One week after Mo Yan became the first Chinese author to win the Nobel prize, proud local officials rushed out a £70 million plan to transform his sleepy village into a "Mo Yan Culture Experience Zone".
From a story in the Telegraph...
Until last week, the county of Gaomi in the eastern province of Shandong was a
poor farming community. It was here that Mr Mo ate tree bark and scrabbled
for wild vegetables to survive a tough childhood.
When reporters tracked down Mr Mo, 57, to his family home in the wake of his
prize, they found his 90-year-old father working the farm, unperturbed by
the hullaballoo.
But now, ambitious Communist party chiefs see a glorious future for the county
as tourists flock to pay homage to the Nobel prize winner.
On Tuesday, Fan Hui, a local official, paid a visit to Mr Mo's father to ask
him to renovate the family home.
"Your son is no longer your son, and the house is no longer your house,"
urged Mr Fan, according to the Beijing News, explaining that the author was
now the pride of China. "It does not really matter if you agree or not,"
he added.
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