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Monday, December 23, 2013

A Big Pit in Changsha

When I visited Beizheng Street in Changsha, Hunan province, last month, I saw much had changed from a year ago due to the demolition of numerous buildings. About 10-15 minutes away on foot there is another place where I noticed significant change. Here is a photo of the construction site last year:

Construction site for the Changsha International Financial Square (IFS) in 2012
October, 2012


I wasn't sure what I'd find upon returning last month. Would there be a partially built structure? No, even better, there was a bigger pit.

Construction site for the Changsha International Financial Square (IFS) in 2013 is a much deeper pit
November, 2013

And they were hard at work in the pit, even around midnight.

Construction site for the Changsha International Financial Square (IFS) in 2013 at night
November, 2013

According to a government website, in October the pit reached a depth of 35 meters. It looks like it could serve as an aquarium for whales, but Hong Kong developer Wharf Holdings is instead using the site to build the Changsha International Financial Square (IFS). As described by Wharf Holdings:
Changsha IFS will comprise an iconic 452-metre tower, the tallest landmark in Hunan, and another tower in 315 metres in height atop a retail podium, offering upscale retail, Grade A offices and a five-star sky hotel with a total GFA of 725,000 square metres. It is ideally located in the prime area of Jiefang Road in Furong District and the mega-sized retail podium of 230,000 square metres, larger than the retail malls at Chengdu IFS and Harbour City in Hong Kong, will be among the largest in Changsha and Central China to capture the growing consumption demand in the region. Construction is underway with full completion in 2016.
The validity of the "tallest landmark in Hunan" claim depends on whether Sky City, which has received much more media attention and would be the world's tallest, is ever built. As of August, the developers for Sky City had not secured all the necessary approvals, and I am not aware of any significant change since then. Perhaps the delay is related to the developer's claims it can be built in 90 days (not counting time for prefabrication). The Changsha IFS will take quite a bit longer to build. In the meantime, Wharf Holdings will open the Chongqing IFS in 2015, the Wuxi IFS in 2014, and the Chengdu IFS next month.

Beizheng Street and the Changsha IFS construction site are both examples of how Changsha is undergoing significant change. In a later post, I will share another example that is also within walking distance. However, it differs in that its transformation is nearly complete.

Friday, December 20, 2013

In Memory of Changsha's Beizheng Street

Last month as I walked past and through the remnants of many demolished buildings around Beizheng Street in Changsha, Hunan province, I considered China's large number of forced evictions and the constant change so easily found in its rapidly developing cities. In the previous two posts I shared photos of what I saw around Beizheng Street and made several direct comparisons to what I saw there last year. In many ways, the area was similar to other demolished neighborhoods I have seen in China. But one scene included something remarkable I had not seen before--a creation arising from the rubble itself.

men constructing a reddish brick sculpture while two other men photograph it


For about 10 minutes I watched several people working on the brick sculpture. I then headed off to explore more of the neighborhood knowing I would pass by again before leaving.

When I returned, they were putting on the finishing touches. Boldly standing out was the Chinese word "记忆" (jìyì) which translates to "memory".

men applying a whitish paint to a sculpture of the Chinese word "记忆"


I soon met with several of the artists who created the sculpture.

Chinese artist in glasses with the "记忆" sculpture in the background

two Chinese artists, one holding a camera, with the "记忆" sculpture in the background


While I was there, many people passed by without stopping, but some paused for a few moments to look at the new sight. A few curious schoolgirls took a close look and were invited to be photographed with two of the artists.

two artists and 3 young girls posing for a photo in front of the sculpture of "记忆".

All of the artists had grown up around Beizheng Street and now worked in the advertising industry in Guangzhou, about 8 hours away from Changsha by car. They had returned to build the sculpture, which symbolized all that would be left of the Beizheng Street they had known. When I asked one artist how he now felt looking at his old neighborhood he replied, "Angry."

New structures will rise in the future, but how many of them will retain something of the old Beizheng Street? I imagined the sculpture remaining, maybe in a small park, as one small sign of the past. That's probably just a fantasy though. Like much else which could recently be found at Beizheng Street, the "memory" itself may already only be a memory. The artists guessed it would last for at most 3 weeks, perhaps a fitting existence. Regardless, what matters most is not whether their sculpture remains standing. What matters is that they built it at all.

Sunday, December 15, 2013

Three Scenes One Year Ago and Today at Beizheng Street in Changsha

In two posts I shared photos of scenes from last year and of more recent scenes around Changsha's Beizheng Street--a neighborhood long marked for destruction and where one local man told me people had not been compensated enough by the government for their homes. So many buildings have been demolished during the past year that I could have taken photos from the same location this year and last year without noticing it, but there are at least three scenes where I can make a direct comparison.

One scene includes a Padaria New Mario--a bakery store chain with a number of locations in Changsha:

Padaria New Mario at Beizheng Street in Changsha
October, 2012

An empty Padaria New Mario at Beizheng Street in Changsha
November, 2013

Last year the bakery remained open for business. Last month the building was empty except for rubble. Other changes in the scene can be found as well.

On the other side of the street, a building notable for its traditional-style architecture also remained, although part of a row of buildings behind it did not:

traditional style building at Beizheng Street in Changsha
October, 2012

traditional style building at Beizheng Street in Changsha
November, 2013

The clothes hanging on the third level suggest at least part of the building was still in use.

The above comparisons were easy to make since they included recognizable buildings which remained. The same can't be said for the final scene.

While walking around Beizheng Street, I recalled a winding narrow alley where I had chatted with some people last year:

adults watching two boys, one in an electric toy car, in a small alley near Beizheng Street in Changsha
October, 2012

I wondered whether I could find the same location. After relying on my navigation skills and walking through a lot of rubble, I found it:

a narrow alley through the remaining rubble of demolished buildings near Beizheng Street in Changsha
November, 2013

Of all the scenes it stands out the most to me, partly because it touched on a brief personal experience, partly because the change is dramatic, and partly because it implies much more has changed than just buildings.

I don't know whether the people I met there last year ever returned to see what had become of the alley, but I did speak with some other people who returned to see their old neighborhood. And I probably would have never met them had it not been for how they decided to express themselves. I will say and show more about their art in an upcoming post.

Thursday, December 12, 2013

Remnants of a Disappearing Neighborhood in Changsha, China

After discussing an increase in forced evictions in China last year, I shared some relevant scenes from a neighborhood:
... around Beizheng Street (北正街) which is close to a popular and rapidly developing shopping district in central Changsha. When I first visited Changsha over 3 years ago I noticed a number of similar buildings in other areas marked for demolition with a red 拆 (chāi) inside a circle. Now, it appears the preferred symbol is a red "征" (zhēng) inside a circle. 拆 roughly means "demolished" and 征 roughly means "acquisition".
Although there were already some emptied or demolished buildings at the time, signs of everyday life could still be found. Here is one of the photos from the earlier post:

two young women walking by food items for sale at Beizheng Street in Changhsa

Several weeks ago I returned to Beizheng Street. Not surprisingly, much had changed in a year. Before, Changsha's local culture could easily be found. Now, many scenes could be easily confused with those of numerous other neighborhoods across China also being demolished.

Below is a set of photos from my recent visit displayed in the order they were taken. Some show remaining buildings, including what in China are called "nail houses"--individual homes left standing alone, often due to residents who don't want to leave or who are holding out for more money. Some show Changsha's newer buildings in the background. Some show people collecting scraps from the demolished buildings. Some show people simply passing through. Some show the decreasing examples of the everyday life of people who still live or work there. Many show the remnants of demolished buildings.

And they all show just a single point in time as the area continues to change.

narrow pathway through rubble at Beizheng Street in Changsha

woman walking by the rubble of demolished buildings near Beizheng Street in Changsha

man riding by demolished buildings on Beizheng Street in Changsha

"nail house" at Beizheng Street in Changsha

men using shovels at Beizheng Street in Changsha

woman and boy at Beizheng Street in Changsha

pathway between rubble leading away from Beizheng Street in Changsha

woman knitting outside and others play mahjong inside at Beizheng Street in Changsha

man squatting down in front of demolished buildings at Beizheng Street in Changsha

red banner reading "打好攻坚战,腾空地铁口" hung on a remaining building at Beizheng Street in Changsha

women standing and a dog sitting outside some remaining buildings at Beizheng Street in Changsha

a chair sitting next to rubble near Beizheng Street in Changsha

buildings at Beizheng Street in Changsha

two older women walking by some remaining buildings at Beizheng Street in Changsha

older man with a cane walking on Beizheng Street in Changsha

women with babies in strollers at Beizheng Street in Changsha

man sitting in front of a motel sign at Beizheng Street in Changsha

man with a two-wheeled wooden wheelbarrow collecting scraps from the demolished buildings at Beizheng Street in Changsha

man and two women riding on a motorbike at Beizheng Street in Changsha

young woman walking with her arm on a young man's shoulder at Beizheng Street in Changsha

man resting while sitting on a tricycle cart parked next to demolished buildings at Beizheng Street in Changsha

two women walking by rubble near Beizheng Street in Changsha

woman riding a bicycle past demolished buildings and a modern tall building in the background

a view from a small hill of Beizheng Street with tall buildings being built in the background

For a comparison, scenes from last year can be found here, and an earlier set of scenes when Beizheng Street was in full form 5 years ago can be found in a post by Sheng Yong (盛勇) here. In a later post, I will share a few photos where I can make direct comparisons with scenes from last year (perhaps sharp-eyed readers might be able to find examples in the above photos as well). In another post, I will share something I did not expect to find which expresses the feelings of a few people who used to live there.

Monday, December 9, 2013

Just Another Dinner in Zhuhai

A nighttime dinner scene in Zhuhai, Guangdong province:

plastic wrapped table setting on an outdoor table with a young woman smoking in the background in Zhuhai, China

Yet again, more soon...

Sunday, December 8, 2013

Just Another Lunch in Changsha

A lunch scene from a restaurant in Changsha, Hunan province:

three people sitting on benches eating lunch in Changsha, China

If you're curious about the benches, last year's post here about stools in China provides some related context.

More soon...

Wednesday, December 4, 2013

Alps Water from Northeast China

In one of Changsha's more upscale grocery stores, I saw these bottles of water for sale:

bottles of water with the name "Alps" in English and "阿尔卑斯" in Chinese


I was looking for carbonated water, but water from the Alps* was tempting. Curious about the name, I took a closer look at the label:

close up of label information for Alps bottled water.

I can't say I was surprised to discover that the water is not actually from the Alps. Instead, it is from Jilin province in Northeast China.

Since it wasn't rocket science to figure out the disconnect between the water's name and its place of origin, I wondered how it might impact sales. On a related note, in the Journal of Marketing paper "The Double-Edged Sword of Foreign Brand Names for Companies from Emerging Countries", Valentyna Melnyk, Kristina Klein, and Franziska Völckner wrote:
Because current regulations in most countries mandate displaying the country of production, producers from emerging countries should be aware that using foreign branding for hedonic products may backfire significantly, whereas using foreign brand names for utilitarian products may work. For example, a Chinese company may successfully export electric appliances (utilitarian products) with German brand names but might have a more difficult time selling decorative cosmetics (hedonic products) under French names.
Although I would consider water to be more of a utilitarian product, the higher priced Alps bottled water might be better considered in this case as a hedonic product. However, the authors' claim does not address the possible impact of a Chinese company using foreign branding on sales within China.

So perhaps Alps water will do just fine Changsha. It could be a very different story if they try to sell it in Switzerland though.**

Finally, the bottle lists the company's website at www.alps.so. I will refrain from commenting on the website, which is worth a look, but I will point out that ".so" is the internet country code for Somalia. I'm guessing this reflects the challenges of acquiring "alps" as a domain name and not another attempt at foreign branding.



*Note: The red characters "阿尔卑斯" above the word "ALPS" is the Chinese name for the Alps.

**If anyone has seen it for sale there, I'd love to hear about it.

Sunday, December 1, 2013

Unexpected Service in Changsha

In Changsha, Hunan province, a Chinese friend I hadn't seen in a long time offered to take me to a restaurant with Hunan-style food. We first met in a familiar shopping district, and I wondered if the restaurant would be familiar to me as well. However, as we headed down an alley I realized I was about to have a new experience. Given the fascinating discussions I've had with this friend about China's government, I suspect her choice of restaurants included a touch of humor.

Our waiter didn't seem easily humored though.



Locals often know the best places to eat...

Friday, November 29, 2013

A Long Thanksgiving in Changsha

I don't have a story to share this year like my Thanksgiving experience last year in Changsha. I'll just say I ate a delicious holiday meal yesterday including items such as turkey, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, pumpkin pie, and bullfrog. Despite appreciating some of the charms in another person's experience, I feel fortunate it didn't take place at a KFC.

And for those who are disappointed the holiday is over, perhaps a visit to ID Mall in Changsha is in order. After all, I saw this sign a couple of weeks ago there:

mall entrance in Changsha with a Thanksgiving themed banner saying "Happy Thanksgiving Day 11.16-12.8"

It looks like they'll be celebrating for more than another week.

Pumpkin pie may be impossible to find, but all should be fine if you're seeking a taste of spicy bullfrog.

Wednesday, November 27, 2013

A New Scene With a Familiar Bridge in Changsha

I have been preoccupied with other-than-blogging activities the past week or so, but I hope to soon return to posting more regularly. For now, here is a photo taken from the western side of Changsha's Xiang River:

evening view of a bridge over Changsha's Xiang River with brightly lit buildings in the background

The bridge has made an appearance here before in a post describing some problems I was having with other "bridges".  The earlier photo was taken from the eastern side of the river.

I don't believe the buildings on the left have appeared here before, though, and they are a newer part of Changsha's skyline. They may be part of a later post about the changes I have seen in Changsha since last year's visit.

And on that note, more soon...

Sunday, November 24, 2013

Greetings from Buddha and Mao in Changsha

I previously shared several recent scenes from an outdoor antique market in Changsha, Hunan province. Although much seemed the same, in one way my experience there was quite different from a visit last year. This time two different sellers asked me to take a photo of one their items for sale.

The first man held a statue of Buddha:

man holding a statue of Buddha

man with his items for sale at an outdoor antique market in Changsha


The second man held a colorized photograph of a young Mao Zedong, which according to several Chinese sites (here and here) was taken by American journalist Edgar Snow:

man holding a framed colorized photo of young Mao Zedong with the words "一九三六,毛主席在陕北", which translates to "Chairman Mao in Shanbei, 1936"



The men's requests were especially interesting for me, since for research purposes I'll sometimes ask people to hold a "special" item for a photograph. It's unusual for me, though, that the other person makes the request, even at a market. Whatever the men's motives may have been, I'll just say I appreciated their openness. And there's also something to be said about being "greeted" by both Buddha and Mao Zedong within a short timespan. Like the friendly sellers, it is not an experience at odds with Changsha's culture.