Beijing’s Olympic-Caliber Parties

by Josh Lew on

Hong Kong and Shanghai have long been the capitals of cool in the Sinosphere. But Beijing‘s trend-setters are trying to take advantage of the international attention brought by the Olympics to earn their own spot on Asia’s glamor map.

Apparently, they have been somewhat successful. Outrageously posh parties are taking place all over the capital of the Middle Kingdom.

The ironically named Commune, at the Great Wall, is a modernist luxury hotel complex. A recent event there was enough to make Chairman Mao do a 360-degree roll in his tomb. The venue’s developers were on hand, along with a host of scantily clad dancers, flashing lights and expensive cocktails, to party with the likes of Rupert “so rich ‘n powerful he doesn’t have to be cool” Murdoch and Quincey Jones.

Corporations are trying to get in on the scene as well. A party thrown by Adidas included an appearance by Jet Li and several other big-screen stars. The proceedings were accompanied by the sporadic popping of expensive champagne corks and the handing out of even more expensive sneakers.

Official Olympic timekeeper Omega tapped former supermodel (now just model?) Cindy Crawford to appear at their corporate pavilion wearing an impossibly expensive Omega watch. Even a noticeably casual George W. was hanging around during the first few days of the Games, looking very ex-presidential.

Beijing certainly has its share of new wealth, so don’t expect all the action and celebrity to depart once the Games end. A growing music scene, a film industry that is coming to resemble Hong Kong’s in its heyday, and an independent arts scene will help keep the hipness factor high.

Beijing Weathers the Weather and Pollution

by Josh Lew on

On August 8th, while the opening ceremonies were in progress, Chinese meteorologists had their eyes on the sky.

In the days before the Olympics, Beijing assembled its own Olympic-caliber weather team, choosing the cream of the crop from a pool of over 200 meteorologists. At one point on the evening of the ceremonies, the chief of these weather superstars, Guo Hu, ordered rockets to be fired to disperse rain clouds that seemed to be headed for the Bird’s Nest.

But the hot and hazy weather that came with the lack of rain was stifling. Though the air quality was better in Beijing than before the Games, the haze was still prevalent enough to cause concern. Some of the city panoramas broadcast by NBC on August 9th showed a haze that made Los Angeles look like the fresh air capital of the world.That’s probably why there were no rockets shot at rain clouds on August 10th and 11th. Not only did the rain ease the nearly 100-degree heat of the previous day, it doused the smog as well. Even as competitors in the women’s bicycle road race were skidding across pools of standing water on the roadway and crashing into water-filled ditches, commentators and athletes were commenting on how pleasant the air was. The air pollution index on the rainy days reached 38, well below the rating of 50 that the World Health Organization deems acceptable. By contrast, the pollution score was in the 70s last Saturday, well above the acceptable mark set out by WHO.

Xinhua News Agency, China’s official press outlet, says another round of rain will wash Beijing’s air over the coming weekend.

Thus far, the visiting members of the press have not made a big deal about the pollution. Most of the “glamor events” of the Games have been held indoors. When gymnastics and swimming end, the focus will be on the outdoor events of track and field. If the pollution index is high during the Olympic marathon, we may be seeing athletes don masks to keep the smog out of their lungs. Ethiopian Haile Gebrselassie, once the favorite to win the 26.2 mile race, has already dropped out, citing worries about the dirty air.

Olympic watches (and much more) at Silk Street market in Beijing

by Jamie Rhein on

Last night, one of the news commentators during the men’s gymnastics All-Around competition mentioned going to the Silk Market in Beijing and seeing watches with Yang Wei’s face on them. Yang Wei is the men’s gold medal winner for the All-Around and the Chinese gymnastic darling.

The commentator (I forgot which one) mentioned that the Silk Market, now referred to as Silk Street, is his favorite place in Beijing, I have to say he has good taste. If you’re in Beijing, it’s a place not to miss. Stalls upon stalls of wonderful items.

When we were there several years ago, instead of Yang Wei’s face, alarm clocks and watches with Mao’s face were part of the offerings. We loaded up on handmade quilts instead, even though they are a lot more cumbersome than watches and alarm clocks to pack. I think we bought five in all, plus a large duffel bag with wheels in which to carry them.

Since I was there, the Silk Market’s venue has changed from an alley to a regular five-story shopping mall. Not as funky, for sure, but from what I’ve read, there is A LOT more to buy and the shopping is more organized.

If you can’t find Yang Wei’s face on a watch, which I think would be a pretty fun and funky souvenir, and if quilts are too big for you to handle, look for items that are Chinese zodiac related. I also bought these for friends of mine whose birth year I could remember.

Pursuing the American Dream in China

by Jamie Rhein on

Because the Olympics are in China, you’ve probably noticed an increase of stories and news segments with a China focus occupying the airways. For example, The Today Show on NBC is looking at China from a variety of angles.

One story, presented Monday, illustrated just how fluid the world’s economy can be and how there is an interchange between cultures as a result. For example, if you head to China, you can find an Auntie Anne’s, an American franchise that specializes in soft pretzels.

The Auntie Anne’s in Beijing was started by a Chinese American couple whose parents had immigrated to the United States as a way to make a better life for themselves and their children. This couple moved to China to open China’s first Auntie Ann’s after researching what would work in China and realizing that the enterprise was a way to seize a profitable opportunity. They discovered that one way to make money in another country is to export a popular, established brand.

As the segment illustrated, some Chinese Americans are returning to China as a way to make a better life for themselves. One motivation, in addition to making money, is to learn Chinese and also to learn more about the culture of their heritage-something they often pooh-poohed as they were growing up.

As the segment noted, most plan to return to the United States once the money has been made. It’s not that they have an issue with life in the U.S., they are going after financial opportunity in the country where their parents were born.

If you look at the history of the Silk Road, and how goods and services moved from Asia to Europe and from Europe to China centuries ago, the pattern in similar. Now, though, soft pretzels are part of the scenery.

Don’t like the look of a neighborhood? Build a wall around it.

by Grant Martin on

You have to give the Chinese credit for trying to clean up Beijing during the 2008 Olympics. Their methods, while borderline authoritarian, have resulted in a significantly cleaner and friendlier looking China — the perfect reflection of a global economic superpower that should be hosting the games.

Several weeks before the games, officials attempted to curtail pollution by shutting down or constraining many of the factories in the region. While air quality has still been poor — one out of three cyclists in a recent race had to drop out because of the conditions — rain and cooler temperatures are now helping the conditions improve.

Other measures taken have had broader, more ominous impact among the resident population. At the same time that factory pollution cuts were mandated, residential vehicle traffic was also halved to cut down on emissions. Commuters were forced to take other transportation to work and trains and buses hemorrhaged with passengers as millions of Chinese jockeyed through Beijing trying to get to work.

In another district of the capital, developers decided that a particular neighborhood reflected poorly on the image of the country. Their solution? Build a wall around it. Despite the fact that multiple businesses and storefronts faced the street, an eight foot wall was erected around the region, blocking out the questionable content and creating a cleaner, more “tourist friendly” look.

Take a look at this brief video put together by the Boston Globe. Would you be happy with a wall like this in front of your storefront? .