The Shrinking of China

    

     On my way from Shanghai to the Pudong Airport, I took a high-speed train called the Maglev. What would be an hour or so ride to the airport by car took only seven minutes on the Maglev. The Maglev is a high-speed train specifically designed for transport to and from Pudong Airport.

     Travel by rail used to be a lot different in China. Travel used to mean an all-night train ride on a creaky, rickety railway. Now, high-speed trains are becoming commonplace. According to the article, China will be pumping $300 billion over the next three years into its railway station. 13,000  kilometers of track will be added specifically for adding more high-speed trains, which can run at speeds up to 350 km/hr.

     The installation of these new trains will make traveling in China much easier. Now, when traveling, it will be easier to traverse the massive geography of China. For example, the article mentions that a trip from Beijing to Shanghai will now only take four hours instead of ten. I know when I go back to China someday, the new high-speed trains will be very helpful. Now, it’ll be less difficult to go from one place to another. Now, I may be able to go to wherever I want at a much faster rate. The thought of being on a train for a whole day like in the past is not appealing. However, a few hours? I can handle that. The article compares China’s newfound rail revolution to the beginnings of America’s transcontinental railway.

     I think the new train system will go a long way towards improving the economy and communication within China. I also think it will help travel immensely. A ten hour ride from Beijing to Shanghai is not tempting, but a four hour trip is much more palatable. In addition to long-distance travel, I’ve noticed a change in China’s metro station. My host family over the past few years, Shanghai expanded the metro system. Originally, they only started with three lines. By the time I arrived in Shanghai, I witnessed a far more extensive metro station. Now, there are eight lines with multiple stops. Some of these lines are interconnected, so you can easily transfer from line to another. In the future, there are plans to expand even more and three more lines. The addition of these new lines coincides with the impending Shanghai Expo, which I’ve talked about on multiple occasions on my blog. 

http://www.newsweek.com/id/219416/page/1

http://news.alibaba.com/article/detail/business-in-china/100182199-1-dream-train%252C-heavy-budget.html

http://solveclimate.com/blog/20091005/high-speed-rail-study-shows-us-potential-wheres-funding

Shanghai the Movie

Famous Chinese actor Chow Yun Fat is set to start in a movie with John Cusack called Shanghai. The film is set for location in where else? Shanghai. The film takes place in the 1940s, before China was invaded by Japan during World War II and just before the bombing of Pearl Harbor. The movie is said to combine elements of drama, romance, mystery, and thriller. Chow Yun Fat is one of my favorite actors, because of his versatility. Often times, Asians in film are stereotyped into being martial artists in kung fu movies. But, Chow has transcended those stereotypes. He’s been able to act in a number of American movies, and not just action movies. He has acted in drama and romance as well. Cusack is another actor I enjoy to watch. One of my favorite movies of all time is High Fidelity. Say Anything is a great film that he starred in. I always liked his quick wit and dry humor that he shows in his acting.

I noticed during my time in Shanghai that the locals embrace Western movies as such as their own movies. When I would walk by a DVD store, I would often see posters on the wall. Most of the posters were from American movies. I would see posters of Transformers 2 and The Hangover. Granted, these movies are subtitled in Chinese. Still, it shows an acceptance of Western culture. I know a lot of people in Shanghai who were excited about the latest Harry Potter movie. When I would take the subway,  I often would see a large advertisement of the new Harry Potter movie.

In Shanghai,  not a day would pass by without someone asking me if I wanted to buy a DVD. Unfortunately, it is common to have someone walk up to you and try to sell you something over there. I realized its best to not even acknowledge. If you do, it will be hard to get them off your back.  Bootlegging is very commonplace over there. Rarely, did I see a DVD that was legit. Almost everywhere, any DVD you purchase has been bootlegged. The plus side of that of course is the extraordinarily cheap prices. Most of the movies I saw were under $5. The downside of course is that the DVDs over there can be faulty. Also, they may not work on all DVD players. They’re likely not to work if you bring them overseas and try to play them on American made DVD player. Most of the DVDs are region-locked.

http://www.asianmoviepulse.com/2009/10/21/chow-yun-fat-stars-with-john-cusack-in-shanghai/

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/showbiz/2008-08/04/content_6901169.htm

http://english.ntdtv.com/?c=145&a=4310

Haibao

Haibao is the mascot of the 2010 Shanghai Expo. He is the blue, gumby-like figure who is perpetually smiling. He is a symbol of optimism for the city of Shanghai. Haibao means “Treasure of the Sea.” He is also a symbol for the future of Shanghai. Shanghai is one of the most commercial cities in all of China. But now, Shanghai, like much of China, is looking to expand its power into the international arena.

Every where I went I would always see Haibao’s face, whether it be on an advertisement on the subway, a bill board, a toy, a doll, etc. His face is probably the most well-known and famous right now in the city of Shanghai. Now, his face is being spread beyond just Shanghai. The article I read talks about models of Haibao are now being displayed across the world. In Liverpool, England, a statue of Haibao will be on display for a month. The statue of Haibao will also be in place in five other locations throughout the world. The statue of Haibao was put in place just before an event where government officials from Shanghai will be coming to Liverpool to discuss Expo plans. Liverpool will give an update with their plans for their involvement in the expo. Liverpool’s presence is critical- their involvement is expected to contribute greatly to the economic prosperity of Shanghai. Liverpool’s organizers are hoping to bring a total of 1 million people to see its exhibition.

The tagline of next year’s expo is “Better City, Better Life.” The city of Shanghai has a lot riding on this expo. They’ve put several hundred million dollars of resources into this event. This event will take place over a span of six months from May to October. Millions of people from all over the world are expected to attend. Countries from all over the international arena will participate in the event, hosting several exhibitions which will displayed inside large pavilions that are currently under construction. I know how big the event is because every 5 seconds it seemed like I would see an ad about the Expo. I’m admittingly skeptical if Shanghai can deliver what is promising. Over there, I noticed a very wide gap in income levels. The rich are very rich and the poor are very poor. I have  a hard time imagining that one event is going to change all of that. I think Shanghai, and China, has a long way to go to improve the lives of their citizens.

http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/liverpool-news/local-news/2009/10/19/shanghai-s-world-expo-2010-mascot-arrives-in-liverpool-100252-24965993/

http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/liverpool-news/local-news/2009/09/23/liverpool-still-set-for-world-expo-shanghai-2010-100252-24758128/

http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/liverpool-news/local-news/2009/06/15/liverpool-set-to-showcase-itself-at-the-olympic-games-of-business-the-world-expo-2010-in-shanghai-100252-23880626/

Yao Ming Tells Chinese Citizens to Stop Smoking

    

      I think using a celebrity to promote a cause is a good thing. Whether its justified or not, many in our culture look up to celebrity figures as role models, icons, and people to look up to. Their status and power can be definitely used to sway people into acting one way or another. I think having celebrities Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie, and Bono promoting real world issues such as famine in Africa is a good thing.

     China seems to have also bought into using celebrities for a cause. They are using larger-than-life international basketball player Yao Ming to encourage Chinese citizens to stop smoking. When I was in Shanghai, I definitely noticed an inordinate amount of people smoking. Far more than what I see here in California. I made friends there with a guy who bought several packs of cigarettes a day and smoked all of them that day. I could believe it when he told me, because every time  I hung out with him, he seemed to be pulling out a new cigarette every 5-10 minutes. All of the male co-workers that I worked with smoked frequently. Every day after lunch, they would make a quick stop to a grocery store to buy cigarettes.

     Yao Ming is not only a player from the Houston Rockets, he is also an ambassador to China. His rise to prominence played a huge role in China’s interest in basketball in recent years. In my previous blog post, I mentioned that the NBA’s biggest international market for basketball was in China. Yao has signed on to be an ambassador on behalf of the China Tobacco Association. 

     According to the article,  there are an estimated 350 million smokers in China. Also, China is the largest producer of tobacco, consumer, and casualties of  cigarettes.  When I was in Shanghai, it seemed like all of them were in Shanghai. Pollution was  a major problem over there. The air got very unpleasant at times, and that is partially attributed to the amount of cigarettes lit up every day. 

     Someone of Yao’s stature I think is a good thing, especially for such a major problem. In Shanghai, other than Jackie Chan, Yao Ming appeared to be the biggest star.  Every day I would see some advertisement or commercial involving him. Someone of his status I do believe will help the smoking epidemic.

http://www.examiner.com/x-15615-Asia-Headlines-Examiner~y2009m10d13-Can-Yao-Ming-help-China-kick-the-habit

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jmdmO7AgY93UjW2-UYTB5KeVAVmg

http://english.aljazeera.net/news/asia-pacific/2009/10/2009101381833925493.html

NBA ends talks on joint leagues in China

I read an article about the NBA’s continued efforts to expand its global presence. In China,  no sport is more popular than basketball. Surprisingly, when I asked some people at my work who the most popular basketball player in China was, it wasn’t the answer I was expecting. Kobe Bryant, not Yao Ming, was the most popular player. Not that Yao should be ashamed. He, and the Houston Rockets are still widely popular in China. Both he and Yin Jinlian are both pioneers in the rise of popularity of basketball in China. When I was in Shanghai, basketball was everywhere. Every day when I would go to work, I would pass by the huge billboard with Lebron James on the cover. When I would take the subway station, I would often see advertisements with Yao Ming’s face plastered everywhere.

China has long sought to expand the sport of basketball in its own country. For example, China created the Chinese Basketball Association to improve the growth of basketball in China. They were also in joint talks with the NBA to bring basketball from the USA to China. For a long time, the NBA has wanted to establish a co-run league with China. China is their greatest international partner. Over 450 million people in China watch the NBA. China is the NBA’s greatest international source of media and revenue. We’ve seen in recent years, a desire also from the NFL and MLB to expand their games to the international level. Recently, there were rumors about the NFL wanting to host a Super Bowl in London. For the past two years, the NFL has hosted a regular season game in London. Last year, the Buffalo Bills hosted a game in Toronto.

 The NBA is looking to do much of the same. There had been talks about the NBA hosting a pre-season game between the Denver Nuggets and Indiana Pacers. Also, there is an agreement in place to train many of China’s coaches with NBA-level coaching. For now, talks have been broken off between the two sides. For now however, talks have broken off. But cooperation is still present. Both sides want to get something done. David Stern has repeatedly said that he wants to expand the NBA into China. It is not all talk either. Currently, the NBA is working on a project for the 2010 Shanghai Expo. They also announced a project in Guangzhou, to be completed by the time of the 2010 China Games.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5iOL7hQBvwFevMNcep4BIZqtXTokw

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-10/11/content_12211527.htm

http://www.nba.com/2009/news/10/11/stern.transcript/

50 reasons why Shanghai is the greatest city in the world

    

     I was looking at the list that CNN had composed. To me, Shanghai is the greatest city that I’ve ever had a pleasure to visit. Every night that I spent there felt likely a Saturday night. The excitement, scenery, food, bar scene, and women are second to none. A couple of their reasons stood out to me.  One of those reasons is an absolutely delicious piece of food called shenjianbao. Shenjianbao is essentially a meat dumpling, usually made with pork. These dumplings can be made in various ways, but they are usually steamed or fried.  These dumplings are extremely cheap. I remember getting a plate of 5-6 dumplings for about $1.50 total.  The dumplings are typically very hot, because they are served to the public within seconds of being cooked. It is unwise to try to take a huge bite of the dumpling for that very reason. Inside the dumpling is not just meat, but also a hot soup. The trick is to eat a small piece of the dough and suck out the soup first. Then, dip the dumpling in a sauce usually consisting of red vinegar and chili. Shenjianbao is the best street food I’ve ever eaten and one of the things I will definitely remember about Shanghai.

     Another reason on the list that stood out to me was the mention of Tai Chi and ballroom dancing. On the very first day I spent in Shanghai, I distinctively remember looking outside and seeing a large number of people in the local park practicing Tai Chi. I was amazed when I came into Shanghai for the first time, but petrified at the same time. I  was scared to leave my hotel room because I didn’t know what to do or where to go. It was the first time I’ve ever traveled internationally by myself before. I peeked my head out the door and saw the Tai Chi and it just stood out to me. It was so cool. Later during my Shanghai experience, I went to a park. There, I saw more Tai Chi but also ballroom dancing. People of all ages were dancing in the streets. The dancing in itself was very bad, but it reminded me of how much character and charm China it has. The cities and streets of Shanghai were so incredibly lively. It never got boring being there. I loved it, and I plan to go back sometime in the future.

http://www.cnngo.com/shanghai/play/worlds-greatest-city-50-reasons-why-shanghai-no-1-590704

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zmr1KvBHlwE

http://www.cnngo.com/shanghai/eat/shanghai-chefs-take-case-late-night-munchies-863235

Chinese Communist Party

From my own personal experience, I could tell that many of the Chinese I talked to were unhappy with their living situation in China. One of my friends, Ken, would harp on constantly about how Chinese had no rights given to them. He expressed a strong desire to move from China to Europe someday. He works in the hotel industry, and hopes to be relocated to Spain or France. Another friend I had, Stone, told me that his father wants him to move to Canada. Many Chinese are moving to Canada these days. Stone told me he wants to stay in Shanghai. His father’s wishes correlate with the lack of rights given to Chinese. I have a friend who has to work 7 days every week with minimal breaks. She also hopes to get out someday.

However, many of the older Chinese in the article I read don’t appear to have the same perceptions. A number of Shanghainese (Chinese citizens born in Shanghai) were interviewed about the 60th anniversary of Communist Party rule in China in article titled “Why the Chinese Still Support the Communist Party”. Many of them still support Communism, despite its suppression and long history of human rights abuses. Take Tibet for example.

For example, Qian Xiuzhen, 93, said “My happiest time was after Mao came to power. People were allowed to express their views. Before, people had no right to speak out. Life was hard before.  Almost every normal family faced the difficulties that my family experienced.  It was a world for the rich, not ordinary people.”

Xiuzhen goes on to add in the article that two of her family members were killed during the Japanese invasion of China in 1937.  Her brother was killed by a Japanese dog and her father was murdered by the gunfire of Japanese soldiers. Violence was commonplace back in the day. I saw little violence when I was in Shanghai. Only the stories that I’d heard or read about it. One night, someone broke a bottle on a trash can right next to me. I thought the man’s anger was towards me initially.

Although the life the Chinese Communist Party has set for its citizens may not be perfect, many of its citizens are happy with the results. Many attribute the party to the improvementof life, wealth, and opportunities in their home country.  Without it, they would feel hopeless, in spite of what outsiders many think. They do not share the same views as the local interviewed in this story did.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/china/6256434/China-anniversary-Why-the-Communist-party-still-enjoys-the-support-of-its-people.html

http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/malcolmmoore/100012368/why-the-chinese-support-the-communist-party/

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/china/6235611/Evolution-of-Chinas-revolution-from-bloody-repression-to-capitalism-red-in-tooth-and-claw.html

Shanghai Expo 2010

Over 70 million visitors are expected to attend the 2010 Shanghai Expo, taking place over a six-month period from May 1,2010 to October 31,2010. One-hundred forty-six nations have accepted invitations to stage massive exhibits in a national pavilion. The United States will have a heavy involvement in the event. To date, the United States has raised an approximate $61 million in private funds for the construction of their own pavilion, focused on sustainability and the Chinese community in America.

The theme of the Expo is “Better City, Better Life.”  So far, planners have chosen 55 projects to represent the best urban practices and the promotion of ecological development and urban design. According to the mission statement on the Shanghai Expo website, Shanghai hopes to build a powerful and lasting pilot example of sustainable and harmonious urban living.”

The mass excitement for the event however has affected another one of Shanghai’s main attractions. I can speak from personal experience given my time in Shanghai this summer. The Bund, an amazing walkway of architecture, has been disrupted by a mix of construction trucks and construction workers. Construction took place all summer and is expected to continue until its completion at the end of the year.  Because of the construction, I was not able to get perfect views and pictures of the Bund area. The construction affected some of the access I had to see it. This construction is taking place to make way for a multiple story tunnel to transport visitors to the Expo area. Also, under going construction currently is a 1.5 million square foot World Expo Center, an Expo Boulevard, and an Expo Performing Arts Center.

The Expo event hopes to expand Shanghai and China’s economic clout and power within the world. The 2008 Olympics brought a tremendous amount of awareness, interest, and growth to the city of Beijing. Shanghai hopes to achieve much of the same with its Shanghai Expo. I can speak from what I  saw this summer that this event is going to be absolutely huge. Not a day went by where I didn’t see a poster, advertisement, or some promotion talking about the event that is still a year away. The Shanghai Expo mascot, Haibao, is impossible not to find. Every day I spent in Shanghai I would see the Shanghai Expo mascot or the timer that would countdown the hours, days, and minutes, to this monumental event set to take place next year. The Expo is set to be the world’s largest fair ever. A total of 400,000 visitors are expected each day with over 300,000 meals to be prepared ranging from a wide variety of western and Asian cuisine.

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/bizchina/2009-09/24/content_8730064.htm

http://www.upi.com/Features/Culture_Society/2009/09/29/Shanghai-Expo-construction-disrupts-famous-Bund/12541443659802/

http://www.shanghaidaily.com/sp/article/2009/200909/20090924/article_414783.htm

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