It's very early Tuesday morning here in Shanghai. I arrived Sunday night, on a direct flight (almost 15 hours) from Detroit to Shanghai... left Detroit at 3:30 pm on Saturday and arrived in Shanghai at 7:20 pm on Sunday, crossing 13 time zones. No problems with security on either end. The Shanghai airport is large and very modern, a 40 minute ride from the city.
I'm here with a group of international business college professors, 24 of us total. The group comes from all over the US, and over half are originally from some other country (India, Turkey, Taiwan, France, Brazil, Columbia, Nigeria), so the group itself makes the trip different and very multicultural. For many of us, it's our first trip to China or even Asia.
We are staying in a very modern, upscale hotel, Le Royal Meridian. I'm on the 28th floor, in a modern, very comfortable room with every amenity you could imagine. The breakfast buffet caters to every nationality and is extensive. The hotel is very well located, just adjacent to People's Square.
Yesterday was a day to get to see a bit of the culture of Shanghai, a city of almost 20 million people. Where we are, it's a modern, busy city of skyscrapers, incredible lights, interesting architecture (old and new), world class shopping, taxis and buses. I was just in New York City, and where I was yesterday (near the hotel and an area known as the French Concession), I saw Cartier, Rolex, Prada, Tiffany, a Masaradi dealership). There is a large expat community. Many young people out shopping yesterday-- wearing hip clothes, talking and texting on cell phones. At the same time, there are floods of people on bikes, motorized bikes, scooters, motorcyles... many old very decrepit bikes, older men in caps, people pulling carts filled with junk pulled by a bike. And we spotted some old neighborhoods of very delapidated apartment dwellings... so very much a city in some transition. But what we saw in the central areas was very well maintained, beautiful landscaping.
American and European brands are prominent, and many signs-- includingall the street signs-- are in English. Many people speak English-- I've read that China is trying to create one of the largest populations of English-speakers in the world in order to compete in the global economy. I'm receiving an English paper, China Daily, here at the hotel. I've seen: McDonalds, KFC, Starbucks (several), Coldstone Cremery, Mr. Donut, Zara, Espirit, many VW taxis, Coke and Pepsi.
We visited the Shanghai Museum in the morning (traditional Chinese arts... very well done) and had free time in the afternoon. (I went with a group of women to the French Concession and we all had great, inexpensive massages.)
Last night we went to Old Shanghai, bit tourist area, with lots of shopping in small shops/stands. Very agressive selling (people approaching there and on the streets trying to sell knockoffs). Expected to bargain on any purchase in this type of shopping area. I did buy a few things as gifts... very reasonable prices. We ate at a big restaurant, typical Shanghai with most diners Chinese. Good meal, though I'm not sure of all I ate!
We have been told not to drink the tap water, even here at our nice hotel... only if it is boiled.
Today is a business day for us... we'll visit the US consulate and in the afternoon a major company. Four days here in Shanghai, two in Hangzhou, four in Guangzhou, and three in Hong Kong. I like that we have a mix of "business" visits and cultural experience and a reasonable amount of time on our own.
I had expected to post short updates on Facebook with a few photos, but Facebook is blocked here. (I believe Twitter is also blocked.) I don't think I'll have time to do a proper blog. But I'll post here from time to time over the next 10/11 days to share more of my trip and what we learn and see of the "new" China in the midst of its ancient history.
If you have time try to get to suzhou to see the gardens. it only about an hour by train and well worth the effort. Here is link to train schedule it runs more or less every hour. http://www.tourismchina.org/tr.../shanghai-suzhou.htm 30Y each way soft seat.
Kathy, Thanks for taking the time to check in with your impressions. It sounds like it's an eye-opening, fascinating, and educational experience. I look forward to hearing more about your trip.
Posts: 16049 | Location: The Beautiful San Francisco Bay Area | Registered: 06 August 2001
Kathy - so glad you got to the Shanghai Museum; it was one of the highlights of my visit a few years ago. Such a wonderful collection, beautifully displayed.
Like Jane, I also have fond memories of a wonderful foot massage when in China - and for almost NO money. Didn't get a full massage - but what a great way to treat yourself shortly after your long flight.
Thanks for checking in. Look forward to more from you.
Judy
Posts: 3899 | Location: Berkeley, CA | Registered: 22 March 2005
Glad you arrived safely with no problems. Thanks for the update. I will be curious to hear about the various bathrooms you visit. I still have vivid memories of some of the bathrooms when I was in Hong Kong with a daytrip to China back in 1985. Wondering how much things have changed.
Make sure to be careful eating anything not cooked if in case it might have been washed in water and don't drink anything with ice cubes.
Thanks for coming over here and posting, Kathy - glad you are safely there, and I look forward to reading whatever you post, whenever you can. What an incredible opportunity, who knows, I may end up putting China on the list.
What a fascinating experience and thank you for writing with such interesting insight (would not expect less from you). Absolutely amazing to see through your eyes such a rapid transition from the old to the new. Happy to learn you are doing well. We were all buzzing about wondering how you are. Take care and enjoy this interesting adventure.
Very interesting story, and very interesting responses.
O yes Kathy, Shanghai is near the best green tea region. A good buy, besides cashmere and silk, are good green teas and miniature teapots.
Toilets in China… Sigh. It is not China's forte. Curiously, I had had experience of very clean toilets on long trains (1st class). This does not seem to be an isolated phenomenon. My Médecins sans frontière friends also reported to have enjoyed clean toilets on long trains from Beijing to Kunming. We were stunned.
Foot massage. It is woooonderful. My only problem - and it is considerable - was trying not to moan so loudly. Really not ladylike.
Another Shanghai specialty is the vegetarian faux meat dishes.
Girasol has a good point. Eat cooked vegetables. Avoid salad.
As for the "reenacted" new old malls replete with bullying vendors, I deplore their increasing presence all over the country, in all the old neighborhoods where authentic old streets are demolished for the building of these neo attempts.
Our stay in Shanghai is coming to an end, and our group leaves in the morning for Hangzhou, about two hours from here.
Since I last posted, we've learned a lot more about the business explosion here in China. We met with two Americans at the US Consulate who support American businesses doing business here in China. And we've visited three companies: a state-owned steel company; a privately-owned pharmaceutical company; and General Motors Shanghai, a joint venture between GM and a Chinese automotive company. The market for cars is expanding dramatically and GM's business is booming here.
The pharmaceutical company had absolutely beautiful facilities and offices, and our group was served first tea and later coffee. But there was NO HEAT in the building, and the young ladies who served us so politely were wearing their ski jackets. (Apparently in the south of China, it's not required to heat offices, and this is one important way to keep costs low.)
Today we were in an area on the other side of the river called Pudong where almost everything is new. Skyscrapers, universities, technology centers, manufacturing operations-- wow. There is new construction everywhere, much of it related to the upcoming Expo 2010, a world's fair that will begin in May and is intended to do for Shanghai what the Olympics did for Beijing.
We've been out for dinner three nights as a group, all big and busy restaurants. (Last night I stayed in and ordered a very simple meal through room service.) We've been seated at two or three circular tables, with lazy susans in the middle and then served family style... a steady stream of varied dishes. I'm learning how to eat with chopsticks. I enjoy this way of eating and having a chance to sample many dishes. Tonight's meal was actually at a Thai restaurant. (Our hosts told us it was Chinese-style Thai.)
I've decided that much of Shanghai reminds me of Disneyworld... more specifically, Tomorrowland. It's the future, so modern, kind of over-the-top. At nights the lights and colors are just spectacular. There's clearly lots of money here, though many people are still very poor.
I've posted some of my photos here. A few were taken from the bus window. Hopefully these share a bit of what I've marvelled at here in Shanghai.
Thank you, Kathy, for taking the time and keeping us in sync with your wonderful experience.
I read here that the region goes through a very cold spell and factories were requested to close for one day to have enough energy to heat homes. I find this remarkable! And it explains the ski jackets...
Doru, it is cold in Shanghai, but the big problems have been in Beijing. They have had the coldest weather there in 60 years and lots of snow. That's where schools and factories have closed. Many people don't have heat in their homes, or just little space heaters.
Here in Shanghai, it's just been cold... below freezing. We've been wearing hats and gloves... just didn't expect to want to wear gloves in a business meeting! The cups of tea were nice to wrap our hands around too.
Now we are heading further south, where the weather will be warmer.
The number of people in China is mind-boggling-- 1.3 billion people, over 4 times the population of the USA. There are 140 metropolitan areas in China with more than 1 million people (100 cities of >1 million+) vs. 50 U.S. metropolitan areas of <1 million. The US has 9 cities of >1 million. People are moving to the cities for jobs. The majority of people are along the eastern coast, where incomes are growing and there is an expanding middle class. Things are changing here very very quickly. A few people in our group who have been in Shanghai before have commented on how much things have changed in just five years. And China has recovered from the worldwide economic downturn much more quickly.
I have read about all this-- but seeing it first-hand definitely makes a much stronger impression.
Kathy - thanks for sharing your photos - it was great to see your photos of Shanghai and remember our stay there a few years ago! And yes - Tomorrowland is a good description of some of it.
If you have a chance, try to get out early some morning and find a nearby park, where you will undoubtedly find locals in their early morning tai-chi or ballroom dance excercise activities. Or out with their caged birds and crickets...a very special memory.
Hope you continue to have great experiences.
And - if your breakfast buffets continue to be as great as ours were, don't miss the wonderful won-tons filled with something we decided had to be fresh chives. They were amazing.
Judy, who wants to go back to China.
Posts: 3899 | Location: Berkeley, CA | Registered: 22 March 2005
won-tons filled with something we decided had to be fresh chives.
That's exactly what I had for dinner - chives dumpling. Best thing to eat when one is sick. Judy, it is probably not what you look for in Paris, but I happen to have a restaurateur friend here who makes it fresh from scratch for me...
Tomorrow-land is a perfect comparison. I like the look of Old Shanghai. Loved your room, wow!!! I'd order in too. Thank you for sharing your time with us.
It's Friday evening in China. We traveled yesterday from Shanghai to the city of Hangzhou, about two hours drive from Shanghai. This is a city of 3.4 million people, with almost 7 million in the region.
Once we left the outskirts of Shanghai, our route took us through a very flat and barren area, but a constant progression of multi-story apartment buildings, factories, and construction everywhere. Yes, there was a haze hanging in the air, which we are told is pollution, heavier in the winter due to heating by coal. The roads are very good, and we passed through several toll booths. A high-speed train line (elevated) that will link Shanghai and Hangzhou is being constructed next to the highway.
We stopped at a giant shopping mall on the way to Hangzhou-- Haining China Leather City. There are over 3000 leather factories in this area, and the mall is an outlet for sales. There were hundreds and hundreds of stores in the mall, selling high-quality leather products. One floor was all luggage/handbags/wallets and small goods. Another floor was all leather jackets, and another all furs. In another building (that I didn't go to) there were shoes. I would have been finished looking in 20 minutes, but ended up shopping with a couple of other people and we each decided on something we would look for. Prices were negotiated, and that was part of the fun. I got a very nice leather wallet for about 10 dollars. We had lunch at the "food court" on the upper level. In lieu of a written menu, there was a big table with uncooked food on various plates, all covered by saran wrap. You pointed to what you wanted, they wrote up a ticket, and then cooked it back in the kitchen. Some dishes had a whole chicken, head and feathers. We played it safe with vegetable dishes and rice... about $3 each.
Hangzhou is near some mountains and our hotel is across from a pretty lake. (This is a major tourist area for Chinese and Japanese tourists.) We're staying in a Sofitel, a French hotel chain. Again, there is a fabulous breakfast buffet, catering to all nationalities.
Our company visits today were really good. We first visited the Alibaba Corporation, which is a privately owned internet company. There are 7000 people at their headquarters here... average age is 26. The facilities were phenomenal, very similar to what you'd see at Silicon Valley. However, there were turkish toilets (!) and no heat in the big employee cafeteria. It was very interesting to eat lunch in the cafeteria, though I did feel old in addition to cold! The average call center employee (a college graduate) makes about $5000 US a year.
In the afternoon we visited a major steel company that's one of the largest companies in China and a joint venture with a US company. This was a very formal occasion and we were treated as real VIPs. The CEO of the company was there to meet us, along with about 10 other company officials.
This is a big, busy city, apparently very prosperous. (There is a Rolls Royce/Lamborghini dealership just down the street.) Lots of traffic, people in buses, people on bicycles, people walking, tall buildings, restaurants, bright lights, and new construction everywhere.
Tonight a group of us went off again for massages. I had a 90 minute whole body massage for about $15. Interesting experience-- I may be covered with bruises in the morning.
Tomorrow is a non-business day. I want to walk along the lake and hope to be able to watch the tai chi people that I spotted from a distance this morning. Some of us will go to a "tea village" to learn about tea, and maybe there will be time for shopping. In the evening we'll fly to Guangzhou (Canton), where we'll be for four nights.
Once we left the outskirts of Shanghai, our route took us through a very flat and barren area, but a constant progression of multi-story apartment buildings, factories, and construction everywhere. Yes, there was a haze hanging in the air, which we are told is pollution, heavier in the winter due to heating by coal. The roads are very good, and we passed through several toll booths. A high-speed train line (elevated) that will link Shanghai and Hangzhou is being constructed next to the highway.
So heart-breaking. Those areas outside Shanghai used to be famous for being a flower-growing region. Especially the osmanthus flower, which is soooo heady it was considered decadent by the Red Guards in the 60s who tried to wipe out its existence. Hangzhou was for about a thousand years a historic resort...
Silk is an excellent buy there. And Shanghai produces a wonderfully soft cotton - or it did, - as soft as Egyptian cotton. The very thin and soft cotton tshirts are great for the summer.
quote:
massage for about $15. Interesting experience-- I may be covered with bruises in the morning
Hahaha. Did the masseuse walk on your back? Slightly pound you along your vertebrae with her fist? Pull your hair? All those moves do feel great, but non-Chinese tend to balk at such "abuse".
Roz - can't speak for Kathy, but my experience is that most vendors have small hand-held calculators. They punch in their price - you punch in your offer - and the negotiating is on.
Judy
Posts: 3899 | Location: Berkeley, CA | Registered: 22 March 2005
As soon as you appear to want to start negotiating, the calculator comes out and most knew a few words of English to accompany the process. Their initial price was always a hefty discount below the listed price. ("Just for you..") Our guide told us to begin at about 20% of the first price. ("No, No!") There's great body language on both sides, and of course you can always begin to walk away. We decided that the fun of the negotiating was worth much of the price of what we paid. We didn't have a translator with us, really didn't need one.
On that massage... another woman and I were on tables in the same room. We wore pajamas, and then there was a blanket over top of us. Our masseuses were young men... who knows-- maybe 20 years old? The massage involved lots of chopping pummelling, moving our limbs in strange ways until they wouldn't go any further. I don't get that many massages and have never had one like that! In the middle of the massage they brought us tea, and at the end there was fruit for us to eat. Four of us had full body massages and five had 90-minute foot massages, which they raved about. If I do another massage, I'll try a foot massage.
Kathy - not trying to hijack your thread, but one memory that sticks in my mind - our last day in Shanghai we were at a large market, with very little money and no ATM card, and I saw a gorgeous silk scarf that I coveted. The vendor punched in her price; I countered with what would have been my last cash -- she looked at it, looked at me with disdain, and said, with appropriate hand motions, "byeee-byeee". End of that shopping moment!
Judy
Posts: 3899 | Location: Berkeley, CA | Registered: 22 March 2005
On Saturday morning I got up early to walk along the beautiful West Lake in Hangzhou, just across from our hotel. There were at least 100 people doing tai chi in various places along the lake, some with swords. One group was doing more vigorous calesthenics and a few people were dancing. The lake was especially beautiful in the fog. (Later in the day it got very crowded-- this is a major tourist destination for the Chinese.)
Mid-morning several of us went to a "tea village" outside Hangzhou. It was interesting to be in the countryside and see how tea is grown and harvested. The tea plants are planted on terraced hillsides, very much like vineyards. The tea from Hangzhou is longjing green tea, one of the top teas in China. The "tea village" is a pretty extensive tourist operation, but we did learn a lot about growing and drinking tea. And most of us did buy some tea to take home-- expensive, but good for you.
We had a couple of hours on our own in Hangzhou. I walked over to an old market street with several blocks of shops. It was very festive with red lanterns overhead, and very busy. I didn't buy anything, but I enjoyed looking in the shops and it was interesting being on my own in China.
Yesterday evening our group flew from Hangzhou to Guangzhou (Canton), about a two hour flight. The plane was packed, and they actually served a little meal and beverage service. The Guangzhou airport is very large and modern.
Our hotel for these four nights is the White Swan Hotel, which was one of the first 5 star hotels in China. It is right next to the US consulate, and there are quite a few American families here who are adopting children (young girls) from China. They stay here while going through the process to get a visa for the child. The shops around the hotel rent strollers and sell child supplies. I had an interesting conversation with a couple who are here adopting their second little girl.
Guangzhou is a city of 12 million, a grittier working class city. There is construction and renovation work going on everywhere. Many buildings are getting a facelift and complete neighborhoods are being torn down. Even now (9 pm on Sunday night), I can hear men working on the road below the hotel.
This morning we drove to the Higher Education Mega-Center, a complex of ten different universities that serves over 400,000 students. The facilities are all brand new, really impressive. 50% of Chinese students now attend college. (A new accounting graduate who goes to work for a Big 4 accounting firm will make about $8500 a year.)
Later we went to the Guangdong Folk Art Museum, which is located in the ancestral temple of the Chen family... an incredible structure. Various folk arts are exhibited here.
I've had two wonderful meals today-- we are now enjoying Cantonese style cuisine. I really like the communal style of eating and the steady delivery of different dishes. (Our guides make the decisions about what we will eat for our group meals-- thank goodness. One chicken dish arrived at tonight's dinner with the chicken's head as part of the presentation!
I've also done a good amount of shopping today. Everything is so reasonably priced (cheap, compared to America), that it's a shame not to buy it! The bargaining adds a differnt aspect to the whole shopping process. There are some shops near the hotel that sell suitcases... which I may be patronizing. Hope they are cheap too!
The hotel is located on an island in the Pearl River, what was once the British concession. The architecture is interesting and there are parks with trees. It's much warmer here, and there are palm trees, flowering trees, and flowers in bloom. This afternoon we saw several brides having their photos made in the park, each attended by several stylists.
I'm uploading some new photos and will post back with a link.
Here's an album of photos from my last couple of days in Hangzhou and Guangzhou.
Some of the photos are from the "business" part of my trip but I think offer an interesting insight into China today (and for the future)-- from our visit to the internet company Alibaba in Hangzhou and the Guangzhou Higher Education Mega Center.
Kathy, your pictures are great! China has never really been on my radar screen, but I must admit that your reports back to us have really stimulated my interest.
OMG, that chicken head! How would you say the food compares to what we eat in Chinese restaurants in America?
Wonderful pictures. I really enjoyed seeing the pictures of the internet company. I think the red decorations you are seeing are for Chinese New Years which is January 26th. I might be wrong but I think I saw similar decorations in Chinatown area of KK last year. I'm thinking the office was also decorated since the large use of red and gold.
Agree with what they said -- Kathy, these are wonderfully evocative pictures; and you are becoming a new queen of food porn! I especially like the pictures you too through the fog -- you can FEEL the cold (of course the hat and glove laden tai chi ladies was another clue). Thanks.
Will be interested in your reply to Terry about the food. We had a hard time convincing our guides that we were used to spicy, assertive Chinese food, and wanted more than egg drop soup and sweet and sour pork. Took a few days, but then the real eating fun began.
Judy
Posts: 3899 | Location: Berkeley, CA | Registered: 22 March 2005
The Chinese new year is coming up... will be the year of the tiger.
What was surprising to me is how many Christmas decorations there are. Some Christmas decorations are still up... Christmas trees, Santa Claus etc. Our last hotel had a big Gingerbread House in the lobby. Alibaba Corporation had lots of Christmas decorations. Our guide said no one really understands what Christmas is about... just that it involves decorations and presents and is a big American holiday.
The food is definitely different than what we would eat at home. Our guides are trying to expose us to the local cuisine and specialties, but not necessarily organizing a menu that's too over the top. I think there is more of a tendancy to order "unusual" cuts of meat (eg duck webs or pig snouts) or different foods than many of us might eat (eg eel, jellyfish or snake). Our group is very international and most are willing to try new things. It's usually possible to get a fork, though not always. (I'm hanging in there with chopsticks.) And most places don't give you a napkin-- they give you each a kleenex or there's a pack of kleenex for the table. Dessert is always watermelon and perhaps some other fruit, sometimes beautifully presented.
Forgot to tell this story. Yesterday I was alone in the elevator, going down from the 17th floor. A Chinese man got on and seemed shocked to see me. He was fixated on me, standing very close. I said "American" and smiled. As the elevator ride ended, he reached out to touch my hair and then stroked my face. I think it is my blonde hair and white skin-- a novelty. This was definitely unsettling-- glad it wasn't a longer ride! One man in our group is 6 ft 4", very fair, and he said he's had about five people ask to have their photo made with him.
It's morning here and time to start the day. I'm determined not to eat so much today.
And most places don't give you a napkin-- they give you each a kleenex or there's a pack of kleenex for the table.
This is similar to what we experienced in Borneo Malaysia. We would get western cutlery and it would be tightly wrapped with a small paper napkin. Occasionally, we would get a small dispenser of something that was similar to Kleenex. I assumed that it was because there was a more profitable use to wood than making paper products like paper napkins, etc.
Looking forward to hearing more. Have a great day.
Hi Kaydee, I have been really enjoying your posts and your photos are really beautiful. You are so eloquent and very informative in your descriptions and observations and I have been learning so much from your posts. I hope to one day get to travel to China.
Thank you so much for taking the time to share your experiences and photos.
Posts: 790 | Location: California | Registered: 19 September 2004
Just been reading through your posts - interesting stuff and great pictures. Can't really say I've been inspired to move China up my list, to be honest... although the food... now that looks intriguing !
And don't give that guy on the elevator the benefit of the doubt. Sounds like a total creep to me. Stay safe and stay with others in your group. That kind of cultural exchange you don't need.
(I'm actually home now, after a 30 hour journey on Saturday with a few delays. I had problems with internet access and didn't get to post again, but I want to finish the story of my trip and share my overall impressions. Here's the post I wrote for January 12.)
We are leaving this morning for Hong Kong after four nights in Guangzhou. I found myself warming to this city, which is much more extensive than I had initially realized. Last night we had dinner on our own and a couple of us ate in the hotel restaurant after a long walk/shopping excursion around the Shamin island where we are staying. The buildings around this part of the Pearl River are lit with bright neon colors, and even the boats cruising the river are brightly lit. At 8 pm there was a light show with spotlights shining and blinking from various points on the river.
There is so much renovation going on in this city (especially on this island) in preparation for upcoming Asian Games. Many of the buildings on this island (including two churches) are European in style and are covered now in green while the surfaces are being restored. It would be interesting to come back in five years and see the progress that has been made.
Monday night our group ate at a famous Guangzhou restaurant in a busy part of town. (We had another chicken dish that arrived with the head. Our guide said that the custom is to spin the lazy susan and whoever the chicken ends up looking at has to eat the head. No one in our group was interested in playing that game...) After dinner most of us walked back through a busy pedestrian street decorated with red lanterns, lined with flea-market type shops (jackets, shoes, clothes, handbags etc.). The streets were overflowing with people. I was shopping for a small suitcase and finally managed to negotiate for one for 50 RMB (a little over $7). I've ended up doing a lot more shopping than I had expected. There are interesting things to buy and the prices are very very cheap. I've bought a lot for myself and many more gifts than I usually do.
We've been very busy in the business-part of our trip. Monday morning we visited the beautiful campus of Sun Yat-sen University, one of China's leading business schools. This is an older school (founded by Sun Yat-sen, with an American style campus of green spaces, trees and extensive landscaping. About 10 faculty members were involved with our visit. In the afternoon we went to the Zhujiang (Pearl River) Beer Company, which was a fabulous visit/tour. The head of the company is a woman. This is one of China's top beer companies-- they are big beer drinkers here and the beer is really good. We did have the opportunity to sample beers in a big tasting room. There is an incredible beer museum here, open to the public. (I highly recommend this for anyone visiting Guangzhou.)
Yesterday we visited another city (Shunde) in the Pearl River Delta, home to the Midea Group, a major international supplier of small appliances. We visited the microwave oven division (7000 employees), which is the largest microwave oven manufacturer in the world. (Regardless of the name on it, there's a good chance your microwave came from here.) Microwave ovens are being increasingly used in Chinese homes, and they have developed microwaves to steam food. The area where Midea's operations are located used to be countryside, and we could still see small farm plots surrounded by the factories and new construction. I will post some photos of the incredible new government facilities for this area.
The province of Guangdong is the manufacturing center of China, and many workers come to take jobs here from other parts of China, often as migrant workers. Companies have parameters of how they pay factory workers, but many also provide housing, meals and recreation. There are fewer restrictions on overtime and employees do often work long hours, but apparently are happy to do so for the income opportunity. At Midea and Pearl River Brewery, we saw clean, very efficient facilities, with mostly younger employees working very diligently. The managers we've intereacted with in China are extremely competent, committed and courteous.
I'm in love with Hong Kong! This is an amazing city... a truly spectacular international city. We are here for only three nights and I wish it was a week or more.
On Wednesday we traveled by bus from Guangzhou to Hong Kong. Although Hong Kong is now part of China, it is a "special administrative region" and operates quite separately. We had to pass through a complicated border crossing. The government is separate, the laws are still based on the British system, and there is a different monetary system. It no longer feels like China.
On the way to Hong Kong we made a special stop at the request of our group-- we went to a Wal-Mart in the beautiful new city of Shenzhen. This is a group of international business professors, and we've all taught Wal-Mart's international expansion in our classes. So we were anxious to see what this familiar company looked like it China.
The Wal-Mart was quite new, in a beautiful new mall, and a two-level operation. We entered via escalator to the second floor, which was clothes and housewares. Yes, there was a greeter, but a smiling young person passing out little Chinese New Year cards. The front of the store was dedicated to Chinese New Year decorations (most of us bought several). The store was well-laid out with lots of in-store signage, low prices (but not as low as you'd find on the street). I was interested to see the emphasis on different products based on local needs/interests. Some that I saw in housewares were tea-making supplies, chopsticks, and many small appliances (at least 20 types of foot baths). There were young salespeople on the floor demostrating and selling steam cleaners, juicers, ricers etc.
The lower level was all food, set up in a market-style. There were tanks of fresh fish, beautiful arrangements of fruits and vegetables, colorful displays of candy, rice sold in bulk, herbal medicines, aisles of tea etc. This was modern China, but very oriented to local tastes and preferences. It was all very colorful with attractive displaysWe could have spent two hours here. As it was, we were told 30 minutes and raced through the store looking, shopping, taking photos like we were contestants in a reality show.
Shenzen was an amazing city. Thirty years ago there were 20,000 people and it has evolved now to 8 million people, many associated with the electronics industry. It's the third richest city in China, with many "new rich." It's a planned city, with a lot of emphasis on landscaping. Everything seemed new and very attractive, lots of tall buildings, new cars, condominiums. You can always tell there is money because there is little or no laundry hanging out the windows of the tall apartment/condominium buildings. We had lunch in a downtown area at a dim sum place, way too much food for lunch, but all of it interesting. I tried everything but the chicken feet.
Our hotel in Hong Kong is the Royal Pacific Hotel, a new place on top of a mall, great location though very compact modern rooms. (I was especially glad I didn't have a roommate here, as the rooms were very intimate.) We are located on Canton Road in Kowloon, alongside all the luxury shops (Hermes, Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Prada etc.) and just a ten minute walk to the ferry terminal. I went with a little group to take the ferry across to Hong Kong Island. We departed just at 8 pm, in time for the nightly light show. One of the women had spent a few weeks in Hong Kong earlier. We took her lead and made our way through complexes of offices and hotels, on elevated walkways above the busy streets, eventually reaching the "mid-level escalator," a series of escalators that climb the hillside, going down in the morning and up at night. We took a break from Chinese food and had a great dinner in a small Mexican restaurant in an area called Soho, filled with ethnic restaurants and lots of professional-looking people on this Wednesday night.
In the past 12 months I've been in several of the world's great cities: Paris, London, New York and now Hong Kong. It has a spectacular physical setting on the water, surrounded by mountains, and incredible modern architecture... plus the lights and so much energy. We have a busy schedule here, but also some free time to explore. (Photos to come.)
I also agree that HK is one of the world's great cities. I spent years there before the turnover and revisited last May and, just as you say, the "system" hasn't really changed - at least on the surface. Too bad you couldn't spend more time, but consider it another 'must' for future reference.
BTW, three friends of mine on the trip in May, were not so enamored...their summary comment was, "New York on steroids." Try as I might, I couldn't get them excited about the architecture, the light show, the thousands of restaurants, the great road and pedestrian system, the juxstaposition of Chinese boat people living on junks and the ultra modern high rise offices, etc.. Maybe next time - glad you're an enthusiast.
Posts: 738 | Location: New Hampshire | Registered: 12 September 2006
Wow! I have finally found some time to read this wonderful narrative of your experiences in China. As others have said-fascinating!! You have really brought the cites you visited to life and I too am viewing China in a different light now, as China was pretty far down on my "to visit" list. The pictures were great too. I especially liked the Ta Chi practioners in front of the weeping willow (or similiar) tree and the student's umbrellas. What a great experience for you! Glad that you are home safe and sound (jetlag must be a killer after 30 hrs of travel. Looking forward to more pictures.
I've just had a little time today to work on my China photos.
This is probably not what most of you think about relative to China, but our group really enjoyed our brief visit to a Chinese Wal-Mart in the modern city of Shenzen. Shenzen is one of the fastest growing, richest cities in China... the high-tech/electronics center.
Remember, these are all international business professors, and most of us teach about Wal-Mart's international expansion in our classes. So we were very interested to see how a Chinese Wal-Mart compared to a US Wal-Mart... what was sold, how products were displayed, prices etc. Most of us did some shopping too-- I just wish we had more time. Almost everything sold in the store was made in China.
(For anyone interested, you can read more about Wal-Mart in China here. They began retail operations in China in 1996 and now have 146 stores in China.)
Kathy, I've loved following along on your adventures. One amusing coincidence--yesterday I was reminiscing about the craving for Mexican food when we lived in HK for 3 years with a friend of mine who also lived there. I can still remember my excitement when a Mexican restaurant opened--I'm sure it's not the same one you visited!
cubbies
Posts: 415 | Location: California | Registered: 29 December 2005
