Reporter Nick Mackie traveled to Wanzhou, perched on the banks of the Yangtze River, to see if residents were responding to the government’s drive to boost domestic consumption of household goods. With the economic crisis biting deeper, Beijing hopes that internal demand can soak up some of the made-for-export appliances -- washing machines, TV sets -- that no longer have markets in the West. He found an unusual scene down by the river:

 

 

 

    It’s not entirely a good omen for Chinese planners seeking to boost domestic consumption. In the Wanzhou area of Chongqing Municipality, where the Yangtze gently laps over the riverside steps,  many local residents – especially Chinese over 50 who live close to the water – don’t need to buy washing machines because they use the river itself as their not-so-little launderette.

    Every day, hundreds of locals lug wicker baskets on their backs down the steep concreted terrace – loaded with shirts, socks, sheets and singlets that need washing. They seem oblivious to concerns about coliform bacteria or pesticide run-offs.

   Folks wearing wader-like pants stand in thigh-high waters to douse their bedding in the murky river; closer to shore, rows of rounded bottoms-in-the-air testify to the number of less adventurous Wanzhou washers who wring out suds by bending low at the waist. Onshore, women stomp and bash sodden lumps of cloth: mashing cardigans, T-shirts, even Y-fronts  with their rubber boots and lumps of wood.

    Scrubbing a shirt collar, 50-year-old Zhou Yaokui says he’s been using the Yangtze to wash his clothes for nearly two years, ever since the government completed a new riverside promenade and embankment - to coincide with the rising of waters on this side of the Three Gorges Dam. “I save money on water by coming here,” he explains cheerfully. “But the main reason is that, at home, I don’t have much space. So it’s easier here, there’s fresh air and lots of people to socialize with.” Others nod in agreement.

    In second- and third-tier cities across China, many middle aged residents were retired early from state-owned companies. Most could not find new jobs,  and they’re even scarcer these days. The lucky ones do have small pensions, enough to purchase necessities, so long as they watch their pennies. But they display little interest in buying the latest household gadget.

A Niche Market

     Still, the popularity of scrubbing by the shoreline hasn’t been lost entirely on enterprising locals. They quickly recognized that between November and April, when people have heavier clothes and bedding, laundry doesn’t dry quickly. That means people have to carry heavy basketloads home, getting sore and wet in the process.

     So a niche market was born.

 

    She charges about 15 US cents to spin a newly washed load. (These dryers squeeze water out through spin-action, not heat, so the resulting laundry is not entirely dry, but not dripping with water either). To retain customers, Feng provides regulars with carrying baskets, basins and stools.

      Feng is a proud lady – though resigned to the reality of middle age in a country with little in the way of a social safety net. “Now, old people like us have no job, no land, nothing, “says Feng. “We need to feed ourselves.”

      Her service earns her US$ 12 to $15 a day during the winter period and even more ahead of the Chinese Lunar New Year when, traditionally, everyone has a thorough Spring cleaning. In the Summer, however, there’s little income as the hot sun dries the lighter clothing quickly. And people use few bedsheets in summer, when people sleep directly on cool bamboo slats.

     So what does the Chinese laundry scene in Wanzhou say about stimulating consumption? Well, the policy wonks are banking on hundreds of millions of middle aged Chinese – frugal spenders and savers all their days – to join in the great consumer revolution. But even when Chinese have a chance to buy appliances at a considerable discount, folk still need both the remaining cash and the will to spend before they’ll buy.  And on this day, along that bank of the Yangtze River, the grassroots version of a self-service laundromat seemed to be doing the job, at least for the moment.