Foray in the Far East
June/28/2009 22:49 Filed in: Travel
It’s been a while since I updated this, but only
because things have been ridiculously busy (in a good
way). Earlier this month I was able to spend 8 days
in China and see a part of the world that is rapidly
becoming a cultural and economic powerhouse. The trip
was partly due to recent progress with the
development of our shower product, which we were able
to make further headway on as we visited several
plastics manufacturers near Hong Kong and Shanghai.
Our trip started in Hong Kong, with its gorgeous
skyline and mountain setting. The view from Victoria
Peak was stunning, and I managed to get several good
shots with my new Nikon D-90 SLR. Highlights from
Hong Kong include the Art Museum exhibit on Louis
Vuitton (Hong Kong after dark), dinner at Aqua on the
26th floor (overlooking the light show on the
harbor), the Peninsula Hotel (including the fantastic
“Felix” bar and restaurant & the hopping Salon de
Ning) and probably the best peking duck I’ve ever had
at “Spring Deer” in Kowloon.
We saved the best part of our trip for last, and frankly if I had 8 days all over again, I might spend them all in Shanghai. This city is very quickly emerging as the culutral and economic center of the world. More than anywhere else on the trip I was able to literally watch the city evolve before my eyes. Whereas Hong Kong has already defined itself as a fully cosmopolitan (one might say “Westernized” ) center on the world’s stage, Shanghai with its nearly 20 million residents is clearly still in the process of defining itself and discovering its cultural identity. That’s not to say that Shanghai is not rich in culture already. Settled in the 5th Century, Shanghai has a rich history of its own - but it is also a history and culture deeply influenced by foreign immerison. This largely started with the Opium Wars and the Treaty of Nanjing (and Wangsia) in 1843, which saw many territories of Shanghai “conceded” to foreign nations including the British, American and French. Adding to the eclectic mix were the Russians who fled during the emergence of the Soviet Union and the Japanese who exerted significant control in Shanghai after the Sino-Japanese war. The Japanese, apparently, were the first to introduce a manufacturing trade in Shanghai.
Like any good “Shanghailander” I was keen to explore these cultural influences on the cities identity. The influence is seen most obviously in the 19th & 20th century architectural masterworks that line the Huangpu River, the area known as The Bund. Walking up and down this “International Settlement” is really an architects wet dream, with countless archetypal manifestations from art deco to gothic to neoclassical all in one stretch. I would say the Customs House (circa 1927) with its imitation Big Ben was probably the highlight. Also a highlight on the trip was the famous “French Concession”, which is one of the best preserved districts in the city. With tree-lined avenues and cafes sprawling onto the street, it really did feel like I had stepped out of the futuristic megapolis and into a lazy afternoon walk in the 7th arrondissement. (For pure Paris in Shanghai, check out the “Mansion Hotel”. It was a true gem)
All in all, I found Shanghai (and Hong Kong) to be very dynamic cities. Even despite the pollution, I was surprised by the cultural richness of Shanghai and also the evolving art scene that is taking hold (with emerging artists like Mian Mian, Teng Kun Yen, He Jia & Sui Jianguo, I’m convinced Shanghai is poised for the next art renaissance). But the massive scale of growth was inescapable. The Pudong district of Shanghai, where we stayed, is like a glimpse into the future: supertall skyscrapers like the Shanghai World Financial Center (at 492 meters, the second tallest building in the world) and the Jin Mao Tower pierce the skyline, all the while reminding us of the great upward sweep that is taking hold in China. When you consider that Pudong itself was nothing more than marshlands 20 years ago, one begins to understand the economic transformation that is underway. But it does remain to be seen whether, with such economic growth (and thus a growing middle class and exposure to foreign cultures and politics), China will be able to maintain its strict political and oft anti-democratic ways. As a foreigner, the only way I could sense this was that sites like Twitter, YouTube and Flickr were all blocked in China (though my friend informs me these firewalls are easily breakable). But new techniques are seemingly more antediluvian - like the Chinese government’s requirement that all personal computers sold in China after July 1 must have content-control software pre-installed (known, perhaps more kindly, as Green Dam Youth Escort) that controls what Chinese webizens can do and view on their PCs. It seems to me like a paradigm that will pose some trouble from within unless the Chinese government begins to embrace more democratic ways.
On our second day in Hong Kong, we ventured over to
mainland China, into Guangdong Province, en route
to visit
several factories in Donguan (one of the major
manufacturing capitals in the nation). Guangdong is
one of the most prosperous provinces in all of China,
with the nation’s leading GDP of $522 billion, and an
economy roughly the same size as Sweden (though 9
times the population). This region, more than any
other during the trip, was a true eye-opener. As the
train passed by factory after factory in what seemed
like endless cities that stretched for miles, one
could visibly witness the evolution of the Chinese
manufacturing sector. Many of these factories were
already outdated and abandoned, even though most had
been built (out of shoddy materials) only 20 years
ago. No problem for the Chinese, who are capable of
building cities in what seems like decades time and
lightning speed. Take Shenzhen for example. In the
late 1970s this city was nothing more than a
miniscule fishing vilage. Today it stands as China’s
second largest port, and a rapidly growing metropolis
with over 9 million residents. Shenzhen also houses
the manufacturing hub that makes the majority of
Apple hardware, everything from ipods to iPhones to
their notebooks.
We saved the best part of our trip for last, and frankly if I had 8 days all over again, I might spend them all in Shanghai. This city is very quickly emerging as the culutral and economic center of the world. More than anywhere else on the trip I was able to literally watch the city evolve before my eyes. Whereas Hong Kong has already defined itself as a fully cosmopolitan (one might say “Westernized” ) center on the world’s stage, Shanghai with its nearly 20 million residents is clearly still in the process of defining itself and discovering its cultural identity. That’s not to say that Shanghai is not rich in culture already. Settled in the 5th Century, Shanghai has a rich history of its own - but it is also a history and culture deeply influenced by foreign immerison. This largely started with the Opium Wars and the Treaty of Nanjing (and Wangsia) in 1843, which saw many territories of Shanghai “conceded” to foreign nations including the British, American and French. Adding to the eclectic mix were the Russians who fled during the emergence of the Soviet Union and the Japanese who exerted significant control in Shanghai after the Sino-Japanese war. The Japanese, apparently, were the first to introduce a manufacturing trade in Shanghai.
Like any good “Shanghailander” I was keen to explore these cultural influences on the cities identity. The influence is seen most obviously in the 19th & 20th century architectural masterworks that line the Huangpu River, the area known as The Bund. Walking up and down this “International Settlement” is really an architects wet dream, with countless archetypal manifestations from art deco to gothic to neoclassical all in one stretch. I would say the Customs House (circa 1927) with its imitation Big Ben was probably the highlight. Also a highlight on the trip was the famous “French Concession”, which is one of the best preserved districts in the city. With tree-lined avenues and cafes sprawling onto the street, it really did feel like I had stepped out of the futuristic megapolis and into a lazy afternoon walk in the 7th arrondissement. (For pure Paris in Shanghai, check out the “Mansion Hotel”. It was a true gem)
All in all, I found Shanghai (and Hong Kong) to be very dynamic cities. Even despite the pollution, I was surprised by the cultural richness of Shanghai and also the evolving art scene that is taking hold (with emerging artists like Mian Mian, Teng Kun Yen, He Jia & Sui Jianguo, I’m convinced Shanghai is poised for the next art renaissance). But the massive scale of growth was inescapable. The Pudong district of Shanghai, where we stayed, is like a glimpse into the future: supertall skyscrapers like the Shanghai World Financial Center (at 492 meters, the second tallest building in the world) and the Jin Mao Tower pierce the skyline, all the while reminding us of the great upward sweep that is taking hold in China. When you consider that Pudong itself was nothing more than marshlands 20 years ago, one begins to understand the economic transformation that is underway. But it does remain to be seen whether, with such economic growth (and thus a growing middle class and exposure to foreign cultures and politics), China will be able to maintain its strict political and oft anti-democratic ways. As a foreigner, the only way I could sense this was that sites like Twitter, YouTube and Flickr were all blocked in China (though my friend informs me these firewalls are easily breakable). But new techniques are seemingly more antediluvian - like the Chinese government’s requirement that all personal computers sold in China after July 1 must have content-control software pre-installed (known, perhaps more kindly, as Green Dam Youth Escort) that controls what Chinese webizens can do and view on their PCs. It seems to me like a paradigm that will pose some trouble from within unless the Chinese government begins to embrace more democratic ways.