Beijing 13 - 16 September 2010

Atrium of The Opposite House - a Boutique Hotel

         My recent trip to Beijing to attend the Automotive Test Expo show was  not quite an eye -opener. The show reminded me of how these kinds of shows used to be very big in Singapore in the late 80s and early 90s and now that the manufacturing sector has movedabroad to more cost competitive countries like China and Vietnam, we see the same established players in China, plus some new Chinese brands who are trying to go international.

          The 3 days was quite packed for me, as I went to visit the show, plus also had some time off to visit the Forbidden City, this was once the abode of the Chinese emperors and their wives, concubines, eunuchs and their entire armies of troops,palace staff and high officials.

   

The Farm Workers Stadium

Once I was in the forbidden city, it became apparent why China remained so closed for so many centuries. If the 1st Emperor Shi Huang Ti decided to call China Zhong Guo or Centre Country, it meant that it was the centre of the world, and it wanted to remain the global superpower. So instead of going forth to trade, it closed itself to the world preferring to look inwards. The Forbidden City reflected much of that attitude, as the emperor chose to remain sealed off from the rest of the Chinese people, and had 6 levels of inner courtyards. China's attitude was due probably to her  warring over the centuries, and also had major conflicts with its neighbour, the Monglos, so much so that it built the Great Wall, or Chang Cherng about 2 hours drive north of Beijing. It was only in the 15th century that China then decided to trade with the Western world, sending our huge warships and forcing smaller nations to offer 'tributes' to the then Chinese emperor.

   

 The Western nations were at that period, experiencing a very bleak period, and were hit by the Black Plague, killing about 30% of their population. However, due to Marco Polo's efforts in the 16th century, the Western people finally managed to pierce through the 'bamboo curtain' and establish the Silk Route Trade with China.