, poor farmers and so on).
China also requires every village to be connected by roads, and expects every village to be connected by internet soon. (Since 2011, all Chinese villages have had telephones.) These projects have some elements of "face" but also benefit the farmers. Foreign media merely report such achievements.
Many Taiwanese tourists' experience in Japan is that Japan is cheaper than Taiwan, and a common sentiment from Taiwanese I often read online is that taking a vacation in Japan is cheaper than in Taiwan.
I'm not sure how costs compare in Taiwan, but coming from the pricey SF Bay Area, I've found that the travel costs in Japan are actually a lot more reasonable than one might think - for food, lodging and transport.
I live in both countries. Taiwan has lower wages and similar to higher costs than Japan where chronic deflation has kept prices moderate. Taiwan is a better place to be a business owner though and Japan is a better place by far to be an employee, particularly because of its growing labor shortage. The quality of life in Japan is better than in the US and better by far than Taiwan’s, where pollution, congestion and economic decline have led it to being called the ghost island by young people who see little hope in their future there.
Many Taiwanese tourists' experience in Japan is that Japan is cheaper than Taiwan, and a common sentiment from Taiwanese I often read online is that taking a vacation in Japan is cheaper than in Taiwan.
Some places are very cheap for tourists but expensive for residents. Germany and Austria are very reasonable for vacation but very expensive for residents.
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