Like a fine Chinese wine, Shanghai expresses its roots even as it changes
Monocle went to Shanghai this week to host a one-day conference about entrepreneurship. These are 10 takeaways from our time in the city.
1.
Shanghai changes at a pace. Even residents of the city told us that they would go away on trips and return to find a street upgraded or a pocket park planted. Delegates who were last in the city five or 10 years ago found the changes disorientating. It’s what happens when work on projects continues at every hour.
2.
The new parks add to a city that’s already very green. Every verge is planted with clipped hedges or banks of flowers. Ancient trees spread their shading branches across the streets.
3.
The city has turned down the volume. Electric cars and trucks silently cross town; beeping your horn can get you fined. But Shanghai has also tackled light pollution and, come night, the flashing neon advertising screens around our hotel all went dark.
4.
While the city builds new towers and polishes up its urban act, what makes Shanghai appealing is that it isn’t all manicured perfection. There are still numerous centuries-old low-rise apartment buildings and lanes lined with modest homes in need of some repairs. There’s texture and it’s appreciated. Art-fair pioneer Bao Yifeng and architect Alex Mok, the co-founder of Linehouse, helped to set up our day with a talk about what makes the city tick. They both said that they have chosen to live not in glitzy enclaves but in the Former French Concession, even if that means dealing with the occasional cockroach.
5.
Texture, layers and shade are also why lots of people walk or cycle around Shanghai – there are well-used bike lanes veining the entire city. And people also escape Shanghai when work gets too much. Tashi Tsering, CEO of hospitality company Songstam, told the audience about his inns and lodges – he now has 19 – tucked away in the valleys of Yunnan, where people go to hike and reset.
6.
The desire to be in the great outdoors has also helped brand leader Xin Yuan to create an apparel business that caters to a new generation of nature lovers. Before our big day, we visited the headquarters of the label An Ko Rau and it was like entering a fun co-operative. There was a bouldering wall, dogs wandering around (including a porky corgi in need of a tickle) and staff cooking lunch together. And lots of talk about being sustainable.
7.
Luxury brands are still desired in Shanghai but locals told us that more is now expected from retailers pitching up in their city. If you were there to make a quick buck or didn’t have a true or authentic story to tell, you would fail.
8.
The Made in China label still faces challenges when it comes to the worlds of fashion, beauty and design. But lots of people are out to change that. Yisa He, founder of Shanghai-based beauty brand Herbeast, was just one of the speakers who spoke about the power of provenance and how she is finding cut-through for products that combine Chinese medicine and modern design. She’s about to open her first shop.
9.
And that’s another interesting shift. A market known for being an early adopter of e-commerce has rediscovered the allure of physical shops. Austin Zhu, founder of Zzer, spoke about his business. He runs a series of vast warehouses where you can go for consigned fashion from all the biggest luxury brands. He has used technology to create trust around authenticity and business is booming. People want to be in his spaces, not just clicking online.
10.
China makes some very nice wines. The final panel of the day involved drinking alcohol, something that I am very good at, and so, alongside my Tokyo colleague Fiona Wilson, I was very happy to help run this session. On stage were also sommelier King Wang from the Jing An Shangri-La and winemaker Emma Gao, a woman with great eyewear and a big, sunny personality. Trained in France, Gao makes delicious reds, as well as white and sparkling wines. It was worth going to Shanghai just to hear her story. And perhaps that’s really the key takeaway from this week – it’s good to get a different perspective every now and then. Especially if you have a glass of Emma’s Reserve in your hand.
To read more from Andrew Tuck, click here.
