In Kunming, a city in the Hainan province of southern China, lies the Kingdom of the Dwarves, a tiny city who’s sole income is from able-bodied tourists who visit to see the Little People Village. 120 singing and dancing Little People to be exact. Many disabled rights activists (Western activists of course) are up in arms over the mere existence of this city, saying it promotes stereotypes and further discrimination against the disabled, especially in a country where people with disabilities already struggle for equal treatment.
But many of the city’s Little People say they love living there. Here, they say, are job opportunities (they perform for tourists by doing giant song/dance numbers) and even find opportunities to fall in love with other Little People, get married, and maybe even have kids; a dream many Chinese Little People would never see realized otherwise. All you need to be is 4’3 or less and you’re allowed to live there.
A man visiting his Chinese in-laws not too long ago asked them about the Kingdom of the Dwarves, inquiring what they thought about it. Here’s what his mother-in-law said: “They can't work anywhere, they are disabled people, so we have a village for them to live and be happy in. No one would hire a dwarf. In China, we have villages like this for all kinds of people, like fat people, disabled people. This way they can get a steady income every month since people come and see them perform."
Yup, people actually pay an entrance fee to be let into the city, which sustains the city’s economy and seemingly make all parties happy.
If you ask me, this is just further proof at how far China still has to go in the realm of human rights, and treating all people with dignity. Sure, the mother-in-law’s comments may make practical sense, but to really help the future of the short-statured in China, this is surely no way to go about doing it.
- Upgrading a house for disabilities, only on Disaboom
- The Limits of an Absolute Commitment to the Social Model, only on Disaboom
- Disability Rocks Reality TV, only on Disaboom
