Markets and Media in 21st Century China

I've recently taken an (admittedly very amateur) interest in model photography, and China gave me no shortage of samples to work with. With new, giant architectural marvels springing up everywhere, China is eager to show them off. Both Shanghai and Beijing have urban development museums with massive basketball court-sized city models that take up entire floors of the respective buildings. (Ted Fishman described the burgeoning Shanghai model in detail in his book China, Inc.) Not to mention, many of the companies we visited had their own campus models in their in-house museums or lobbies.

So with that, here are some of the better results. I will probably put many of these on Flickr later in high resolution, so I'll post the link for that when I do. Update: Photo set now on Flickr!

Beijing urban development museum:

Geely Automotive headquarters:

Hangzhou Steel:

Three Gorges Dam:

-Alex Kraus

Posted by China Blog Admin at 2:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Classmates, you are welcome to add your own photos to this one. (A "Thanksgiving Poodle" shot is in order since I didn't have my camera with me for that one.)

And one of my favorites...

-Alex Kraus

Posted by China Blog Admin at 8:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I've posted a handful of pictures on the blog from our most recent experiences in China, including the Great Wall hike/sleepover and the Forbidden City. Enjoy!

Caroline Davis

Great Wall Group 3!

Awesome scenic view on the Great Wall

Great Wall again

Looking down on the Wall from one of the numerous treacherous staircases we climbed.

Katie and I posing on the hike up to the Wall

Bryce and I before our hardcore hike on the Great Wall!

We saw this sign before we camped out on the Great Wall that night. Oops haha.

Getting a glimpse of the sun coming up after our sleepover on the wall

Random picture but I saw this little baby in the Forbidden City and couldn't resist snapping the shot.

The Forbidden City definitely has a Starbucks inside its gates. Here are a bunch of us enjoying our frappachinos!

Danner, Bryce, Katie and I in Tiananmen Square together.

Posted by China Traveller at 6:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Professor Zhou Shi Zhe (ECNU) gave us a tutorial on traditional Chinese brush painting.

After that, we gave our hands a try at our own painting. Unlike the traditional teaching method in Asia -- copying a master's model -- Prof. Zhou encouraged us to paint anything we liked.

Andrew Hemm (W&L alum) shared some of his experiences doing risk management for Chinese banks.

Just outside of People's Park, you'll find the ultra-modern multi-story Shanghai Urban Planning Museum, where the city ostentatiously shows off its growth on one floor with a basketball court-sized scale model of the city.

I'm pretty sure this sign, found at the Yangshan Deepwater Port, means to say something like "Check out the view at the top of the terrace."

This is the scene from the balcony of our dorms at ECNU.

Alisha Laventure recorded the explanation of the TV studio at the Shanghai Securities News.

The TV studio at the Shanghai Securities News before adding W&L students...

...and after.

Cheng Pei Song of the Shanghai Securities News showed us the layout of today's paper.

This was just course one of a literal feast with the staff of the Shanghai Securities News.

We had only 15 minutes to look around the Shanghai Stock Exchange, which hit an all-time high today of 4,013.09 points.

Ryan MacPhee and Caroline Davis had a lively discussion at the Stock Exchange.

Posted by Alex Kraus

Posted by China Blog Admin at 5:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The fresh tanks in front of a restaurant we ate at, Alex was a big fan of the bullfrog.
Posted by: Ryan MacPhee

Posted by China Traveller at 9:25 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Our class gathered in the lobby of the international dorm to head out to our first "Survival Chinese" lesson.

Our instructor, Alice, gave us all our own Chinese names.

Charles McElwee '78 told us about his experience with environmental law in China.

We finally (sort of) figured out the confusing ticket system in the cafeteria, thus narrowly avoiding starvation for another day.

The ladies posed outside the Yun Feng Theatre, where we awaited a Chinese acrobatics performance.

Jess was very excited for the performance.

Our professors posed in front of the "Charming Shanghai" wall mural.

The men in the "Climbing Pole" performance lept through the air from pole to pole. It was spectacular and a bit gut-wrenching.

A woman carrying spinning plates walked on her companions' heads while trying not to touch the other plates.

The woman in the "Air Ballet" scene wowed us with her flexibility and endurance.

Manmeet Singh (alum) gave us a very frank opinion on the economic environment in Shanghai.

Nanjing Road on a national holiday is insanely crowded -- who would have guessed?

"Purse, watch? Purse, watch?" -- Street vendors solicit foreigners with photos of knock-off merchandise. If you like what you see, you can follow them to a back room filled with pirated goods.

Taylor bought a Shanghai Daily, the only English-language publication available at this newsstand.

Hi Thomas.

Posted by Alex Kraus

Posted by China Blog Admin at 11:22 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

View image

Posted by China Blog Admin at 6:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)