Shanghai is the most western city in the East

When I first arrived in Beijing last year, I realized that I was apparently poorly prepared for this city. I imagined a stormy megalopolis crowded with people, where the verticals of huge skyscrapers intersect countless horizons of multi-level autobahns, where the ultramodern technologies of one of the most advanced countries of the world meet the traditions and color of one of the most ancient civilizations. My imagination drew a mixture of the scenery from the movie “Blade Runner” with the images of modern Asian cities that I saw on TV.

By no means do I want to say that Beijing disappointed me – not at all, it was just here that I first understood what the concept of “Asia” means in the urban dimension. Here, a lot of money meets with bright poverty. Continue reading →