The Neon Empire

Hong Kong Island from Star Ferry

Evil Princess and I have returned from a weekend trip to wilde Hong Kong and a wonderful trip it was for all of us.  However, this will not be a journal of that adventure. The world is littered with many excellent travel reports from Hong Kong and I am fairly sure another one would simple add to the pile. And, to be honest, we missed most of the highlights (for example Victoria Peak) because we were pursuing a Different Agenda.  What that agenda was remains sealed in the safe of the Langham Hotel.  According to the hotel website:

As you glide through our elegantly grand lobby, you will be captivated by the sense of timeless charm that places us uniquely among the hotels in Hong Kong. 

All gliding aside, this will be a meditation on the use of neon in the PRC and its SARs (Special Adminstrative Regions).  If you hadn't noticed, Hong Kong, like Shanghai, has lots of neon.

Pudong, Shanghai at Dusk from River Cruise

The large towns are not the only ones victim to the Neon Invasion.  For example, Guilin, a beautiful area in the south-eastern part of China (home of the karst formations) also has extensive neon deployment in the relatively small downtown area and in a famous cave.  Yes, there is even neon in the caves here, people.

Guilin Cave Neon

This is particularly curious, because neon is one of the few things in the universe that the Chinese did not invent or discover before anyone else.  In fact, the Chinese invented things SO early, they had to go back and forget them for awhile and then rediscover them so they would not be so dreadfully early.  It is called "Too Far Ahead of the Pack" syndrome.  It is like the moment when you park outside a friends house for their annual "Something" party and you notice that there is no one else there and no cars.  You realize that in your enthusiasm to attend the "Something" party for the first time, you have mistaken "8ish" for "7:00 pm on the dot" and now must sneak away to have a Fresca at the 7-Eleven while you wait to return.  However, have they seen you out the window already and perhaps are wondering why you are leaving?  That kind of feeling.  Embarrassing, really.

Back on neon.  While neon is not one of their inventions but the Chinese have a deep and lasting effection for glowing neon tubes and try to use it everywhere on everything.  This, for example, is a highway overpass near our old apartment in the Luwan district.

Pedestrian Overpass-Shanghai

It gives you  that "Blade Runner" feeling when you go for your evening walk for a bowl of noodles and is a particularly brilliant effect when it rains.   One my favorite Shanghai moments is to take a walk on famous Nanjing Lu pedestrian street, right after a rain.  First, because of the beauty and second because there are fewer offers to purchase a "watch/bag".

Nanjing Lu at Night

To wrap this up, EP and I once took a weekend trip to Anji, an area of large bamboo groves (featured in "Crouching Tiger"). In the evening as the bus approached our "mountain retreat" deep in the foothills, in the distance we could see the bright glow of  neon leading the way to nature.

Maybe it has something to do with another Chinese invention, fireworks.  During the day cities here are large, monolithic blocks, like most major cities, but at night, Chinese cities glow.

Paris of the East?

Greetings and welcome to Life on the Yellow River, my new stream of consciousness blog from The Other Side of the World, faire Shanghai, in the People's Republic of China.

You will be interested to know that the long-range plan for Shanghai is to become the "Paris of the East".  Not in the Old Colonial Days sense, but in the City of the Future sense.  If you doubt me, Google it.  Which leads me to a another thought.  Will "Google It"  become an insult in the future?  Will people say, "He's dumber than a Google Search?"  Perhaps. We may wish to meditate on that for a moment before we hurtle onward. Or not.

Jing'An Temple at Night

In case you didn't know, I currently reside in faire Shanghai in an area called Jing'An.  There is a mighty temple nearby that is part of a large shopping center, making it very convenient for shoppers and worshipers.  I promise a full report on Jing'An temple in the future because it is packed with history, adventure and commercial mojo.  How I, The Krez, descended upon Shanghai will be the subject of another blog called "Flight From The Midwest".  It recounts the tragic story of the Fall of the River House, the March Across the Plains and the Great Trip Backward.  Good stuff, that, but at another time.

In the meantime, the design for the Paris of the East can be seen (Yes!  It is not a secret!) in the highly interesting Shanghai Urban Planning Exhibition Center on People's Square, right across from famous Nanjing Lu and the Number One Department Store (you can see a theme emerging here.  There is a reason why the PRC is now the number one consumer of luxury goods in the world.) On the third floor of the SUPEC is an extremely large and detailed model of Shanghai 2020.  Here is a day and night photo, taken with a Nokia X3-O2 cellphone.

Shanghai 2020

Shanghai 2020 at night

Dazzling, yes?  Paris.....no.  However, there are a few things that would cause one compare Shanghai to Paris.

Why Shanghai is soooo like Paris:

1. There is a large and inexpensive Metro transport system.  However, the signage is much better in Shanghai.
2. Bikes for free! You can roll around both towns on the world's ugliest bike with a sign that proclaims you as a tourist and and an inept pawn.
3. A river runs through it.  Paris wins this one because the Huang Pu has an off-the-charts level of toxicity that melts flesh instantly off the bone.
4. Both cities have brightly lit and safe tourist shopping areas where everyone is cheated regardless of race or language.  Overall, Shanghai is an extremely safe city, where even the drunkest tourist is free to crawl down the sidewalk humming "Hotel California" as they exit from the KTV (more on this in another blog).
5. Killer architecture, everywhere.  Both cities have a broad and dazzling selection, but Paris seems to have quit innovating right after Napoleon hit the beach in St. Helena (the second time he was exiled, for you history buffs).  Shanghai is currently the architects playground, with new buildings with wild designs popping up like neon toadstools. True, both cities also have large stretches of soulless, concrete apartment blocks.
6. Food culture.  Paris has +8,000 restaurants, Shanghai has +50,000, according to various sources, so Paris wins based on R.P.C. (Restaurants Per Capita).   However, there is excellent food everywhere in both cities.  I would give Paris the edge for fine dining and Shanghai simply owns the street food segment.
7. Many inexpensive and clean taxis.  Score Shanghai.   You can cross town for $3.00 with an non-smoking and courteous driver in Shanghai.  The language barrier is about the same, but in Shanghai they have taxi cards!
8. Vibrant and growing culture.  Score, Paris.  This is Shanghai's largest issue.  Yogurt has a more active and living culture scene than the 'Hai. 
9. Five-star shopping.  Walk down Champs de Elysee and then walk down HuaiHai Lu and you will find....no difference, except HuaiHai has more trees... Serious.  There are Zegnas, Cartier, Tiffanys, Hermes, etc. on almost every block on the Hai.  Big shoppers, the Shanghaians.   I call it a tie, except all my French friends go NUTS when they shop in Shanghai.  You know who you are, mon amis.
10. Decadence!  Yep, they both have an ancient tradition of....well, late-night partying, we shall say.  During the Great Colonialization, the Europeans infected Shanghai with the decadence gene and it has florished here.  Very different cities during the day, but around 1:00 am.....

So that's the first post.   I will be posting a new one every Friday, so be sure to check back!

Making Things Easier for Everyone

Window, Kuala Lumpur

Hello and welcome to my blog.  I've added this journal as a way to communicate from The Other Side of The World because I have learned that everyone does not, and will not, join Facebook.  Also, e-mail is not as efficient a tool for sharing text and photos.  I hope you find your time here productive.  Any and all comments (constructive, I would hope) are most welcome.  The Krez.