Suzhou, China; Land of CRANES?!

I have now lived in China for four years. In that time I have seen
time and time again that China is one huge construction site. The pics
are the view from my apartment window from Jan. 04 - May 05. I used to
be able to see for much further, but... Here is a re-print of one of my
blog entries from June 18, 2004:

Dictionary.com defines 'Crane' as
"Any of various large wading birds of the family Gruidae, having a long neck, long legs, and a long bill"

For thousands of
years the 'crane' bird has been a symbol of China and for good fortune
and long life. You can see them painted everywhere. Especially, during
spring festival and national day (October 1st). However, after many,
many years, the crane is threatened!

Also, according to Dictionary.com defines 'Crane' as:
"A machine for hoisting and moving heavy objects by means of cables attached to a movable boom."

The building boom in China is at a fevered pace. I have been living in Suzhou
for almost one year and in that time I have seen countless numbers of
cranes and building go up and litter the skyline. From my apartment
window this morning I could count 15+ cranes in a single sweep of the
skyline! Last August, my apartment has a nice grassy, plain area just
to the side, now there are 6 highrise apartment buildings being built.
I am all for the growth of China from a third-world country to one of
the 'modern' countries, but does have to do it in a day?