Monday, 31 August 2015

Boom to bust? Factory town feels pinch from China's slowdown

Ma Xinqing worked in this factory in Tengzhou, Shandong, for 20 years before it was shut down.  He now works as a security guard, keeping watch over the empty, decaying buildings.
After decades of explosive growth fueled by cheap
exports, China's economic slowdown is taking a toll on factory workers who've found themselves left behind.
Ma Xinqing and Wang Dishan each spent 20 years working at a machine factory in Tengzhou, an industrial city in the northern province of Shandong.
The industrial plant closed earlier this year. Today, they are are the only remaining employees on site, working as security guards. The rest were laid off or transferred.
They spend their days walking amongst silent, empty factory buildings. Leftover pieces of machinery are piled up, collecting dust. Weeds are slowly taking over.
"The two of us are looking after the place. We watch the factory," Ma says.
"The space has been cleared and now they are seeing if other people will rent it. The business was not good."
ADVERTISING

No comments:

Post a Comment