JADE GREEN STATION (BISE CHEZHAN)

Bise (Jade) was once a sleepy little village until, under the instruction of the French, they built the Dian-Yue-Railway in 1910. Then Jade Green Station became an important stop on the route between Yunnan (China) and Kunming (Vietnam); luxury goods, French linen, rice and soy beans from as far as Japan were transported through the countryside. Bise became known as little Shanghai, was compared to Hong Kong and secured its place on the map. Its oldest inhabitants have lived through the momentous changes of colonialism and the Cultural Revolution, many can still remember the French. The villagers recount their memories and ambitions and the film unravels like poetry.

Today the railroad is somewhat dilapidated, its days of former glory, hustle and bustle, but a dim memory. Corn husks are laid on the rails to dry and a camper has pitched his tent on the track. Occasionally a train passes prompting the resident's memory of the former days. Many, however, don't like to talk of the past, still fearing reprisals and repression. What remains is the impression of a people whose culture and beliefs continue to flourish despite all upheaval. A veritable meeting place between China's old Empire and its modern day situation where the past never fully disappears.