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石牌村 - Shipai Village Traditional Cache

This cache has been archived.

michael_gz: This cache went missing, and upon visiting the location it was hard to find a good replacement spot. So the cache will be reincarnated in another part of the village.

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Hidden : 12/29/2019
Difficulty:
1.5 out of 5
Terrain:
1.5 out of 5

Size: Size:   micro (micro)

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Geocache Description:


There may be more dense and mazelike urban settings in a 0.25 square km (25 hectare) area in China, Asia or the world than Shipaicun, but if so we don't know where. Certainly historically the Kowloon Walled City in Hong Kong, demolished in 1993, would have given Shipaicun a run for its money in the density/labyrinthine stakes.

There are around 100 urban villages or 城中村 (cheng zhong cun, 'village in the city') in Guangzhou according to official data. Depending on definitions the actual number is probably higher. A 'village in the city' typically arose during the 1980s and 1990s during the manufacturing-led boom and associated influx of workers to coastal regions including Guangzhou, where the housing stock had to be rapidly expanded in a short time. Historical villages surrounded by fertile farmland rapidly transformed into historical villages surrounded by tens of thousands of mostly-migrant residents living in closely-packed housing known as 'handshake buildings' because that's how close the neighbours are.

Finding this cache doesn't require venturing too far into the dense labyrinth of Shipai Village, where in any case GPS seldom works due to the only thin slits of sky visible from most points within.

Out of the density emerges some GPS accessibility in the form of the historical core of the village (which 30-40 years ago was surrounded by farmland rather than handshake buildings), which now includes a small lake and a school, seating, and upgraded paving.

Additional Hints (Decrypt)

Zntargvp

Decryption Key

A|B|C|D|E|F|G|H|I|J|K|L|M
-------------------------
N|O|P|Q|R|S|T|U|V|W|X|Y|Z

(letter above equals below, and vice versa)