Region's people innovate, adapt as nation changes
By Rachel Yan |
May 28, 2012, Monday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
SIXTEEN years ago, Chen Demin was a farmer eking out a living in the bamboo forests of the mountains around his hometown of Fuyang, near Hangzhou.
Cutting and selling bamboo to wholesalers was a dead-end job, he reckoned, so he lifted himself up the value-added chain by sheer pluck. Today Chen has his own factory of 300 workers in Fuyang, making badminton rackets for export.
His story is not unlike those of tens of thousands of people in the Yangtze River Delta -- hard-working, honest people who have seen and seized opportunities as China reformed its economy and opened its doors wider to world trade.
Urbanization and industrialization are changing the face of the delta region, turning farmland into factories and people of vision and ambition into successful entrepreneurs. "If you can dream it, you can do it" seems to be the credo driving this overhaul of a region that has always been an important cradle in China's development.
Shanghai Daily and International Channel Shanghai (ICS), the two English-language media organizations in Shanghai, have teamed up to provide special coverage of this transformation. "Journey to the Promised Delta" explores how niche industries are revitalizing once sleepy towns, changing the landscape and reinvigorating the lives of people.
10 delta cities
The story is told through the eyes of 10 smaller delta cities: Taicang, Danyang, Jingjiang and Qidong in Jiangsu Province; and Pinghu, Haining, Fuyang, Yiwu, Wenling and Zhoushan in Zhejiang Province.
But this is not merely a story of rapid industrialization. It is also the tale of rich history and culture, of legends and ethos that shaped the beliefs and backbones of generations of people who live in the delta. Here, a mere few hours drive from iconic cities such as Suzhou and Hangzhou, are scenic water towns and ancient temples that beckon visitors with the charms of quiet weekend get-aways.
The names of these 10 cities remain obscure for most foreigners and even to many Chinese. Yet in their quiet way, these towns are producing goods that find their way into homes across the globe: the Halloween costumes worn by American children, the Christmas decorations on European yuletide trees, the Calvin Klein sunglasses sported on the French Riviera and the Yonex badminton racquets used in Japanese tournaments.
Reporters spent a month traveling through the delta, talking to workers, entrepreneurs and local government officials. Their personal stories trace the victories and vicissitudes of the delta's "Made-in-China" revolution.
Let us introduce you to people who struggled against hardships to fulfill their business dreams. Let us introduce you to people who eschewed high-flying careers overseas in order to contribute to the development of small delta cities. Let us introduce you to villagers who risked their meager savings to invest in a better life for their families.
At a crossroads
The Yangtze River Delta Region stands at a crossroads. It has traveled the path of economic restructuring only to face tough decisions as China's economy slows, markets abroad shrink, labor costs rise and fierce competition brews internationally.
The people of the delta have faced adversity in the past and have proven their mettle in rising to new challenges. Listen to their voices and hear the future of the promised land.
Cutting and selling bamboo to wholesalers was a dead-end job, he reckoned, so he lifted himself up the value-added chain by sheer pluck. Today Chen has his own factory of 300 workers in Fuyang, making badminton rackets for export.
His story is not unlike those of tens of thousands of people in the Yangtze River Delta -- hard-working, honest people who have seen and seized opportunities as China reformed its economy and opened its doors wider to world trade.
Urbanization and industrialization are changing the face of the delta region, turning farmland into factories and people of vision and ambition into successful entrepreneurs. "If you can dream it, you can do it" seems to be the credo driving this overhaul of a region that has always been an important cradle in China's development.
Shanghai Daily and International Channel Shanghai (ICS), the two English-language media organizations in Shanghai, have teamed up to provide special coverage of this transformation. "Journey to the Promised Delta" explores how niche industries are revitalizing once sleepy towns, changing the landscape and reinvigorating the lives of people.
10 delta cities
The story is told through the eyes of 10 smaller delta cities: Taicang, Danyang, Jingjiang and Qidong in Jiangsu Province; and Pinghu, Haining, Fuyang, Yiwu, Wenling and Zhoushan in Zhejiang Province.
But this is not merely a story of rapid industrialization. It is also the tale of rich history and culture, of legends and ethos that shaped the beliefs and backbones of generations of people who live in the delta. Here, a mere few hours drive from iconic cities such as Suzhou and Hangzhou, are scenic water towns and ancient temples that beckon visitors with the charms of quiet weekend get-aways.
The names of these 10 cities remain obscure for most foreigners and even to many Chinese. Yet in their quiet way, these towns are producing goods that find their way into homes across the globe: the Halloween costumes worn by American children, the Christmas decorations on European yuletide trees, the Calvin Klein sunglasses sported on the French Riviera and the Yonex badminton racquets used in Japanese tournaments.
Reporters spent a month traveling through the delta, talking to workers, entrepreneurs and local government officials. Their personal stories trace the victories and vicissitudes of the delta's "Made-in-China" revolution.
Let us introduce you to people who struggled against hardships to fulfill their business dreams. Let us introduce you to people who eschewed high-flying careers overseas in order to contribute to the development of small delta cities. Let us introduce you to villagers who risked their meager savings to invest in a better life for their families.
At a crossroads
The Yangtze River Delta Region stands at a crossroads. It has traveled the path of economic restructuring only to face tough decisions as China's economy slows, markets abroad shrink, labor costs rise and fierce competition brews internationally.
The people of the delta have faced adversity in the past and have proven their mettle in rising to new challenges. Listen to their voices and hear the future of the promised land.
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