| April 2006 www.guardian.co.uk Welcome to the largest city in the world. Migrant workers flood in and skyscrapers rise up. But what is the real cost of rapid industrialisation? Jonathan Watts investigates. Li Zhiguan, also known as Spiderman, perches perilously on the side of a towerblock. "I've seen a very big change in the city. From up here, you can notice the difference in the space of a week." For the rich, Chongqing is 'a place of dreams.' However, the majority here live below the poverty line by doing back-breaking work. With the population set to double to 20 million by 2020, worries about the environment and workers welfare are put to one side. Nothing, it seems, is going to stop the industrial revolution of the 21st Century. |
