City by the bay

Hang on! That is San Francisco, isn't it? Yes, I think so and there was a sentimental song about leaving one of my internal organs somewhere or other. Anyway, Shenzhen is more or less on a bay, although perhaps it would be more precise to say that it is on a muddy delta. There is, however, a rather pleasant park that goes along the seafront (or maybe the mudfront). My dear Irisha insisted on calling it "the Corniche". Memories of the Nile in Egypt or Qatar, I should think. Actually, this waterside public space reminded me of the Aspire Park in Doha, as it was all a bit too new and antiseptic. At least there was no fake birdsong on the loudspeakers and there were no Qataris throwing trash everywhere (and expecting all of the Nepalis to pick it up for them).

The waterside park is the foreground for some silly sculpture and some even more silly buildings. These outlandish constructions came First, Second and Third in in the International Crazy Building Competition. This shows what would happen if Mr Bean were to have an architect's drawingboard.

Shenzhen meets Verner Von Braun

We took line 11 of the MTR to Houhai and then walked through the park. In Shenzhen, even the sculptures have their own laptops and, of course, mobile phones. My dear Irisha complained that the statues were not anatomically correct because the legs were too long and the boobs too big, but I was not complaining.

What did Chinese people (and statues) do before there were computers and mobile phones? Talk, perhaps? 

We walked on (and on), hoping to find another MTR and eventualy we did. It was on the other side of the road and hidden away, so we never would have found it without a kind stranger's help.

No fun of any kind is permitted in this park.