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:

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.

November, 2013

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

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.

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.

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".

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

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.

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.

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:

October, 2012

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:

October, 2012

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:

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:

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.

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.