By XI MEITEI
Western Media Correspondent
CHANGSHA (China Daily Show) – Yesterday, the Hunan provincial capital of Changsha was merely a dot on the map. Now, thanks to disgraced politician Bo Xilai’s trial not happening there, it still is.
“By not hosting Bo’s court case in our beloved city, we have really put Changsha on the Provincial Semi-Autonomous Economic Zone map,” boasts tourism chief Mao Yudan.
There’s a palpable sense of energy in the air, one that has changed Changsha from being more than simply another dreary, second-tier conurbation. “Changsha is no longer just that place where you changed trains to Shanghai,” reckons Mao. “Now it’s a place where things really don’t happen.”
Adding to the sense of dynamism, large banners reading ‘Bo Xilai trial: discounted hotel rates available’ drift abandoned through this giant, inconsequential place.
Local newspaper The Changsha Bugle seemed to best capture the vibrant mood: its front page today ignores the Bo rumors, instead running with a two-page exclusive about the various benefits of braised fatty pork.
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