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A gray dust hung over the village of Hongqiao ("Rainbow Bridge"), located 10 kilometers Southwest of Ezhou, in Hubei province. Red trucks with worn-down tires constantly converged on a strange building, a black skyscraper humming in the middle of terraced fields. Nearby, an elderly couple tended a rice paddy. Harvest was a month away. "You don't like it, do you?" the man, who requested anonymity, called out. There was a thoughtful silence. "This stench, this smell of pollution, of shit! Nobody in the village likes it." He walked away, then turned back: "We're counting on you to report on this!"
In the small houses of Hongqiao, portraits of Mao still hung above dining tables. Zhang pointed out that in her home, the portrait of Christ had replaced Mao's 40 years ago. Her daughter-in-law slipped away to hide. Zhang wanted to make sure the visitor had eaten before voicing her complaints: "Why don't we like it? Because it stinks! We can't stand it. We're poor, we can't leave our homes because nobody would ever want to move here. Those with money have already gone to the city. Yesterday, the smell carried for kilometers, but today, it's a bit better, we can breathe."
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Dawdling Pigs Go Backwards During Annual 'race'
Scott EllisBBC News, West of England
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The pigs, painted with stripes to distinguish them, had to be coaxed in the right direction with vegetables, one volunteer said
A Wiltshire village hosting an annual pig race was inundated with excited crowds over the weekend.
Hundreds lined the race track through Bishopstone, near Swindon in Wiltshire, as the British saddlebacks – including Bacon City Roller, Chairman Sow and Habeus Porcus – made their way past small obstacles.
A "Piggy Power" bookmaker set up to raise money for charity managed to make £1,000.
Tim Finney, landlord of the village pub, The Royal Oak, helped to organise the race. "They're having a great time and being well fed," he said. "But it's not really a race, is it? Some of them have been going backwards."
Commentator Mr Finney said that the so-called International Pig Racing event, which is described by organisers as "the world's worst sport", was all just a bit of fun.
"It's a very informal day. We're a very informal village, and I just think people like it, and I think also people sometimes just need to do something silly."
Organiser and commentator Tim Finney said the race was very informal
Volunteer Rae Henderson said the pigs had been trained to walk around a track – but still needed help on the day.
"As much as they get trained, they don't actually do what they're told so I stand behind them at the board and tell them to go forward instead of backward," she said.
She said she used vegetables to keep them going in the right direction.
"Obviously the main motivation is food," she said. "They won't do anything without food. "
To keep the pigs going in the right direction, volunteer Rae Henderson tempted them with vegetables
Farmer Helen Browning, who owns The Royal Oak and the pigs, said that any concerns about their welfare were misplaced.
"They seem to enjoy it, and they have their moment in the sun," she added.
Ms Browning, who is also the head of the organic food certification charity the Soil Association, added: "When you think that most pigs live in incarcerated concrete jungles and never see the light of day, they would give their eye teeth to have a day pig racing and all the fun that goes along with it."
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