Entries from November 2007 ↓

Coming to food, Hangzhou won’t disappoint you. In fact, Hangzhou cuisine is currently one of the most popular and fashionable styles of cooking throughout China. Many “Hangzhou” inspired restaurants have been opening up throughout the country and the cuisine from this city is considered to be of a superior status. The master poet Su Dongpo of the Song dynasty once wrote in praise that “there are no better banquets in the world than those in Hangzhou.”

Recipes here usually contain a great deal of seafood including fish, shrimp, crab and oyster. Its famous dishes are Beggar’s chicken (an entire chicken wrapped and slowly cooked in a ball of mud), West Lake fish (vinegar coated fish from the lake), Dong Po Pork (braised pork) and stewed shelled shrimp cooked in Dragon Well tea, the famous tea from Hangzhou area.

The great thing about eating in Hangzhou is the city has retained quite a few traditional restaurants serving authentic Hangzhou dishes. The dining experience in these places is fun and exotic. Here’s one:

“Zhi Wei Guan” Restaurant

“Zhi Wei Guan” is a very old and famous restaurant in Hangzhou of 100 year history. It specializes in the local dishes and snacks, ranging from Won Ton soup and Xiaolongbao (small steamed pastries with rice), to noodles and desserts. The food is delicious and cheap, averaging about RMB5 to RMB10 for one dish. Xiaolongbao and Won Ton soup are among the most popular dishes.

How you order the food and pay for it is fun experience here. First of all, you will have to buy some tickets, with each ticket worth RMB1 (or RMB2 now with inflation?), and then exchange your tickets for any food you order at the counter. Behind the counter the staff is busy making all sorts of food, and at the same time serving customers the food they order.

There is constant movement in the restaurant, either in the kitchen area, which everybody can see, right behind the counter, or in the dining area where the crowd comes and goes. You can always sit and enjoy the food while watching the flow.

The eating ritual is not over yet. Before you go, you have to do one more thing. You return the unused tickets to the cashier in exchange for cash of equivalent value. Then you can walk away contentedly.  

Add: 83, Ren He Road, West Lake

I mentioned in my previous post about the direct bus service between Hong Kong and Shenzhen Airport via the Hong Kong - Shenzhen Western Corridor. This bus service departing from the Kowloon Station of Hong Kong Airport Express has the advantage of passport control under one roof, i.e. convenience. The whole journey takes about 75 minutes only.

Actually there has been another bus service running between Hong Kong and Shenzhen Airport for some years via Huanggang checkpoint, which takes about 3 hours and the passport control is inconveniently under two roofs. That means when the bus arrives at Huanggang, the bus passengers must get off and go for Hong Kong side’s passport control. They then get on the bus, and be driven to the Shenzhen side’s passport control building. They get off the bus again, and get on the bus again after the passport control is finished.

The new bus service for Shenzhen Airport is obviously a lot more convenient and quicker. But the old bus service can provide an alternative in terms of departing time and departing locations. You can take the bus from the Hong Kong International Airport, Prince Edward of Kowloon, or Hong Kong Disney Land. It costs differently, ranging from HK$90 to HK$180, depending on the departing location.

If you come from Shenzhen Airport to arrive at Hong Kong, you can be dropped off at Prince Edward MTR station or Wanchai Ferry Pier.

The bus company is called Trans-Islands Chinalink. Its service and ticket centre in Hong Kong is at
 
G/F., 364 D Portland Street, Prince Edward, Kowloon
Tel：(852) 2336-1111

You can also buy bus tickets at:
-Hong Kong International Airport (Kiosk A09, Arrival Hall HK International Airport, opposite to Exit A)
-Shenzhen Airport (Kiosk A and Kiosk B, Arrival Hall Shenzhen Bao An Airport)
-Branches of Wing On Travel, Hong Kong
-MTR Travel Service Centre at Hong Kong Station 
-Branches of Gray Line Tours, Hong Kong
-Branches of China Travel Services, Hong Kong

For the bus timetable, check out here.

A 27-year-old PhD research student Ge Weiwei of Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) from Mainland China hanged himself on 11th this month in his dormitory. Before the suicide, he failed to pass the Qualification Examination for Doctors. It is also alleged that his supervisor had told Ge that he would leave Hong Kong for teaching in the United States, leaving Ge confused about his future.

It seems to be a fact that a great number of mainland students in Hong Kong, many of whom come here on scholarship, find it hard to fit into the Hong Kong society, partly because of the language barrier and a different living environment. The local universities don’t seem to give them much support. The death of Ge probably has revealed this. He probably would have not resorted to suicide if he had been given more care by his classmates, his teachers and his university.

At the same time, I am also shocked at the vulnerability of the new generation of young elites in China. Gu came to study in HKUST as a PhD student on outstanding academic results three years ago. He was the only child of a Chinese family in Jiangsu Province at the east coast. It is understandable how much pressure he would have if he failed to graduate with a doctorate degree. For sure, he would not be able to “face” his parents, since the whole family’s hope was pinned on him. And most likely he had never endured any hardship in life, given that he was the only (spoilt) child in the family. So when a bit of difficulty occurred, coupled with pressure, he simply collapsed and surrendered totally, even his own life.

The young generation of Mainland China is so different from the old generation who has had so much of hardships (and pain) in life through all those turbulent and dark years in the 20th century. One major difference is the lack of strong will and determination in the young. Is it the one child policy and comfort life made possible by a fast developing economy to blame?

Here are just a few observations regarding the difficulties of doing business in China. They are not insurmountable, but they are there and you’ve got to prepare for them.

Human Resources
There are talents in China but those with international exposure and with experience are in high demand nowadays and it is difficult to hire or retain them.

Also, in some local companies, people with MBAs and about five-year experience are thrust into positions of senior management. They are generally not experienced enough.

Laws
As new laws come into existence and changes of law take place from time and time, it is very hard to keep abreast of the government regulations and adapt to them. The latest law affecting business in China is the new Labour Contract Law. That means from January 1 2008, employees who have worked for more than 10 consecutive years or served more than two consecutive contract terms with a company will be entitled to ask for an “open-end” contract, effectively making them permanent staff.

And there are so many regulations in China for business, particularly in the area of tax and fire regulations. Someone joked that in China, it is nice to know the mayor of a city, but it is far more important to build relationships with the local fire chief and tax chief.

One major reason why there are so many laws is, besides the national laws, there are many local laws to follow as well.

Regional factors
China is a large country with different regions exhibiting their own demographic characters. So if you plan to do business in China, you’ve got to understand these differences.

Also, coming to logistics, there is no free flow of vehicles yet. Say, if a truck goes from Guangdong province to Guangxi province, it has to have the permit of not only Guangdong province, but Guangxi province as well.

That is why I think it is very hard for a foreigner to do business in China without local partnership, but then to find a right local partner is difficult, unless you have connections there. At the end of the day, doing business in China boils down to one world only: connection, connection and connection.

In a recent national survey, five cities in China are awarded for their distinct quality. If you are considering a visit to China and thinking about which cities to go, the survey result may be of some reference.

 (one of the many parks, big and clean, in Dalian)

Dalian (大連): the most polite/civilized city
(This is true, speaking from my own experience. Dalian is probably the only China city where residents will queue up at the bus stop and do not spit on the street. The city is amazingly clean compared to other China cities.)

Shenzhen (深圳): the fastest developing city
(Evidenced by the city’s GDP growth statistics)

Tianjin (天津): the safest city (measured by residents’ feeling)
(Yeah,Tianjin is safe.)

Changsha (長沙): the most entertaining city
(Changsha’s provincial TV station has produced China’s first of its kind entertainment show - the American Idol China version, hence earning the city the award.)

Changchun (長春): the most humane city
(Changchun sounds nice, but I’ve never been there. Too cold in the winter.)

Visitors to Hong Kong are usually advised to take the Star Ferry from Central or Tsim Sha Tsui to see the Hong Kong harbor, especially at night when the skyline is lit. They are also told that the Soho area, the hot spot of trendy bars and restaurants, is in Central.

These are all true, except that Hong Kong has another spot where you can see the famous Hong Kong harbor as well as experience “Soho”. It is in Lai King Wan (鯉景灣) of Sai Wan Ho （西灣河）, in the Eastern part of Hong Kong Island.

Take the MTR to Sai Wan Ho Station. Go out at Exit A, and turn right, to walk toward the waterfront (there are also signs indicating the direction). It is about 5-minute walk before you come to the waterfront and a long promenade. From here you can take in Hong Kong’s harbor and the Kowloon East across it. The promenade allows you to take a relaxing stroll while witnessing the daily life of locals.  You rarely see tourists here.

The area is also called “Soho East” where you will find a host of restaurants and bars adjacent to the waterfront. This Soho East is not as busy as the Soho area in Central because of its slightly remote location, but over the weekend, it attracts many locals to drive to this area for dining and relaxation.