I’m sure this is not the last time I’ll write about 1911 over the coming year BUT…
The centenary of the Wuhan Uprising/Xīnhài Gémìng 辛亥革命 is, well, nearly 18 months away which makes the planning process in Wuhan a little premature perhaps, but nobody ever lost a wager betting against the reflexive compulsion on the part of Chinese local officials to take the most mundane and boring event and blow it out of all proportions.
Nevertheless, “some people” (the Global Times’ favorite source) are already concerned about the costs associated with the Wuhan municipal government’s plan to commemorate the 100 year anniversary of an accidental uprising that succeeded completely in spite of itself, which is not exactly how Wuhan’s leaders spin it:
The Wuhan government’s plan to spend 20 billion yuan ($2.9 billion) to celebrate the centenary of the Xinhai Revolution, the overthrow of the Qing Dynasty, has stirred debate among residents who say the government has failed to effectively use public money.
Ruan Chengfa, the mayor of Wuhan, Hubei Province, and also a deputy to the National People’s Congress, told the Xinhua News Agency that a grand celebration is needed because the revolution is a landmark event in China