Inequality must be addressed

On Feb 1, in a train heading to his hometown, Mohe, the northernmost city of China, Dong Guofa appeared a bit bashful when interviewed by a television reporter. The man, in his 50s, had not eaten any food for a whole day since he left Dalian, Liaoning province, where he worked. He said he only had 300 yuan ($48) with him and he didn't want to use a single yuan, because the money was reserved for buying Spring Festival gifts for his family. A gentle smile spread over his face when he said he wanted to buy some candies and stationery for his granddaughter.

Thousands of miles away in Lushan county, Henan province, the following day, a customer from neighboring Shanxi province spent 100,000 yuan on an "imperial bath", where, accompanied by two scantily clad "court maids", he was donning an emperor's crown. Shanxi is well known for being the birthplace of billionaires who have made it rich mining coal.

Though there have been many examples highlighting the sharp contrast between the rich and poor, I was still shocked at the difference between Dong's year-end gift money for his family and the billionaire's splurge on entertainment. The migrant worker's poignant smile made me want to cry but the "emperor's" look of content disgusted me.