"The Warriors of Qiugang": A Struggle Against Environmental Racism in a Small Chinese Village

"The Warriors of Quigang" is a documentary about the small Chinese village of Qiugang in rural China, and its struggle against the factories that have moved there since the early 2000s. The film covers a time period of three years within the village, and is heavily driven by the local efforts to get the factories shut down.

The villagers of Qiugang describe the beauty that was once seen in the land they call home, and how the pollution caused by the factories has destroyed it--one particular woman claims the trees no longer bear any fruit. Perhaps most devastating are the health effects upon the villagers, especially that of the children, who suffer from respiratory ailments that have become all-too-common since the arrival of the factories.

As the villagers speak vividly of their struggle against the factories and their government, it becomes increasingly clear that they are victims of harsh environmental racism. Polluting companies moved into this rural area because they are sponsored by the state to do so; similar to what occurs in the United States, pollution is pushed to the peripheries of cities, away from the elite, and often into impoverished communities. What is left is a village that was once known for its beautiful fruit trees that is now suffering from poor water and air quality, and higher rates of cancer.

One of the most difficult things to grasp is how self-perpetuating the process of polluting can be. Rural communities--which may already suffer from a lack of representation in local and national governments--are weakened even further by the processes of pollution. Many in Qiugang wanted to do something, and some tried, but for years it seemed that their pleas fell upon dead ears. Pollution is drawn to poverty and worsens it, and poverty psychologically weakens people to a point where they feel there is nothing they can do.

The village of Qiugang ultimately wins their battle against the factories, forcing them to move out of town. Albeit a great triumph for the villagers, one cannot help but think that the factories will simply be forced to find new rural communities to pollute.

Grassroots efforts like those seen in "The Warriors of Qiugang" are a key piece of resistance against environmental racism.

Youtube Link:
 The Warriors of Qiugang

I was introduced to this documentary in Steven Harrell's class on China's Environment and Society.

- Chris Graham