Beijing鈥檚 rich find community by the seaside
Print Edition
Xiang Zheng was shocked when she peeped through the curtains and saw the theater packed to the rafters.
It was the first time the 37-year-old had been on stage and she was so nervous she almost forgot her lines. She shouldn鈥檛 have worried, the play was a hit and each night the audience gave it a standing ovation.
None of the performers had any previous acting experience. Off stage, they were entrepreneurs, company executives, investors, engineers and architects.
They did not know each other until they bought houses in Aranya, a new community in Beidaihe, a coastal resort near Beijing.
Over the past year, more than a thousand families have chosen to spend their weekends in Aranya鈥檚 quaint seaside homes, traveling back to Beijing, China鈥檚 most expensive housing market, for the working week.
鈥淲e have worked hard to become wealthy, but our hearts are empty,鈥 said Xiang, and this is where her drama club comes in, providing an opportunity for Aranya鈥檚 residents to interact with each other.
Aranya is not alone in wooing the middle class with community activities. At Jackson Hole, a resort community on the outskirts of Beijing, residents can join baseball, knitting and calligraphy clubs. In east China鈥檚 Jiangsu Province a developer is working with home-buyers to create backyard oases.
Mi Hongwen is a company executive well known to her staff for her complete lack of a sense of humor.
After playing a stripper in Xiang鈥檚 play, Mi claims her coworkers commented on her transformation, describing her as 鈥渁 smiling sister with feminine charm.鈥
She said the play taught her that you can achieve more by relying on those around you.
Xie Xiaomei is of the same opinion. In real life, she is a highly regarded speculator, but in the play she was a servant.
鈥淭he contrast showed me how to serve others,鈥 she said.
However, all the women agreed that the biggest rewards from the experience were the friendships they made.
In recent decades, China has undergone substantial urbanization. Old communities and neighborhoods have been razed and new, luxury apartments built in their place. People move house frequently and their neighbors are often strangers.
鈥淲hen we were young, we used to live in gloomy apartments or crowded yards in the hutong. We were not rich but we knew our neighbors,鈥 said Xiang.
鈥淭hough our houses are bigger, we are separated by walls or doors. The drama club brings a sense of belonging,鈥 she said.
The groups in Xiang鈥檚 community have made a difference: residents speak to each other, they learn and share, and trust and help each other.
鈥淥ur hearts have become closer; we are a community,鈥 Xie said.
Aranya caused a stir last year when pictures of its 鈥渟easide library鈥 and church went viral. Some blasted it for being elitist, but the wealthy members of the drama club said the sense of community has nothing to do with wealth.
鈥淢oney does not matter, happiness does,鈥 Xiang said.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 娌狪CP璇侊細娌狪CP澶05050403鍙-1
- |
- 浜掕仈缃戞柊闂讳俊鎭湇鍔¤鍙瘉锛31120180004
- |
- 缃戠粶瑙嗗惉璁稿彲璇侊細0909346
- |
- 骞挎挱鐢佃鑺傜洰鍒朵綔璁稿彲璇侊細娌瓧绗354鍙
- |
- 澧炲肩數淇′笟鍔＄粡钀ヨ鍙瘉锛氭勃B2-20120012
Copyright 漏 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
