Shanghai Shines

I missed writing my Saturday column because I was touring in Communist China, and boy what an experience that was. I'm not entirely sure what I expected, but what I found in Shanghai was truly amazing.

I knew there would be lots of people, and there were--dashing about in large groups, racing around on thousands of bikes and motorcycles, and gliding on boats, gigantic and tiny, on the Huangpu River.

I found the people to be industrious and friendly, though they stared unashamedly at us. The average height of the men in our group was 6'2" and we had several women almost that tall. The Chinese are really tiny, so we all felt like giants and must have appeared so to them.

For we Americans, personal space was an issue when we were sightseeing and shopping on the Nanjing Road and in charming old town. The Chinese don't have the luxury of the bubbles we have come to expect. They live in relatively tiny spaces (1000-1500 square feet is average) often with many family members, so touching and crowding routinely happens everywhere, but, for us, it was a bit disconcerting.

Food was extreme--dramatically presented and exotic in flavor. Live chickens, eels, and crabs, and vegetables that looked like they were on steroids were commonplace in the markets, and though tofu and starchy white rice were staples on the table (and I'm not a fan of either), most of the dishes were delicious. I adored the bok choy, which I was excited about because it is one of those powerful cancer fighting foods.

What was most amazing about Shanghai was the color. During the day, gardens profuse with ruby pointsettias, orange blossoms and golden pansies abounded. They lined the streets, filled the parks, and encircled every building. Ponds, fountains, bamboo and delicate trees adorned temples and restaurants. Creeks and canals snaked through the city, and potted gardens guarded every corner. The buildings shone--jade and blue glass stretching seemingly thousands of stories to the sky sparkled in the sunlight.

The signs (which were mostly in English) were huge, dramatic and colorful, but nothing had prepared me for the night time when lights of every color emblazoned the city. The blue-lit roadways ribboned through the city and all the trees twinkled, but it was the skyscrappers that were almost unbelievable--each more exraordinary than the next, and all these massive buildings were erected in the last 20 years--when the Communist government recognized that its economic policy perpetuated poverty and that capitalism allowed citizens to flourish.

So rather than the restraint, armed guards and tanks I expected, I found a version of America--individuality, industry and excitement at every turn--freedom to succeed, a consequence of capitalism that we in America must never compromise.

Even the Communists know now that it's true that human beings work hard and prosper when they can profit from their own industry, that success is not predicated on hand-outs, and that profit, prosperity and advancement is the consequence of self-motivation.

I loved Shanghai and recommend it as an introductory city to China. It is a fabulous example of the cooperative and successful meshing of the best of two oppositional cultures and governments.