China's Wild West

Yellow Sheep River Valley, China

We are very interested in how a sense of place manifests. Certainly the vernacular architecture of a place makes it unique. We came upon this slide show that James Fallows of The Atlantic magazine put together following a trip to western China, away from the urban spectacle and manufacturing prowess in eastern China. Fallows is interested, among many things, in how digital technology has transformed the tiny village of Yellow Sheep River. His story is about how two Taiwanese businessmen happened into the most rural part of China and thought: Let's bring it from the 15th century into the 21st.

It is an intriguing story. We recommend Fallows' article, "How the West was Wired," as well as his slide show. However, we were wowed by the slide show images of wind farms and the vernacular architecture as well as the village's physical community form. See what you think.