Sam Posted June 6, 2003 at 05:04 AM Report Share Posted June 6, 2003 at 05:04 AM I recently spent 3 months in china and received an email from a friend there (has been there for about a year and a half) proposing this question: "I have noticed whilst living here that just before they pull a brick wall down they paint it." does anyone know why this is done (she doesn't)? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roddy Posted June 6, 2003 at 05:10 AM Report Share Posted June 6, 2003 at 05:10 AM Possible reasons are 1) painting the bricks before knocking the wall down reduces dust. In Beijing at least, construction companies are required to take dust reduction measures, such as covering large expanses of bare ground with tarpaulins, or hosing down sites before work starts. 2) the bricks are to be reused later, which requires painting. It's easier to paint them in one go in a wall rather than doing them individually. 3) The paint reduces wear and tear on the sledgehammers used to knock the walls down. However, I doubt any of these are true . . . Roddy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest jinshan Posted June 8, 2003 at 11:58 PM Report Share Posted June 8, 2003 at 11:58 PM In my experience, most of the pointless, crazy things that happen in China have no discernible purpose other than to create work for people. Hence the two gangs of workers who do relays outside my apartment at all hours of the day or night - gang 1 digs a hole, gang 2 fills it in; gang 1 digs a hole, gang 2 fills it in ... Jinshan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sudasana Posted July 2, 2003 at 04:43 PM Report Share Posted July 2, 2003 at 04:43 PM In my experience' date=' most of the pointless, crazy things that happen in China have no discernible purpose other than to create work for people. Hence the two gangs of workers who do relays outside my apartment at all hours of the day or night - gang 1 digs a hole, gang 2 fills it in; gang 1 digs a hole, gang 2 fills it in ...Jinshan[/quote'] That sounds like what they did in the U.S. during the Depression. Are things worse in Sichuan / Chengdu than in Eastern China? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
holyman Posted July 9, 2003 at 04:32 AM Report Share Posted July 9, 2003 at 04:32 AM i wonder if sam means painted the whole wall or just painted a chinese word 'chai' meaning 'demolish'? if its the latter then its only a mark for the worker to know which one is up for demolish. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sam Posted July 11, 2003 at 08:24 AM Author Report Share Posted July 11, 2003 at 08:24 AM no they paint the whole wall Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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