beijing underground domestic interiors of air raid shelters Mao Zedong prepared the nation for nuclear war as Sino-Soviet relations continued to worsen in the 1960s. His instructions for the Chinese people were encapsulated in a nine- word slogan: dig deep tunnels, store food, prepare for war ( 深挖洞，廣積糧，不稱霸 shenwadong, guangjiliang, buchengba ). Mao’s words led to the construction of an enormous number of underground air raid shelters. Underground shelters continue to be an integral part of today’s national defence programme. The following is a series of interior photographs of an underground air raid shelter, one of 80 such hostels in a close area, taken in Beijing from 2005-2006.
housing | hostels by rufina wu
migrants subalternity informal housing neglect state power
Water Room Located at the very centre of the complex, the Water Room is where you have the chance to meet and interact with everyone. The Water Room bustles with activities during meal times, when residents come to wash and prepare food, early mornings when people come to perform their morning rituals be- fore heading off to work, and on the weekends when people do their laundry by hand. Over menial tasks like scrubbing dishes or clean- ing fruits and vegetables, residents chat casually with their neighbours.
Women’s Washroom There are two toilet stalls and one shower in the Women’s Washroom. The enclosure to the shower consists of a 2x4 board, a swinging toilet partition,and a plastic shopping bag to tie the previous two items to- gether.The shower faucet is locked. The superintendent unlocks it after the ¥1 RMB fee is paid.
On Site review 22: WAR
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