I have been to China before, indeed as a teenager in the early 1960's, I visited the port of Dalian in northern China on two occasions. Of course at that time Red Guards were on the streets and the powers of Mao was at its height. Martial music played constantly and our movements were severely limited. We were allowed to exchange some Chinese money but had to hand any unspent money over to the authorities when we left. I visited Beijing in 2002 and the changes between the two visits were quantum. In the 9 years since that visit things have changed again by a huge order of magnitude. Of course, I am talking about cities and not the countryside where the situation is probably similar to that of the '60's with somewhat less of the political element.
Shanghai is, it goes without saying, not typical of all China by any means. The first impression on arrival at Pudong Airport is scale. China has developed its infrastructure with the full realization that its 1.3 billion population are evolving fast and citizens who may have toiled in rice fields adjacent to their home for all their lives a few years ago are now traveling within the country and even abroad. The airports are very spacious and clean and facilities are available and convenient. Although not, perhaps an economical success the maglev trains which tales a passenger part way into the city for a very reasonable CNY 50 (about $8), is a technical marvel. Fast (300 kph) clean and comfortable it is the way all transfers from airport to city should be made and compares very favorably with any of the transfer options at New York's three airports.
Shanghai city is a wonderful mix of the old colonial architecture which is most evident along Bund on the banks of the Huangpu River, a busy waterway which runs through the heart of the city. These old buildings many built by the Brits have been well-preserved and contrast well with the dramatic high rise buildings, many architecturally stunning which form the rest of the city. The city is criss-crossed by elevated highways with multiple level interchanges. In this respect, maybe the Chinese didn't get the scale issue quite right. It is estimated that 9,000 additional cars a day enter the car population of Shanghai. That is an increase of 3.3m vehicles per year if the present escalation continues. The traffic jams on these elevated highways is stark testament to this rapid growth. Driving disciplines are less than polite and lane changing is a way of life all of which simply exacerbates the tie-ups. There has also been a transition from the bicycle-borne masses to scooters although in the quieter areas of the city it is still possible to see bicycles laden with goods.
Without using too many clichés, China is a country of contrasts and it is possible to pass from high luxury to much more basic living conditions in quite a short distance. What is incontrovertible is that China is developing at a phenomenal rate. There is construction at every turn. The shipyard facilities we have seen have ranged from fairly basic to almost space age and the plans for further development will make the industry very strong although perhaps a bit over-populated. All this growth in every area has, in many cases been accompanied by some lack of quality and this is not surprising. As each area matures, the quality starts to come and most people tell you that, in the shipbuilding industry, for example, China is now where Korea was in the 1990's but moving fast up the scale to equal or overtake its rivals.
The Chinese I have met are undoubtedly very proud of their country and are anxious to reach new heights. There seem to be opportunities for those young people who are willing to become educated although the opportunity may not be open to all. There is a migration from the countryside to the city and the surround dings of the city are ringed with a forest of high rise apartment buildings.
The rail system is very efficient and fast and reasonably priced by western standards although it might be less so for the residents.
All in all, the growth of China is almost palpable – if one is (anecdotally) able to watch bamboo grow, then China is like bamboo, one can almost watch it grow from day to day. Where this will all lead, who knows but the determination, work ethic and the industriousness which is innate in the Chinese will push them to greater heights and the world will really only be able to watch and wonder.
China will be a place you will have to visit every year (or even month!!) to monitor the changes. It is nothing short of a wonder, even if some parts of the wonder are good and others, by western viewpoint, less good one gets the impression that China is well-aware of its strengths and weaknesses and is working to hone the former and correct the latter as long as the latter are not a hindrance to progress.
A word of advice, if you plan to come, avoid July, it is very hot and very humid and there is a pall of haze over the city which may be caused by some temperature inversion over the Yangtze delta or by pollution or a combination of both. It is sometimes so bad that one can hardly see across the river. The weather and air conditions make for uncomfortable conditions out in the open air.
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