Well, this is one way to deal with discrimination — hundreds of dwarves in southern China have chosen to live in a special mountain commune all their own, where residents must be less than four feet three inches tall to stay. They have their own fire brigade and police department, and now — to help bring in money during a stalled economy — they’ve started a little-people-themed amusement park all their own. Visitors can pay a fee to stroll amongst specially-built mushroom houses and interact with residents, who have begun living and dressing like fairy-tale characters.
Some western commentators have been outraged, but a spokesman for the little people defends their way of living: “As small people we are used to being pushed around and exploited by big people. But here there aren’t any big people and everything we do is for us.”
What do you think — are they exploiting themselves? If you happen to be in southern China and want to check it out, the “Kingdom of the Dwarves” website is here.
Comments (27)
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That’s just the thing about capitalism. It offers the illusion of freedom, but those without money are still at the mercy of those with money. Little Person Land is just a really crass demonstration of how beholden working people are to the system.
posted by Zach on 10-2-2009 at 8:05 am
Is their entrance a yellow brick road? (ok, crude humor out of the way…)
I honestly don’t see a problem with it. They choose to be that way. They’re not forced to live there.
posted by Steven on 10-2-2009 at 8:19 am
Or maybe, Zach, just maybe, the fact that they live in a communist state that discriminates against those viewed as having disabilities, the little people are forced to remove themselves from that society… maybe it’s not about capitalism at all, but more about the communist government and society’s views on disability.
But hey, rock on with your socialist self.
posted by Chris on 10-2-2009 at 8:22 am
Haha, Capitalism? Zach, think before you speak.
posted by Karen on 10-2-2009 at 9:31 am
I think this is really cool. They’ve chosen this life rather than let people discriminate against them constantly. Discrimination in China doesn’t just mean insults or poor treatment. They cannot get jobs! Also, if a child is born a dwarf (or otherwise ‘impaired’), they are often abandoned at orphanages or left to beg in the streets.
As for the amusement park, I wouldn’t want to see it. But its not exploitation. If people are willing to pay to go see little people prance around in costumes, why not take advantage of that?
I see this as self-empowerment. And I’m glad they are living, albeit isolated, rather than abused and on the streets.
posted by Dee on 10-2-2009 at 9:32 am
That’s it, I am moving to giant land – anyone over 6’4″ is welcome. No Kia’s will be able to enter giant land – only Southwest Airlines (I love their legroom!) will be able to fly out of our airport, you will not have to ask for your meal to be ‘super sized’, and all ceiling fans will be hung at an appropriate height!
Who want to move here with me?
posted by Witty Nickname on 10-2-2009 at 9:34 am
They feel it’s their comparative advantage. Nothing wrong with that.
posted by Lee on 10-2-2009 at 11:07 am
as was stated above, they CHOSE this life. I think they are making the best of a potentially rough life. why not surround yourself with people who have the same issues you do? obviously this would not work with mental illnesses, but for this, it works! and while i would not visit, if they are choosing to allow visitors into their community, who cares?
posted by megan on 10-2-2009 at 11:27 am
The Chinese government adopted capitalism in everything but name years ago. Way to go with the having no clue how the most populous country in the world is run, kids.
posted by Zach on 10-2-2009 at 1:08 pm
“Kids”?? Really Zach? This coming from the guy who is sounding like a freshmen at a small liberal arts collage who has just had his “mind blown” by his former-hippy-turned-poly-sci-proffessor. Do you even know anyone from China? I am siting right next to a Chinese imagrant right now (works in the cube next to mine) and he found your “The Chinese government adopted capitalism in everything but name years ago” comment to be hillarious.
posted by Zed on 10-2-2009 at 1:40 pm
Zed: Turn your spell/grammar check on now.
posted by Drew on 10-2-2009 at 2:17 pm
Zach, you don’t attack capitalism; you attack corporate collusion with government, which is just corruption and has nothing to do with capitalism.
posted by Karen on 10-2-2009 at 2:40 pm
Actually, Zed, I never did go to “liberal arts collage.” Neither do I have any Chinese coworkers. Your logic is inescapable.
Zach
posted by Zach on 10-2-2009 at 3:46 pm
Zach: Reading comprehenshion for the win. I said you were “sounding” like. I was drawing a comparison, not making an accusation or assumption about who you really are.
Drew: Guilty. Me know spel no good. :)
posted by Zed on 10-2-2009 at 3:54 pm
Zed, look up “collage” in the dictionary, then look up “irony.”
posted by Zach on 10-2-2009 at 4:01 pm
Look boss the plane the plane!
posted by hey on 10-2-2009 at 4:26 pm
If you search for Cockaigne I am sorry we all are born on the wrong side of the universe, Zach. On planet Earth there is no such thing as a free lunch for all; someone has to produce the things that can be consumed, and, even worse, humans do not have those tiny critters that do all the work of producing for them. So, we gotta do it by ourselves, even if we are dwarfs or Chinese or 30- year-old kids that still believe the water originates from the tap, the meat is magically brought to existence by McDonalds and the state is the big daddy that has to feed us all (whom is he enslaving to nurture to your lifestyle?)
Time to wake up :-)
posted by Lee on 10-2-2009 at 4:34 pm
People are going to stare at them no matter what they do, so charging money for the stares is genius. It’s not all that different from the Native American casinos here in the States. They put a totem pole in the parking lot and N. A. themed decorations inside because they know it will attract more tourists who are really ignorant of the culture they think they are experiencing.
reCaptcha – Pennsylvania cruncher, good name for a pro wrestler
posted by Pam on 10-2-2009 at 7:42 pm
Zach is right. The Chinese communicapitalist system has out done just about every other country on the planet. Don’t think a communist government can co-exist with a capitalist ecomomy? Next time you go the store, try finding 10 items that were not manufacured in China, then try to find 10 items that were manufactured in the U.S. Good luck with that.
posted by Wake up, people! on 10-2-2009 at 7:54 pm
He’s right about what? I don’t think that was his point.
posted by Landon on 10-2-2009 at 8:46 pm
\That’s just the thing about capitalism. It offers the illusion of freedom, but those without money are still at the mercy of those with money. Little Person Land is just a really crass demonstration of how beholden working people are to the system.\
So wait; commune living without money is impossible?! Stop the presses! I think socialism may not be feasible!
posted by Paige on 10-2-2009 at 8:50 pm
Does this remind anyone else of the last half of El Topo?
posted by David on 10-2-2009 at 10:08 pm
IT ISN’T FAIR I want to live in little people land too!
posted by Eva on 10-2-2009 at 11:59 pm
Boo. I’m short, but apparently I’m six inches too tall to live there. :(
Anyway, good for them, I guess. It’d be disgusting if they’d been coerced by the government into the community, but they weren’t; they did it on their own accord.
It’s doubtful a simple amusement park will earn them enough to sustain a community, so they will likely start up businesses and begin producing things.
I’m going to have to remember to look up how they’re doing from time to time, as this is pretty interesting to me.
posted by Rachel on 10-3-2009 at 12:32 am
\The Chinese government adopted capitalism in everything but name years ago. Way to go with the having no clue how the most populous country in the world is run, kids.\
I’m in the USA from China. China is not capitalist, kid.
posted by Seph on 10-3-2009 at 11:00 am
> Zed: Turn your spell/grammar check on
> now.
And for this there is Spell Check Anywhere (SpellCheckAnywhere.Com). It adds spell check to all programs, and comes with an optional grammar check.
posted by Tomer Guez on 10-3-2009 at 1:59 pm
Zach, so these people decided on their own to create their own town, and then decided on their own that they will generate an attraction to bring joy and curiosity to others in exchange for a fee that will help make living conditions better in their community. Why do you have a problem with that? Why don’t you just let people do what they like to do and stop painting it as if they were forced to do it because the evil force of “capitalism.” (The quotes are necessary.) Why don’t you GO AND ASK THEM about it; I’m sure they’ll tell you that they’re just having a good time and you need to go do something productive.
posted by Tom on 10-3-2009 at 7:42 pm