A few weeks ago Youkubuzz, a blog from one of the biggest Chinese video-sharing sites Youku.com that regularly posts funny/interesting items, tweeted:
It reminded me of some videos and news-items that have all experienced their 15 minutes of viral-fame in China. They are about home-made vehicles. Sounds boring? How about a gyro copter for 2, an ultra-light airplane with a rudder made of hemp-rope, or a one-person helicopter that maneuvers through the streets of GuangZhou? I think the vehicles in the videos are a metaphor for the Chinese way of doing things: people here have a very different mindset than in developed economies. Rather than safety-first it is all about pragmatism. As the videos show, despite the dusty-and dirtiness, the pragmatic and auto didactic approach definitely pays off . Here’s a small list:
A home-made helicopter (nearly slicing up the power cables):
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A home-made ultralight plane:
A shanzhai F1 car (doing 170 km/h):
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