06-Jul-2008 -- Story continues from 32°N 115°E.

Back in Huángchuān, we ascertain that there is only one direct bus daily to our next destination, Zhùmǎdiàn City (驻马店市), at 12:30 p.m., which doesn't really fit our plans, so instead we catch one of the frequent buses west, back to the municipal capital, Xìnyáng.

This time we stay at the much better, three-star Jīntōng Grand Hotel (金通大酒店), right next to the bus station. It's cheaper, the room is much better, and we are slightly more insulated from the noise of the demolition works. Ah Feng goes out to buy some take-away for dinner, and we eat it in our hotel room while watching qualifying for the British Formula One Grand Prix.

At 9 a.m. the next morning, we are on a bus travelling north to Zhùmǎdiàn. We arrive at the Zhùmǎdiàn bus station shortly before noon, 3.3 km SE of the confluence. A short taxi ride later, and we are out front of Hénán Jīnquè Electric Co., Ltd. (河南金雀电气股份有限公司), the confluence 140 m away, possibly inside the factory grounds.

We first walk down a road along the western wall of the compound, hoping the point might actually be located outside. Alas, it isn't. Nevertheless, we are within 100 m, so we snap the GPS, and the not very inspiring north-south-east-west photos from the closest point, 38 m west of the confluence. The wall is too high to see anything inside the grounds except the top of a smokestack, which is a short distance to the north of the confluence. On the opposite side of the road are residential buildings - perhaps those of the factory workers.

We then go back to the guard station at the factory entrance, however the guard won't let us in. It being Sunday, the complex is closed, so there's no manager with whom we can plead our case, either. According to the company's website, "Hénán Jīnquè Electric Co., Ltd. is a leading manufacturer of electricity meters, water meters, gas meters and heat meters, with an annual production of 10,000,000 pieces". It seems they don't need to work on Sundays in order to produce those 10 million meters.

Our only option left is to take some more photos in the direction of the confluence, from the entrance, and through the fence. Probably the best glimpse we can get of the confluence is from a mound of rotting garbage piled in front of the fence west of the entrance. From this vantage point, it appears as though the confluence might be on or near a cement road between the factory building and the perimeter wall. We shall leave it to the next visitor to get better photos from within the grounds. Make sure you visit on a weekday, though.

Story continues at 34°N 114°E.