One of my favorite China-based writers, James Fallows, has written an excellent piece for The Atlantic, entitled "How the West Was Wired". It is an incredibly interesting read for anyone with an interest (even passing) in or link to China. I won't go into to much detail about its content, but Fallows explains the philanthropic efforts of two Taiwainese businessmen in China's vast and underdeveloped West.
I feel that it's important to write and read about such things for American and Western audiences, as the western regions are often overlooked in our mainstream media coverage. Looking beyond the financial, manufacturing, and political might of the leading cities Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Beijing, respectfully, often gives us the best impression of what challenges China continues to face. It is especially heartening to see novel approaches to surmounting these problems, like that of the Taiwanese businessmen mentioned in the article.
Showing posts with label media. Show all posts
Showing posts with label media. Show all posts
Friday, September 12, 2008
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
DVD Speakeasies of Shanghai
When I first arrived in Shanghai for study abroad in 2006, I was, as a movie-buff and cheapskate, impressed by the ubiquity of illicit DVD stores around the city. It seemed that wherever one went in the city, there was a bootleg DVD store at every corner, or at the very least a few 3-wheel bicycle cart vendors selling 5-kuai (yuan) discs. During my semester I amassed a rather large collection of these DVDs.
Beijing, however, was different. I was there last summer for around 7 weeks, and I may have bought 2 DVDs during that time. The lack of friendly and disreputable DVD dealers there is due, one assumes, to stricter enforcement of the law and higher police presence in the Capital.
This time around in Shanghai, I happily discovered that many DVD stores were still around, albeit with slightly higher prices. However, I noticed that first runs from the states were taking longer to arrive on the shelves, and some didn't come at all (e.g. Hancock was spotted for the first time today, and still no Indiana Jones).
A few weeks ago my entertainment world came crashing down around me as every known store in my neighborhood, and hundreds throughout the city were hit by systematic raids. The stocks of stores that were unlucky enough not to receive advance word through the grapevine were confiscated, and the operators were told not to reopen, in the words of one local owner, "for a long time". Why this brash and affronting observation of laws that have been on the books for years? According to the owner of one of my favorite local haunts, he was simply told “For the Olympics.”
But a few intrepid DVD stores that I occasionally visit are holding the torch (pun intended) for the Shanghai knockoff DVD scene, although in a slightly different format. The first store I visited, which I walk past regularly, had cleaned their shelves of all stock, but their doors were still open daily. I was a bit confused by this, so I went to ask the owner, who sits surfing the web in the front of the shop all day, what was going on. He was the first to explain the Olympic connection to me, and he directed me to the back of the shop, where after crossing between a row of shelves and a wall, I climbed the stairs to his living area. Next to the bathroom, in a small storage room, he had set up his stock, TV shows on one shelf, and movies according to genre. The newest were on a table in the center, and thousands of DVDs in sleeves were in boxes arrayed on the floor. When I left he said he’d be getting a new shipment the next day, which indicated he wasn’t just getting rid of old stock.
About a week later, I passed another shop, which had appeared previously to have shut down under the financial strain of the raid. However, as I walked past, the proprietor, who recognized me from past trips, pointed to the back of the store. There, past renovation work and concealed behind a sliding door that matches the adjacent wall, was his store. Except that his store had a better selection than before, was better organized, and even had a brand new cash register. This week the construction at that particular store was finished, and the front end has been converted to a shiny new stationary and school supplies store. On a recent visit, as I was ushered to the back, the worker calmly but intently looked out front for strolling cops as he opened the sliding door.
I should also mentioned that one of the more expensive stores that I know from my study abroad time was seemingly never raided and has gone on doing business as usual. When asked about the reason for their luck, a worker there only said that yes, the other stores had shut down because of the Olympics, though he would not divulge how they had been able to avoid a similar fate.
为奥运会。 (For the Olympics)
As the Olympics fire up this week, it is interesting to look at the steps that China’s leadership has taken to present their best face to the world. From ordering migrant junk collectors off the streets of Beijing to shutting copyright infringing DVD stores in Shanghai, all sorts of measures have been put in place to avoid any type of embarrassment during the games.
Beijing, however, was different. I was there last summer for around 7 weeks, and I may have bought 2 DVDs during that time. The lack of friendly and disreputable DVD dealers there is due, one assumes, to stricter enforcement of the law and higher police presence in the Capital.
This time around in Shanghai, I happily discovered that many DVD stores were still around, albeit with slightly higher prices. However, I noticed that first runs from the states were taking longer to arrive on the shelves, and some didn't come at all (e.g. Hancock was spotted for the first time today, and still no Indiana Jones).
A few weeks ago my entertainment world came crashing down around me as every known store in my neighborhood, and hundreds throughout the city were hit by systematic raids. The stocks of stores that were unlucky enough not to receive advance word through the grapevine were confiscated, and the operators were told not to reopen, in the words of one local owner, "for a long time". Why this brash and affronting observation of laws that have been on the books for years? According to the owner of one of my favorite local haunts, he was simply told “For the Olympics.”
But a few intrepid DVD stores that I occasionally visit are holding the torch (pun intended) for the Shanghai knockoff DVD scene, although in a slightly different format. The first store I visited, which I walk past regularly, had cleaned their shelves of all stock, but their doors were still open daily. I was a bit confused by this, so I went to ask the owner, who sits surfing the web in the front of the shop all day, what was going on. He was the first to explain the Olympic connection to me, and he directed me to the back of the shop, where after crossing between a row of shelves and a wall, I climbed the stairs to his living area. Next to the bathroom, in a small storage room, he had set up his stock, TV shows on one shelf, and movies according to genre. The newest were on a table in the center, and thousands of DVDs in sleeves were in boxes arrayed on the floor. When I left he said he’d be getting a new shipment the next day, which indicated he wasn’t just getting rid of old stock.
About a week later, I passed another shop, which had appeared previously to have shut down under the financial strain of the raid. However, as I walked past, the proprietor, who recognized me from past trips, pointed to the back of the store. There, past renovation work and concealed behind a sliding door that matches the adjacent wall, was his store. Except that his store had a better selection than before, was better organized, and even had a brand new cash register. This week the construction at that particular store was finished, and the front end has been converted to a shiny new stationary and school supplies store. On a recent visit, as I was ushered to the back, the worker calmly but intently looked out front for strolling cops as he opened the sliding door.
I should also mentioned that one of the more expensive stores that I know from my study abroad time was seemingly never raided and has gone on doing business as usual. When asked about the reason for their luck, a worker there only said that yes, the other stores had shut down because of the Olympics, though he would not divulge how they had been able to avoid a similar fate.
为奥运会。 (For the Olympics)As the Olympics fire up this week, it is interesting to look at the steps that China’s leadership has taken to present their best face to the world. From ordering migrant junk collectors off the streets of Beijing to shutting copyright infringing DVD stores in Shanghai, all sorts of measures have been put in place to avoid any type of embarrassment during the games.
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