[Lake]

>>Just depends on what you prefer to focus on, the negative (whatever the motivation) or the positive. I for one prefer to focus on China's ever increasing progress.

The poverty has become a major problem in today's China. The economic development has benefited only a small number of so-called "elite" people while the majority of the population are living a miserable life. Yes, miserable.

[killjoy]

The poverty has become a major problem in today's China. The economic development has benefited only a small number of so-called "elite" people while the majority of the population are living a miserable life. Yes, miserable.

Just curious, do you live in China... or Asia? The pictures you posted are normal pics that could have been taken anywhere in Asia. I live in Bangkok and those shots could have easily been taken here.

Since you didn't say, are you trying to make some sort of statement by posting these? It looks like a classic case of someone seeing how someone else lives and then proclaiming it must be bad because it is not what they are used to. Yes, people in this part of the world eat rats, insects, and other creatures. Usually it is because they WANT to not because they have to. I am quite sure it is also the case in the pictures you posted. This has nothing to do with poverty. Again, I have no idea what your agenda is on this.

P.S. Those rats are rather under cooked. Here is a picture I took last week from a roadside vendor around the Lampang, Thailand, area. This is how rat should be cooked.