Beijing vs Shanghai

[ala]

ahh... the pride! why don't shanghainese worry about making shanghai a modern progessive city like nyc instead of the burden of history?

The goal is to make Shanghai both progressive and historically, culturally relevant. NYC, London, Paris are great because they can achieve both. BTW, the term "modern progressive city" is a catch-phrase that every village, town, and city in China is trying to achieve (often from state coffers) without a broader and more realistic perspective, like a gdf rat race. Slogan economics doesn't work anymore.

[Disenchant]

This is very true. But I would say the stories are just as interesting.

'Interesting' often connoting grotesque and disturbing.

[amperel]

paris and london are much more older than nyc.

[ala]

???

[Disenchant]

It wasn't *that* long ago that Shanghai was just one big whorehouse.

[TSkillet]

It wasn't *that* long ago that Shanghai was just one big whorehouse

Last week really.

[ala]

Nah, it's going to be a bigger one, just you watch. Can't wait.

[sunyata]

so the conclusion is?

go to beijing for the history and go to shanghai for the whores?

[Guest Yau]

really doubt if these cities in china REALLY make a BIG difference, as claimed above? The mechanism behind all these are just the same, so are the free publication, law protection and the behavior. Well, subtle difference is just subtle enough to influence my choice on them.

I've been to beijing, hainan, guangzhou, shengzhen, hanzhou, kunming, Huhehaode (internal mongol) and some other big cities. I can feel some difference but it's not just impressive.

I believe the difference should be counted by the system. It's taiwan, macao, hong kong and rural mainland china and urban china. (possibly included Diao Yu Tai, Nansha too)

[ala]

I really doubt if these cities in china REALLY make a BIG difference, as claimed above? The mechanism behind all these are just the same, so are the free publication, law protection and the behavior. I've been to beijing, hainan, guangzhou, shengzhen, hanzhou, kunming, Huhehaode (internal mongol) and some other big cities. I can feel some difference but it's not just impressive.

Well Shanghai is pretty right-wing and the municipal government has quite a bit of leverage (as seen in the SARS episode and several police chases into Beijing). So I would say behavior of the local population and government of various cities are different. Certainly not on the level of Hong Kong and Taiwan, but not many nations in the world can claim that large of a gap.