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:

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.

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.

Just Another Dinner in Zhuhai

A nighttime dinner scene in Zhuhai, Guangdong province:

Yet again, more soon...

Just Another Lunch in Changsha

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

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

More soon...

Alps Water from Northeast China

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

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:

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.

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...

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:

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.

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:

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...

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:

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:





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.

A Return to an Antique Market in Changsha, China

Last year I described a weekend outdoors antique market surrounding the more permanent Tianxinge Antique City in Changsha, China. This past weekend I returned. Most seemed the same, although the concentration of sellers seemed to be different in some areas. Like before, I will share photos which capture some of the variety of items for sale, not all of which were antiques, and a bit of the life at the market--including sellers using their mobile phones, eating, sleeping, and of course trying to sell something.

For more scenes, see last year's post here.

A Trip Northward from Zhuhai by High-Speed Rail

Previously, I wrote about my experience traveling by high-speed rail from Guangzhou South Station to Zhuhai when the main Zhuhai station did not exist and I had to take a long taxi ride from Zhuhai North Station to a more central area. I later shared what I saw at the under-construction Zhuhai Railway Station and provided an update when I read the station had opened.

Three days ago I went to the Zhuhai Railway Station.

I wasn't there just to visit, and after passing through some light security I stayed in the waiting area.

After a quiet wait, I boarded a high-speed train.

And I enjoyed the scenery as I headed north.

Guangzhou was not my final destination, so I had the opportunity to visit the waiting area of Guangzhou South Station again (scenes from an earlier trip here).

I would have preferred to eat some of Guangzhou's delicious food, but the station's offerings seemed more mundane. So I picked up a passable tuna sandwich from FamilyMart, a Japanese convenience store chain I became familiar with in Shanghai and Taipei.

Later, I boarded another high-speed train, but this was one of China's faster G line trains. Again, I enjoyed some of the views as I headed further north.

Not all of the scenes were as clear as above, though.

Upon arriving at my destination, I could taste air pollution like I never tasted in Zhuhai. I also noticed a few changes at the train station such as a new area for boarding taxis that is far more orderly and efficient than before:

The taxi I rode provided several signs of my new destination, include the fair starting at 6 RMB instead of Zhuhai's 10 RMB and the bust of Mao Zedong proudly sitting on the dashboard.

During the taxi ride, a highway sign provided an unexpected reminder of where I had started the day far away.

Finally, I arrived at my hotel. Upon stepping out of the taxi I saw a hotel security man probably in his 50s approaching me with a huge smile. Despite it having been a year since my last visit, I immediately recognized him. We created a bit of a scene high-fiving each other.

I've never seen a FamilyMart in this part of China, but I didn't need one. Later that night, I enjoyed a meal at one of my favorite hole-in-the-wall restaurants.

Unlike my arrival here last year, I will not do a "guess where I am" post. I'm back in Changsha, Hunan province. The train portion of my journey from Zhuhai to Changsha took less than 5 hours, including a one hour layover in Guangzhou. The new station in Zhuhai certainly made traveling to Changsha more convenient. Given Changsha's traffic, though, I am now looking forward to the opening of something else under construction: the Changsha subway.

I will not be in Changsha as long as my previous stay, but I should have ample time to make some comparisons between then and now. I have already seen much that has changed.