Morning from the seat of the red empire

March 06, 2005

The view from my hotel room on the 59th floor of the Jin Mao building says it all about Shanghai: A vast land mass filled with promise, much of it already met, but quite a lot of it still being built on faith.

On the way from the airport, one has to wonder about the necessities of such luxuries as miles and miles of ostentatiously lit expressways, an impressive, world-beating mag-lev train and copious amounts of pseudo-modern, industrial-feel structures. But having spent a day here, I've begun to answer some of the questions on my own.

For one: Yes, they are necessary. Shanghai is the centerpiece of the "new" China, and for that it has to be ahead of everyone else, not just constantly catching up. Across the river, in Puxi, I'm seeing the voracity of the consumer here: Middle-class targeted stores are abundant, but in some corners you'll find nothing but Hermes, Louis Vuitton and their brethren. It's all co-existing: the elite, the incidently upper class, the commoner and the lower class.

It feels to me that the true Chinese boom has not yet occurred. It's waiting in the corner, smiling gleefully in hopes that the world underestimates its prowess. I came into China thinking that it was all hype, but now I'm wondering if it truly is. I don't feel as comfortable as when in Hong Kong, where the Brits have made sure that ex-pats don't miss home too much. But that being said, the city is set up and ready for mass emigration from the Western world.

Looking onto Pudong from across the river, one can easily notice the mock-up of the next Hong Kong in one direction, while resembling the City of Lights in another. I have to admit that things feel exciting here. I would hate to think that this feeling exists only in Shanghai, that the gap between the decaying socialism and the developing capitalism is leaving many in a bend. But that's something one can't calculate; it's pointless, and people should stop thinking growth rates are the end all. Happiness matters, and the smiles on the faces of most of the people here are a welcome gift.

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Sorry Rahat.

It is the Jin Mao Tower.

Not Jun Mao Building.

Damn. My horrible vocal Chinese is translating into words now.