My life in Shanghai

During the winter break I had an opportunity to travel to Seoul, Korea again. Surrounded by financial high rises on one side and trendy cafes and art galleries on the other lies Gyeongbokgung Palace. Though I didn't actually get to go inside the palace, seeing it from the outside in the cold December air was quite an impressive reminder of its historical past. Looking into the background mountain and the various palace builidings covered in snow I could just imagine the old emperor and Royal family sipping tea inside with their beautiful traditional hanboks (imagine a Korean version of a kimono), powdered faces, and sophisticated hairstyles.

Gyeongbokgung Palace was first constructed in 1394 by King Taejo and was the largest of the 5 palaces built by the Joseon Dynasty. The palace burned down and was rebuilt a number of times throughout history. After being reconstructed in 1867, the palace is said to have had 330 buildings and 5,792 rooms. From 1911, the Japanese government destroyed all but 10 of the buildings, including the surrounding wall. The Japanese also constructed the massive Japanese General Government Building in front of the throne hall to discredit the Joseon Dynasty. Interestingly the Japanese purposely constructed the General Government building slightly slanted and not quite adjacent to the throne hall. This was a clear sign of disrespect to the Korean Royal family, as well as a gesture towards the supposed inferiority of the Korean people and culture. Since the Palace was the center-point of the city, the slanted position of the government building actually affected the layout of constructed buildings throughout Seoul (since they mirrored the position of the center-point, the Palace).

The Japanese occupation and the Korean War severely destroyed most of the Palace and in 1989 the Korean government embarked on a 40 year project to restore it. In 1995 the government finally decided to destroy the Japanese government building in an effort to restore the Palace back to the its pre-colonial state, as well as rid the city of any reminders of the harsh Japanese occupation. Today only the very top of the government building has been saved and exists as a part of a memorial in a museum devoted to the Japanese occupation. As of 2009, it is said that about 40% of the original Palace has been restored.

Interesting fact: The name "Korea" was actually originally spelled with a "C" (Corea). The Japanese were the ones who changed the spelling to "Korea" during their occupation since "K" came after "J" in the alphabet and as we know, has remained the same ever since.

Just across from the Palace entrance are two the most noticeable statues in central Seoul. The furthest of the two is Yi Sun-Shin, a naval commander best noted his victories against the Japanese during the Japanese invasions of Korea (1592-1598). Even today, Sun-Shin remains an important hero to many Koreans.

The closer of the two statues is King Sejong the Great (one of only two Korean rulers to have been honored with the title "the great"). Sejong is most notably famous for introducing the hangul (Korean alphabet), as well as utilizing certain technological advances to expand his terrorities. If put into European terms, you could say King Sejong was a bit like the supposed "enlightened" rulers of Europe such as Alexander/Frederick the Great.

The statues sit nicely inbetween the towering, glassy financial and business high rises on their left and right sides, as well as the historic Palace gate that sits directly behind them. The statues resound themselves as testiments of strength, perseverience, and ingenunity amongst the glassy high rises in downtown Seoul that have come to existence through its modern-day success and power.

Very traditional wood sculpture and dwelling

Interesting stone sculptures

This guy has a cool "snow cap."

Peaceful winter scenery

As seen from the street, looking through one of the gates.

Naval Commander Yi Sun-Shin

This guy must have worked out...

The Admiral looking after his city...

King Sejong the Great

Gate to the Palace

People ice-skating not too far from the Palace in the downtown area on New Years Day

Cheonggyecheong River, a 6 km man-made river finished in 2005 as part of a big urban renewal project.

Other side of bridge overlooking Cheonggyecheong River.

A few months ago I had the distinct pleasure of visiting the city of Wuxi, which is located 128 kilometers west of Shanghai in Southern Jiangsu Provence. Dubbed “Little Shanghai” for its dramatic business development and booming economy, Wuxi has played an important role historically in providing commerce and establishing business in its mega-neighbor Shanghai. Though significantly smaller than Shanghai, Wuxi is still houses close to 4 ½ million people. It is one of the oldest cities in China with its history dating back 3,000 years (Wuxi.jiangsu.net, 2010). The name Wuxi translates to “no more tin” after princes declared the city to be mined completely out of the material in 25 A.D. Since then the city has known for being an agricultural powerhouse, providing significant quantities of national rice for the dynasties. Later it became a hub for the textile industry. Presently, Wuxi is equally significant in regard to industry and development and currently ranks 9th for Chinese cities in GDP ranking (Wuxi.jiangsui.net, 2010).

Upon first arriving in the city I could instantly see how developed it was. Impressive high rises, cars, and neon-lighted restaurants and bars filled the bustling downtown area. A friend of mine informed me that only 10 years ago most of the tall buildings and trendy restaurants and clubs that dominated the present landscape were non-existent. A newly developed street along the river by our hotel was filled with rows of loud, lighted night clubs. Trendy young Chinese students and club-goers littered the street for the Chinese Valentine’s day (in 2010 it was August 16) while street vendors hawked roses and romance-themed teddy bears to couples walking by. Coming from Shanghai where foreigners are common during nightlife festivities it felt a bit odd as in Wuxi I was the only foreigner in sight.

Based on our experience, my friend and I thought the city itself had little to offer in regard to seeing anything worthwhile or interesting. Aside from some decent restaurants and the usual boring shopping malls that are all too common in Shanghai the city itself seemed like an assortment of high rises and construction sites (specifically due to the new subway lines being dug up). In terms of a tourist destination, Wuxi is usually popular for its lake (Lake Taihu) and its massive Buddha statue, appropriately titled Grand Buddha. I had a chance to visit the latter which was located about an hour away from the city.

At 88 meters high, the bronze Grand Buddha is one of the largest Buddha statues in the world. It was completely relatively recently (1996) and weighs over 700 tons (Wikipedia, 2010). It was built on the location of the ancient Buddhist temple of Xiangxiang of the Tang and Song dynasties and constructed while the temple was being rebuilt. Admission by Chinese standards was not cheap (about $30 USD). It was however (at least at the time), not crowded and large enough to have space to walk and not be pushed and shoved by busloads of tourists from other provinces. From the ticket counter, it was about a 15 minute walk to the actual statue itself. On the way there was an assortment of smaller scaled Buddhist themed statues, as well as an area to light incense and say prayers. To walk from ground level to the foot of the statue (literally the foot) where the lookout platform is, it is exactly 217 steps. Apparently, as well as mastering their mind, the monks that live there must also be in fantastic shape!

The statue itself is massive. Prior to getting to the statue you can see a replica of the hand and even just that is huge. While it is certainly a grand homage to the Buddha, on a personal note I sometimes wonder if he really would have supported the monumental image of himself or if he would have viewed it as being too excessive and seemingly contrary to the very essence of his teachings. That being said however, I don’t pretend to be some religious or philosophical expert and will just say that it truly is an impressive statue constructed at such a colossal scale.

Entry near the ticket booth

Funky happy Buddha dude

Replica of the statue's hand

Smaller version of the statue with the real one in the distant background

Getting ready to storm those steps like Rocky Balboa!

For those British expats in Shanghai reminiscing about the scenery back home, they can be pleased to know that there is a little bit of Britain on the outskirts of Shanghai in the Songjiang district. Named Thames Town (or “Little Britain” as I like to call it – minus the British people themselves!) after the River Thames in England, Shanghai developers have constructed a town suited for 10,000 residents in the Gregorian, Tudor, and Victorian style architecture famously associated with cities in Great Britain. The city comes complete with a picturesque church copied directly from one in Clifton, Bristol as well as a pub, a fish and chips restaurant, football pitches, at least one garden maze, and streets lined with London plane trees and yew hawthorn hedges (The Guardian, 2004). According to The Guardian the entire project cost 3 billion yuan or about 200 million British pounds. The town is part of a 9 town project that will be comprised of towns of different cultural themes. The other towns will be built in the themes of Sweden, America, Germany, Italy, Spain, The Netherlands, traditional Chinese, and an ecological city called Lingang (Wikipedia, 2010). The cost of a 3 bedroom residence in this community costs about the equivalent of 400,000 British pounds.

Since I have a strong interest in the UK and the thought of an authentic British town in the middle of China was seemingly amusing, I decided to check out the city for myself. I actually knew very little about the town before I went there and was only familiar with it through verbal discussion. The location itself was not convenient since it was far from the city center and not completely easy to find. The area of Songjiang however, is developing fast and is home to two universities (which house 100,000 students) as well as foreign invested factories from prominent companies such as Hitachi and BMW (in fact the German themed town planned for the area is going with an automotive theme complete with Formula 1 racing track and BMW assembly plant).

The town itself was different than what I expected. It was however, from what I perceived as being seemingly authentic in its portrayal of many cities in England. To be honest, I expected it to be more commercial and not part of an actual residential area (the actual residential area also being build and modeled in the traditional British style). The biggest disappointment was that the city part was mostly empty and constructed with faux signs and storefronts. There were however, a number of brides, grooms, and various models taking pictures in the pleasant European backdrop. Since having been there, I have recognized more than a few advertisements that have been shot there.

Overall the city was pretty impressive in terms of looking like a traditional Gregorian/Tudor style British town. I just wish they had an actual functioning pub or restaurant where I could grab a pint, fish and chips, or earl grey tea!

Now which one of these places has a decent pint?

London???

Bond, James Bond

I have a sudden craving for a cup of earl grey and a scone...

Now in which one of these buildings does the Queen live?

Quaint lil English style road

Is there where the Chinese Shakespeare lived???

Four months ago I was on a Japan Airlines 747 on my way to Shanghai, China again. It’s been a couple years since I last left this bustling metropolis after a 5 month internship with a Chinese trade company. So why Shanghai again you might ask. For leisure? For employment? For the sheer love of China? Too often I believe the word “why” is asked and too seldom are the words “why not” given any real consideration. Perhaps it is a little bit of all the stated reasons along with the affliction of the classic symptoms of “wanderlust” (how does the saying go – all who are wandering are not lost?). Despite my financial burdens I view my trip with no regrets. During such situations I recall Caesar’s defiant quote after crossing the Rubicon; “the die has been cast.” That being said, here I am – Lady Shanghai awaits!

If you read my travel blog last year then you know I fell in love with this massive and often misunderstood country. While I consider myself a patriot and lover of my own country I embraced China while I was over there and came to appreciate its culture, people, and hospitality. I also came to the realization that this was a country that was not going to go away any time soon. Indeed, China has become the leading economic and global rival of the United States, full of ambition, opportunity, and a kind of optimism and energy that is essential for growth. Like the European powers looking into the still seemingly barbaric, but rapidly developing America during the late 19th century, I too feel that peering into the development in the “Sino-Dragon” is a kind of glimpse into the future. Likewise to the Americans and Germans who took the lead into gas and oil based technology during the turn of the 19th century (while the British were still heavily invested in coal), the Chinese have also taken the lead into green-based technology. Now don’t get me wrong, I don’t consider myself a “Sino-phile,” however I have come to realize that this is not simply a country with a fantastic and rich past, but also one with an equally bright future.

So what essentially does coming back to China mean to me? Coming from a country that had its most severe financial crisis since the 1930s and who is drowning in trillions of dollars of debt it means a lot of things. China is a country that has trillions of dollars in reserves and who has bounced back miraculously from the financial crisis. While arguments can be made regarding the allocation of money towards universal education and social welfare, China to some extent came out a winner from the financial crisis. True, while China is still a country that possesses tens of millions of people who still live in extreme poverty, I always stress to people how good things have become in China, not how bad they are. The fact that China was able to pull hundreds of millions of people out of poverty in just the past 3 decades is amazing. Furthermore, I believe that within in the next 2 decades the lifestyle of Chinese living in urban areas will be comparable to those in living in developed nations.

China of course means a lot more to me than simply an economic observation. Shanghai in particular holds a special place in my heart. Shanghai is what I imagine to be a “Chinese New York” – full of bustling (and sometimes rude) people, loud noises, noir-like scenery, and never a dull moment. From the old European architecture on the Bund, to the ultra modern buildings of Pudong, to the gray apartment complexes that have sprouted up around the city like blades of grass; I will always love this city and will view it as a romantic, noir-like metropolis – something like a Mickey Spillane novel meets Empire of the Sun.

If I have evaded the question of what I am doing here in Shanghai again, then I believe under my circumstances it is most appropriate. Unless you have family there or you’re a company executive on leave for business, then what can you really say? You’re in a country with arguably the richest history and culture in the world who also just so happens to have the fastest growing GDP for the past decade. That being said, I do not ask why but instead again beg the question “why not???”

Throughout the past 4 years, I have worked part time at a winery in Honolulu, Hawaii (Wine The Experience). After not knowing a thing about wine when I first came in, I have since learned a lot in regard to fermentation, taste, geography, and wine culture. Furthermore, my coworkers at Wine the Experience have become my second family who have been there as I have gone through different developments during my time in Honolulu.

On the world stage, China is not regarded as having a very strong wine culture (in terms of grape wine) and in regard to conventional European wines (what you encounter at Western restaurants such as merlot, cabernet, etc.) China is still at its early stages of development. Currently, vineyards such as Chengdu and Great Wall Winery are amongst the most well known European style wines in China, though from a personal point of view they still have a long way to go to begin rivaling their competition in Europe, the Americas, and Australia. Still, the demand for grape wine in China (and other developing countries) is on the rise due to economic prosperity and the exposure to Western culture, so we can consequently expect that Chinese wines will continue to improve in taste and quality (you can currently take “wine tours” in China and visit various vineyards). After all, let us not forget the snobbery Californian wines encountered in the 1970s by the French. Since then we have seen the California vineyards spawn a billion dollar industry in the new world, while beating their European counterparts in taste competitions throughout the years. Still, the concept of “European” style wine is a relatively new thing in China (at least from a large scale standpoint) and I have heard that it is not uncommon for many Chinese to mix soft drinks with wine.

Click HERE for a New York Times article on pairing wines with Chinese food.

While the concept of European wine is new concept for China, wine itself is of course nothing new to China and Chinese culture. It is said that first wine in China was developed 4,200 years ago by the wife of the first dynasty’s king through the fermentation of millet. Later, the fermentation of rice became popular giving rise to wine similar to the Japanese “sake.” Chinese wine can be categorized into two types: yellow liquors (huangjiu) and clear or white liquors (baijiu) (jiu meaning “alcoholic beverage”). The yellow liquors are fermented wines that are directly brewed from rice or wheat and contain 20% less alcohol than white liquors which are distilled.

Alcohol (as in most cultures), has played an important role in Chinese history and culture. It is said that the lavish banquets of the Kings could not take place without wine and many people even worshipped their ancestors with wine. Chinese wine also had a profound influence in Chinese poetry and famous poets such as Li Bai (who was known as “immortal of wine” because of his declared love for the drink) often crafted his masterpieces after getting drunk (one scholar puts the percentage of his poems about wine at 17%). Like the many writers and musicians in Western culture who have been influenced by alcohol, Chinese writers and poets also often passed the time drinking - trying to find some inspiration for their next work. Now that's something I'll drink to!

Aside from poets and kings, many common people enjoyed drinking wine. As a result, drinking games became popular amongst those who drank. Similar to the West, drinking became something accompanied with celebrations such as a wedding, birth of a baby, or the start of a business. Furthermore, during times of war soldiers were rewarded with wine after victories, while those who were slain received a scatter of wine on the ground as a part of their memorial ceremony.

Sources: www.shanghaifinance.com 2003; www.eyhoff. Nl/wine_in_china 2000

While I was visiting the small water town of Nanxun I had the opportunity to visit a traditional Chinese winery. The winery was particularly interesting for me since I was familiar with the fermentation process and making wine at Wine the Experience. Since Nanxun is an ancient city and probably one that is preserved as a city of historical significance, the winery building was a beautiful building, preserved in what I imagine was its original design and décor. The front room was the sales room, displaying rows of ceramic bottles available for purchase. There were also some tables where you could sample some of the freshly fermented wine.

Entrance to the winery

Unfortunately, I can’t speak Chinese and no one there could speak English so I couldn’t ask any questions regarding the fermentation process. Still, I could see the different stages of fermentation from looking into the various jugs and containers. Some of the jugs were huge (as you can tell from the pictures below) and if you lifted up the covers you could see far they were in the fermentation process judging on how clear they were (and what room and container they were in). At some point I believe the alcohol was distilled (something I have no experience in) because there was a large oven outside where a man was working very diligently at keeping hot.

Waiting to complete fermentation

Of course after spending a good 25 minutes there I couldn’t leave without sampling a small cup of the wine. My friend and I took a seat at the front room and poured ourselves a cup (a small ceramic cup the size of a shot glass). The taste was what I expected (strong) and kind of along the lines of a really powerful “sake.” I have to admit that it was pretty good, especially since it was cold outside and the alcohol momentarily warmed my body. As a result, I downed another glass before I left and left the building with a bright smile on my face! Gumpei!

Different stages of fermentation

Oven for distilling

Giving it a taste test