July 16, 2008
The Beijing-Shanghai rivalry
The Beijing-Shanghai rivalry received some international media attention earlier this week, and the prognosis wasn't good. The
Washington Post writes that while Shanghai has the global industry, business and sophistication stemming from early European colonialism, Beijing has the upper hand, at least in this round. The two reasons: the government and the Olympics. The historic city of emperors, modern capital and center of CCP power, Beijing's status as China's political hub is undeniable. As for the Olympics, for all the hassle (most recently here, here and here) they cause, they bring major opportunities to a city that is preparing to bask in the spotlight. The projected intensity of the global gaze only increases after Monday's announcement that this year's games will, for the first time, be streamed online in real time.
Despite "losing" this bout of the ancient inter-city competition, Shanghai (as always) doesn't lack for confidence: Beijing may be getting all the attention, but Shanghai's got all the attitude.
For all their bravado, Shanghai's 20 million people know it's true: They have missed out. Nevertheless, they cling to the belief that, compared with their own polished and cosmopolitan selves, Beijingers are like country cousins -- warmhearted, perhaps, but bumptious, ill-mannered and prone to drinking too much rice wine in their dusty hutongs.Sore losers? Perhaps. But it's that intensity that can get Shanghai back on top."Shanghai has always been a more cultured city than Beijing," said Wang Huijiu, 41, who runs a small antiques shop just off the Bund, the avenue running alongside the Huangpu River where European banks built their elegant Asian headquarters before World War II. "The British came here. The French came here. They all left their imprints. And so Shanghai is more open than Beijing. Beijing people are a little crude."
Photos from latigi and Marc van der Chijs
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I propose a shahnghaiist vs smartshanghai rivalry.
has anyone ever tried to read the column "Ask Matsume" on smarthshanghai.com? it will probably ruin your day.
http://smartshanghai.com/askmatsume/
words can't describe the pain. I need a lobotomy just to get past the first paragraph. Can someone please reassure me that she does not get paid for this?
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Mr. Wang's opinion is contrary to any other person I've met in Shanghai - Shanghai local or half-pat or expat or otherwise. All of them acknowledge that Beijing has far more culture, but they say Shanghai is much more liveable and adaptable and comfortable.
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In who's Bizarro world does having the government and the Olympics count as plus points and make Beijing 'better'.
Surely they are huge negatives.
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"The
Washington Post writes that while Shanghai has the global industry, business and sophistication stemming from early European colonialism..."
somebody needs to stop patting themselves on the back.
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Shanghai is definitely the better of the two shit-holes.
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I love Beijing, but I think Shanghai's got Beijing beat hands down this summer. Sounds like they're trying to sanitize Beijing to the point that a lot of what I like about Beijing will be eliminated (temporarily, I hope). They're trying to take the spontaneity out of the place, and what's a Beijing summer without impromptu streetside drinking of Yanjing over a couple of yangrouchuanr?
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shanghai and beijing are both shitholes.
by the way, is there any kinda shanghaiist- sexybeijing rivalry? hoho i guess that will be interesting!
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This article totally failed to prove its thesis. Waste of time.
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(The WaPo article, that is.)
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To puhlease and ououou
--"shanghai and beijing are both shitholes"?
Feel quite amazed you both are so desperate to put your shit-heads in both shitholes, even without a valid visa, lol!.
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To eastman:
what the hell are ya,huh?
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I lived in bj for almost a year but only visited Shanghai for a week so it's hard to say for me which is better.
BJ has more tourist spots of cultural and historical significance that are easy to get to: Summer Palace, Forbidden City, Tianamen, Great Wall, Beihai Park and many more.
What does Shanghai have? The sightseeing tunnel? That has to be the tackiest tourist attraction ever. I did like the aquarium. Although being so close to Hangzhou and Suzhou is a plus.
Beijing has nothing that compares to the amazing view along the Bund and Shanghai definitely has more interesting european architecture that makes it more unique than the bazillion of nearly identical skyscrapers being built in Beijing.
Shanghai seemed a lot cleaner to me than BJ although that whole no central heating thing is annoying in the colder months in Shanghai which was when I was visiting. Not sure about the air quality in Shanghai, seemed clearer to me than the ever present BJ smog.
The shopping, bars? Don't really know. BJ has Wongfujing, XiDan and Sanlitun. I guess Shanghai has XinTianDi.
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To ououou'
Who am I? I am th one who know you expats in Shanghai are more stingy than expats in beijing, lol!
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I don't get how people can still discuss a "rivalry". Beijing has more historic attractions. That is nothing to sneeze at, but it can't guarantee a healthy rivalry in the long run. The fact of the matter is that Beijing does not have the water it needs to support its population. Even after the S-N water diversion project is completed, BJ will still be water-scarce... and faced with millions of new residents more yearly, which won't help things. The capital is already using emergency water resources meant for times of war. And when that is used up....
Shanghai has a lot more room to grow. It is also more promising as a business capital, and it has room to develop culturally as well if you don't equate culture with old buildings.
The Olympics is a one-time event, so I don't see how that contributes to Beijing in the long run. It actually may be a drawback when you consider the amount of culture that has already been bull-dozed.
And government seats can be moved. Capitals often change places because the city is NOT in as favorable a place as it once was imagined to be Water woes and desertification might do the trick for Beijing.
So to imagine Beijing can compete based on the fact that the capital is there and that the Olympic Games will be held next month is folly.