Shanghai perspective from a regular visitor - Shanghai Expat

on Monday, May 24, 2004 - 10:32 AM AST - 10527 Reads

Over the past five years, my work has brought me to China many times and I've formed a strong impression of this country in a dynamic period of transition. Shanghai perhaps provides the most vivid impression of this in my mind. As I return once again, let me take you through some thoughts that always occur to me in the first 24 hours of my visit.

Pudong is an impressive new airport but is rather soulless compared to the chaos, muddle and bustle of creaking old Hongqiao. But you speed through efficiently and it is clearly built for a much busier future. The obvious choice for getting downtown remains a taxi or bus.

The Maglev train is amazing, but seems to contradict one thing I've learned about Chinese ways. That is the latest cutting-edge technology is seldom favoured, rather that which is well tried and tested elsewhere. The Maglev clearly runs against the grain and the teething problems have been rather predictable. The biggest problem, however, is the complete planning nonsense of the line ending up in the wilds of Pudong, with the expectation that you'll haul your regulation 20 kgs of luggage onto the Metro system to reach your final destination.

As a young economics student, I developed great faith in planning and central direction of economies - indeed even in socialism. Twenty years of practical experience in the business world has destroyed most of that! Planners will often get things wrong and you should always take great note of what the customers say and do. With the Maglev, they (including me) are voting with their feet and still taking environmentally-inferior taxis and buses downtown. The other planning mistake which is obvious within the Shanghai transport system is the link between Metro Lines 1 and 2 at Peoples’ Square. Which lunatic is responsible for this? I'm told that the two lines were designed by different bodies, but for a modern system, the pain of getting from one line to the other is unforgivable.


In older Metro systems, as in London, Paris, New York and Tokyo, it is often necessary to take a little walk when changing lines, but a newly-built system should have avoided this. As my taxi speeds through Pudong, I’m struck by the rather featureless architecture until one hits the area close to the river, which is sensational. It is notable, however, that the Chinese manage to transform the new residential areas into rather untidy enclaves, akin to the older areas of the city, within just a few years. The little workshops on the ground floors, spilling out into the streets, are a constant feature, as well as the washing lines hanging from each window. By contrast there are the Western-style out-of-town retail stores, particularly those concerned with home decoration and furnishings. These offer a touch of the really modern, which goes with the exciting architecture around the Jinmao and the Oriental TV Towers. This is very futuristic and to me very beautiful. Speeding over one of the main bridges, Puxi hits me like a sledgehammer. Beyond the brief view of the beautiful colonial-era buildings on the Bund, it’s the sheer density of the population which is amazing. This must rival Hong Kong, but goes on for much, much further, as far as the eye can see.

Apartment blocks and offices of 20-40 stories appear to have sprung up on every available plot of land, with hardly anything in between, apart from the elevated highways, cutting lines like knives through butter. My thoughts actually depend very much on the weather (which always reminds me of a warmer version of London – it’s never quite “right” – often cloudy, changeable, never knows whether it is going to be sunny or rainy). If it is drizzling, I think how ugly, claustrophobic and unsettling this place is, but when the sun shines, I find the effect quite spectacular and wonderful. It always reminds me of the video from Queen’s 1984 hit “Radio Ga Ga” which utilised a backdrop from Fritz Lang’s classic 1920s silent movie “Metropolis”, an incredible vision of a futuristic city. How can so many people live in relative peace in such a confined area? Everybody has seen occasional conflicts between local Chinese, always sure to draw a crowd of interested onlookers with an opinion to pass on. But everyone seems to get along with their lives with a great deal of dignity and respect for their fellows.

 For a European, this is very impressive – when tower blocks of apartments were tried in crowded British cities in the 1960s, they were a social disaster and soon turned into slums, as families, used to little houses with gardens, couldn’t cope with the supposed utopia the award-winning planners had designed for them. The traffic is very heavy during all daylight hours and leaves much to be desired. But it's not as exciting a ride as in, say, Mumbai or Bangkok, where taxis continuously perform stunts which you think must result in certain death and serious injury, but somehow never seem to. Also the smog doesn’t seem as bad as in those places, with their extra heat and humidity. Yet I always have a vision of the future with all the teeming Shanghai millions having access to private cars and the elevated highway construction programme struggling to keep up with the demand for road space. But it just can’t happen in China – the environmental impact of Chinese car ownership levels reaching even European, let alone the much higher North American, levels would be catastrophic.

A city with Shanghai’s population density must invest heavily in public transport or it will become just a grid-locked parking lot under a cloud of pollution. Yet somewhere down below the highway and the smog, you can make out the beginnings of the much lower-rise French Concession, with rather grubby but interesting buildings and even some little patches of green. Yet there are still plenty of sky-scrapers seeming to sit in peoples’ back gardens. The one I always think of is next to the Ruijin Buildings – you are sitting on the nice terrace at Face Bar, looking out over the pleasant gardens and other houses, yet there is a modern skyscraper soaring somewhere above you. The hotel is always welcoming – in fact, few cities can have such a good mixture of hotels of all styles and standards as Shanghai. The old, represented by the Peace Hotel on the Bund and the Park at Peoples Square, retain their 1930s art deco look and charm, a reminder that Shanghai’s alleged decadence is not so new.

The modern are also excellent refuges for the busy traveller, with the old stand-bys such as the Hilton, JC Mandarin, Portman and Garden, now complemented by the more recent (and to me better-located) Westin, Marriott and Sofitel. All have excellent and sometimes spectacular public rooms and plenty of well-trained staff but rather standardised guest rooms. Once inside, you could be just anywhere from Paris, Rio de Janeiro or San Francisco to Singapore, unless there is a great view of the city skyline, preferably of the Bund and the Pudong towers beyond. But this is essentially down to your room-allocation luck and the frequent traveller gets very tired of hotel rooms. I remember reading, in my youth, about the British rock bands of the late 1960s and early 1970s who took to smashing up hotel rooms because of their tedium during long world tours. I thought how spoiled and ungrateful they were, given the chances they had for travelling the world and staying at various 5-star palaces.

Yet my rebellious streak secretly enjoyed their tales of furniture being hurled out of windows and Rolls Royces driven into swimming pools. And now I can perfectly understand their feelings as the rooms are indeed so boring. It's best to get out and about the city for a long walk on foot, to help relieve the jet lag and build up an appetite for dinner and the night-time entertainment beyond. Also to encounter the local people. I’m very familiar with crowded Asian cities from my travels to India, Japan, Korea, Malaysia and Thailand. All have common characteristics – huge population densities, lots of noise, bright neon lights and smells of strange foods wafting from nearby kitchens. But not so much street food in Shanghai (Seoul and Bangkok take the prizes here). A notable Shanghai feature is the usual cast of shady characters trying to entice you into buying pirated goods. However, a better Shanghai (and Beijing) speciality is the young and often pretty art students trying to persuade you to view (and of course purchase) their over-priced work with tales of family tragedies and their great poverty. Dormitories of 8 students – sounds like hell on earth for a western kid!

Upon close questioning, it usually turns out that they just happen to be the best English-speakers in their school and have little ability with pen or brush. They are maybe also the good-lookers. The best artwork is invariably the work of “Our Professor” but I’m a sucker and have sometimes bought things. My impressions of the Shanghainese are basically similar to those of other Asians. They go about their lives diligently, whether working, shopping or at leisure, have a lot of respect for their fellow inhabitants and a very great regard for good food and making money. I like to spot the national differences amongst the East Asian people, who look much the same at first glance to us Westerners. In fact, back in London I like to guess the nationalities when I notice obvious tourists as I’m dozing on my tube journeys. Although there are facial, build and skin colour characteristics which differ, I find dress the best identifier, particularly amongst the women.

The Japanese and Koreans have their own style but I can frequently identify the (fewer in number) mainland Chinese by their inferior fashion sense. However, this doesn’t apply so much to Shanghai, where the people are well ahead of the rest of China in their outfits, particularly the younger women. Shanghai is far more adventurous with personal style and, in getting to know some of the locals, this clearly goes far beyond their dress. Much of this must be due to the Western influence of the past but also perhaps to a reaction against the first 30 years of the Communist era, when Shanghai was so discriminated against by the powers in Beijing. People in Shanghai are much more individualistic, I find, than is common amongst other Chinese and Asians. English language skills are also very good, perhaps even on a par with Hong Kong, with even the older people proud to try a little English with you. Moving onto my walk through the city streets, I always head down first to the Bund. I like looking at buildings, new and old (maybe there is a frustrated creative architect inside me) and Shanghai is brilliant for this.

The Bund itself is wonderful to walk along, whether by day or night, with the supreme contrast of the buildings on each side of the river. But I always regret that there are no nice pavement cafés along the walking terrace – I know these are not the Chinese style, but would seem to be a nice international addition. The weather may be a problem at times but, hey, we manage al fresco drinking and eating in Northern Europe these days. My other regret in the city is the lack of parks and open spaces. I'm spoiled for these in London, being able to walk solely through parks for the few kilometres between my office near Harrods in Knightsbridge and the Houses of Parliament at Westminster. But I’m sure the city planners could have done more, despite the huge pressures on land values in the downturn area. Then onto a restaurant to eat - this is where you are spoiled in Shanghai.

 Every type of Chinese cuisine is available and plenty of good (although invariably much more expensive) foreign alternatives too. One important point is that the Chinese food in China is substantially better than that served up in Europe and North America, apart from in the best restaurants. What passes for Chinese food there is invariably rubbish by comparison. So I can happily try excellent regional Chinese specialities all over the city – one theme is that both restaurants and nightlife spread out over many areas and are not concentrated in one area. However, on at least one day a week, I find I prefer to revert to some solidly Western food and still many good choices still abound. For a visitor, the night entertainment in Shanghai is fine – there is enough of contrast on offer, with some theatre and music options plus the usual bar scenes. For a resident, though, it must be very limited by comparison with a Western city, particularly in the cultural arena. Bars are much the same anywhere and Shanghai does well, from the usually boring hotel places with Filipino bands playing top-40 hits (sometimes very good musicians though) to more raucous bar streets where the local young ladies seek foreign gentlemen. I would say that overall, however, the scene in Shanghai is as good as anywhere in Asia right now. Tokyo can beat anywhere on number of bars but there is a lack of variety. Shanghai has choice in abundance now and I would just mention two favourites here.

I think O’Malleys is the best Irish bar I’ve come across overseas, while House of Blues and Jazz defies the usual Maoming stereotype and is a place of fantastic atmosphere. That is if you like good blues and jazz music (with a touch of soul too). What do I think, in more detail, of the people in the city? I’ve followed a few of the debates in the forum here and may offer some of my own humble opinions. All of my travels (and I cover over 250,000 km each year) have taught me that there are far greater differences between people within a particular country than there are between counties and cultures. We all point to national stereotypes and of course they have some validity and are good fun to discuss. You can take the boy out of Britain but you can’t take Britain out of the boy - we are all creatures of our birth and upbringing and this cannot be totally shaken off. Back home, I’ve worked closely for years with a succession of young Japanese, but I’ve found that once you get to know them, you easily forget their nationality with the general baggage this brings along and soon appreciate their individual characters. Which are all very different but commonly found in all people around the world.

To summarise them as “good people” and “bad people” is simplistic but almost unavoidable, as I think we know that everyone has a mixture of both. It’s a question of balance and my conclusion is optimistic, in that in most countries, I’ve found the overwhelming number of people to be kind, open, honest and basically good and this is far more important to me than their odd national characteristics. Globalisation is anyway perhaps beginning to blur some of these and this is also both good and bad sides to this. The primacy of the English language (but mainly American culture) means that people from different countries now find it a little easier to get along with each other but one hopes that this is not at the expense of the suppression of distinctive national features. The people in Shanghai (and China as a whole) are indeed perhaps a little over-sensitive to criticism of their country. But their history has not encouraged them to be able to laugh at themselves as can, for example, the sometimes complacent British. Business dealings are sometimes difficult, with elements of guanxi favouritism, bureaucracy and corruption, but which country doesn't have these important factors? When in Rome, you have to do as the Romans do.

Prostitution is in every city in the world and has been so since the beginning of time. I don’t think anyone in Shanghai should be very ashamed of what can be seen – it is well-controlled and actually very restrained compared with what is so obvious in, say, Bangkok or Rio de Janeiro. It’s not a nice feature to consider but the philosopher in me says that if something so obviously exists, there has to be a good reason and there is probably not much we can do to stop it, only modify it. And what of close personal relations between local men and women and the foreigners? Shanghai has a large expatriate population, plus many visitors, so there are many opportunities for this to happen. I can’t claim to be an expert but my general observation is that the cultural differences impose an additional challenge in a relationship, but can often be overcome by other more important common characteristics.

Probably a more important difficulty today for relationships is the pressure of modern living, with demanding careers, frequently involving long hours and travel away from home. Particularly if both the man and woman share this lifestyle, it is much more likely to split them up than their cultural background. There are maybe plenty of girls in Shanghai who are essentially gold-digging with foreign men, but nobody should feel so bad about this. After all, it’s not so unusual in Western countries, even these days. Again it can be explained by history, background and so on - if something exists, there is probably a good reason for it, so why worry? Overall, my thoughts of Shanghai are very positive. As I visitor, I always look forward to coming as both the city and its people are great. It has every chance, over the next twenty years, of overtaking Tokyo or Hong Kong as the leading city in East Asia, particularly as a business city. On the other hand, as a city to live in, I’m not so sure. The lack of green space and my favourite cultural diversions would maybe frustrate me after a time. I’ve never actually lived within a big city centre, preferring the green of the suburbs, so I’d likely need to make regular escapes to the countryside and back to Europe for quick doses of music and live theatre. But in today’s world, this is quite possible and I can think of many cities around the world, including many in Europe and North America, where I’d be much less eager to end up.