The market for self driving cars (Autonomous Vehicles) is growing rapidly and is particularly active in the USA and Europe. Guiyang, as referenced elsewhere on this site (see: http://www.tourguizhou.com/guiyang-automated-vehicle-project/) is ideally suited to promote this technology in China. Here is what is happening in the USA and Europe: https://www.vmrnewswire.com/self-driving-car-new-future-car-travelers/
This photo reminds me of a Godzilla movie.
The Guiyang Virtual Reality Theme Park may already be open. I have been curious since going by a big transformer, which I took to be about seven stories high when I recently posted it to Facebook. In fact it is about seventeen stories high. It’s so big that you can’t tell how big it is. After trying to take photos from the bus, I found that the Guiyang East Bus Station provided an adequate view. It can also give perspective by looking at the signs and cars in front of it. My sister complained that I haven’t kept her up to date on Guiyang happenings because she has been reading about this project in the West. I checked China Daily and found this article:
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/m/guizhou/guiyang/2017-09/30/content_32680401.htm . Apparently Reuters recently ran a story on it which caught her attention: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-tech-theme-park/virtual-reality-boom-brings-giant-robots-cyberpunk-castles-to-china-idUSKBN1DO03B . also:
http://www.businessinsider.com/virtual-reality-theme-park-in-china-2017-11/#itll-be-called-the-oriental-science-fiction-valley-theme-park-1] 5,694
Well if this is what it takes to get my sister to come back to Guiyang for a visit, then I say it is a billion rmb well spent!
I’ll try to find out more about this place and post it here. Meanwhile, Guiayang is racking up a number of impressive man-made firsts: 1) There’s the worlds tallest bridge http://www.tourguizhou.com/guizhous-tallest-bridge-%E6%9C%80%E9%AB%98%E7%9A%84%E6%A1%A5/ , 2) The worlds biggest telescope: http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/life/2017-11/20/content_34752752.htm , 3) Worlds first Virtual Reality Theme Park, and 4) The worlds first seventeen story transformer. I finally found out what the Chinese call him — JiCheRen . Plane, car, man . . . Makes sense.
They have a massive park in Jinyang of Guiyang. The sure plant a lot of mums.
The 1300 year old Wuzhen is near Hongzhou and is located on the Grand Canal. This video documents the location. As I browse China videos, I find more and more worthy of publicity, although they might not be in Southwest China.
I finally got around to getting serious with my Arduino. It's a cheap little computer that can be made to behave as a Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) and literally control machinery. I bought the machine in June of 2016 and finally got a couple teens interested in working with me on it. See: http://www.tourguizhou.com/technology-arduino-unboxing/ .
The kids are in the 14 to 16 range, really an "at risk" age. This is a "traffic light" application which is a beginner introduction to programming in C++. I am hoping to
Stop Light Coding
create a curriculum or some kind of club that promotes technology. If that doesn't happen, no problem. Screwing around with these cute little computers is a very good way to spend time with kids. In about two hours, only one kid looked at his cell phone, one time. Wow.
This application created a stop light scenario where the program turned the red, yellow, and green lights on at appropriate times, as if it were a real traffic light. Right now we are at the beginning, with plug and chug operations. We did teach input/output, circuits, positive/negative, and some other electronics. It is very cool.
I often volunteer teach at schools around 
Guiyang. It's hard to maintain discipline. Nevertheless I get along with the kids. They range in age from 3 to 10. It's really a lot of fun. I try to take pictures so I can remember their names.
I love my summers in Traverse City. Guiyang is my second home. I think Traverse City and Guiyang should be sister cities.
The Autonomous Vehicle (“AV” or Automated Vehicle) technology is the next big thing in technology. The Big Data Valley initiative of Guiyang can jump start the creation and nurturing of a technology Village (Guiyang Tech Village) in Guiyang. The Big Data initiative has already started this process, but there is still a need for focus of the resources being created by the the Big Data initiative. AV technology requires a combination of two of the “Big Three” technology initiatives in the world, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Robotics (Biotech is the third). China and the USA are similar in that about 2/3 of GDP is consumer driven. Housing is the #1 consumer purchase, and cars are #2. The market for auto enhancements, such as AV, is massive.
These concepts are developed elsewhere on this site, but the implementation of AI and Robotics in Guiyang can use the AV technology framework. Sensors, machine learning, actuators, and decision making are all required when a car, truck, or bus is driven by a human. The AV research, the testing, and application of that research provides a concrete focus for so many of these advanced research subjects. An AV initiative in Guiyang has the potential of attracting top talent to Guiyang companies and universities.
Technology people can usually choose where they want to live, but the technology village concept multiplies the productivity of individuals. Guiyang already has the quality of life that is attractive to the young techies. See: Guiyang Top City The AV provides a focus for those techies.
The implementation plan is specific. Develop and test AV technology using existing Guiyang buses and drivers:
See the following links for background:
About Guiyang, Guizhou, and www.TourGuizhou.com
2017 Big Data Expo
Big Data and AV in Guiyang
2017 Expo Announcement
Technical Background
This is an interesting article about how Guizhou is in the News of the Christian Science Monitor. Here is the link:
So this is a good story about China pulling itself up with public and private partnerships. The government is selling piglets to people in poverty at attractive prices. It is a way for people improve their living conditions. I heard a disturbing story about a government program similar to this, where the people who hardly have enough to eat get livestock at attractive prices. So they are actually poorer because they have to feed the pigs in addition to themselves. Then when the pig grows up, it can’t be sold because all the neighbors did the same thing and everybody already has their own pigs. So they slaughter the pigs and eat them. Unfortunately, they can’t eat all the meat right away and have to buy refrigerators . . .
Well this is just one scenario. What we do know is that China has made massive strides in alleviating poverty in the last 30 years and it isn’t resting on it’s laurels. I don’t know if this is a good program or not. We have to wait and see. It is kind of good to see an active government trying to help the people. Let them learn by their experience (mistakes/successes). I can’t criticize.
Years ago I got hooked on China and eventually started this blog . . . I love this girl’s take on Shenzhen. She reminds me of what was like when I first came to China, about 17 years ago. Where’s Poppy is the real deal. She is pretty and pretty casual. You really get a feeling about why expats come to China and decide to stay for awhile. She talks fast, so if you are like really old, you probably should have a cup of coffee before you watch these videos. See: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sxJ9TBMoAL4 and https://youtu.be/OuiAsTwq6x8 .