It turns out our trip to Bei Shan caused a great deal of concern for the Bei Shan officials. Before going we had not been told the entire story about the sensitive nature of the forthcoming dam. It seems a year ago the dam's construction was stopped due to fighting amongst the peasants and officials. Cars were vandalised, official buildings luted, the sort of thing you'd expect if an offficial with no sense waltzed in and offered a humiliating price for your home.

Where this is going; as we walked around Bei Shan snapping pictures we were being followed and phone calls were placed back to Qingtian and god knows where. The Bei Shan police thought we were journalists and were going to sell our pictures and relocation story to the foreign press, even after being told we were teacher's there was still some concern.

And there we were blase about the whole thing. We thought the town was lovely and didn't even realise that one gentleman we spoke to late in the morning for a good half an hour was the head of the police.

But this would explain in the evening the group of policeman sitting at a nearby table.