Vous n’avez peut-être encore jamais mis les pieds en Chine, et pourtant vous en connaissez sûrement bien plus que vous ne l’imaginez. Voici le top des films dont vous ne connaissiez (peut-être) pas l’origine.
1. Avatar de James Cameron et la Forêt de Zhangjiajie
Ou le film qui a révolutionné la production cinématographique et qui dit en passant est le deuxième plus gros succès de l’histoire du cinéma. Qui aurait pu pensé que ce monde fantastique avait été en partie inspiré par les paysages montagneux chinois.
Dylan Cole, le chef décorateur expliquait que « Tout ce que nous avons eu à faire est de simplement recréer la montagne Huangshan dans l’espace ».
Situé au centre de la Chine, le parc national de Zhangjiajie est connu pour ses 3000 montagnes à la géométrie impressionnante et attire près de 30 millions de touristes chaque année. En 2015 le parc ouvre au public une nouvelle attraction : le plus long pont en verre du monde. Tout pour faire rêver les plus aventuriers!
Aussi :
Bien que le film portrait les magnifiques montagnes de Zhangjiajie, le gouvernement Chinois a préféré retirer le film des salles de cinéma quelques jours après sa sortie, de peur que le grand public imagine un lien entre l’histoire fictive de Pandora et le contexte réel en Chine de millions de citoyens expulsés de leurs maisons dans l’intérêt de développer les villes.
Toutefois, Avatar reste tout de même l’un des plus gros succès cinématographique en Chine
2. Her de Spike Jonze et Shanghai
ZeBar, Yangpu District
Parmi l’ensemble des films tournés à Shanghai, comme Skyfall (2012), Les 4 fantastiques (2007) ou Looper (2012), Her reste de loin le plus étonnant.
Plongé dans une atmosphère futuriste, dans les rues d’une ville jonchés d’occidentaux, on est loin d’imaginer que le décors n’est autre que celui de Shanghai!
Tout au long de l’histoire d’amour, on reconnaît certains lieux de la ville du futur, notamment les quartiers de Yangpu et Pudong.
Wujiaochang
Himalayas Centre
Himalayas Centre
Imaginé par Arata Isozaki, le bâtiment séduit par son architecture unique. On peut y trouver le Musée d’Arts d’Himalayas, ainsi qu’un centre commercial et grands hôtels.
Wujiaochang
Le plus grand carrefour de Shanghai où se rencontrent cinq grandes routes, celles d’Handan, Huangxing, Siping, Songhu et Xiangyin.
ZeBar
Bar Café au design futuriste, malheureusement pas ouvert au public.
3. Star Wars: Episode 3 et Guilin
Au tour de la ville de Guilin de prêter son décor le temps d’un film.
Pour un premier tournage en Asie, l’équipe de la Guerre des Étoiles décide de s’inspirer des montagnes pittoresques de Guilin et les îles de Phang Nang Bay de la Thaïlande pour ainsi créer la planète des Kashyyyk.
Planète Kashyyyk
Bonus : Les Montagnes de Zhangye Danxia
Les dites montagnes aux couleurs arc-en-ciel ne sont pas (encore) apparues dans un blockbuster hollywoodien, certes. Mais ce ne serait que tarder.
Ces montagnes éclectiques de couleurs ont été présenté en 2017 à l’occasion du Festival Mostra de Venise lors d’un court-métrage. Les montagnes de Zhangye Danxia ont alors gagné le prix du plus beau lieu de tournage sino-étranger.
Tout savoir sur le tri sélectif au sein de votre résidence à Shanghai!
Lors de monarrivée dans les rues de Shanghai, j’ai été agréablement surprise par la propreté de la plus grandeville de Chine.
Depuis le 1er Juillet 2019, cettemétropoleinternationale de 24 millionsd’habitants a été la première villeChinoise à mettre en vigueur un règlement pour le tri sélectif. En effet, en France, le tri des orduresménagèresn’est pas obligatoire. En tantqu’expatrié, ilestalors bon de savoir que cette règlementationestsérieusement à prendre en considération, sous peined’uneamende de 200 Yuan (25€).
Dans votrerésidence, ilvous sera alorsindiquéoùdéposer le tri de vos ordures. Cependant, le dépôt des déchets se déroule à des heuresspécifiques dans la journée (les horairespeuventvarierd’unerésidence à l’autre).
Attention: à Shanghai, le “code couleur” pour trier sesorduresestdifférent de celui de la France. De plus, lamunicipalité a choisid’organiserle tri sélectif en 4 catégories:
La couleur bleu: Les déchetsrecyclables
À Shanghai, les déchets recyclables correspondent à la couleur bleu. Ce sont les ordures que nous avonsl’habitude de trier en France dans les poubellesvertes (le verre), les poubelles jaunes (le plastique, le carton et l’aluminium), les poubelles bleues pour certaines communes (papier).
La couleur rouge: Les déchets dangereux
Les batteries rechargeables, les lampes, les piles usées, les médicaments périmés, les insecticides, les peintures et solvants, etc…
La couleur marron: Les déchetsalimentairesménagers
Les restes des repas et les déchetsorganiquespérissables (les restes de riz, de nouilles, les épluchures de fruits et de légumes, les arêtes de poissons, les os, etc…).
La couleur noire: Les déchets résiduels
Les mégots de cigarette, la vaissellejetable, les mouchoirs, le papier toilette, les serviettes hygiéniques, les grosos, les saletés, les produits en céramique, etc…
This project which is called Centre Pompidou x West Bund Museum is a partnership between the West Bund Group in Shanghai and the Center Pompidou in Paris, for 5 years when this museum will propose 3 exhibitions of 18 months and 10 exhibitions of 6 months.
Located near the river of Huang Pu in the area of Xuhui, the building has been created by the architect David Chipperfield. Composed of 3 levels, the museum offers a nice view on the river and the city. The location of the museum is not insignificant. Indeed, the West Bund is a part of the city that wants to be more and more attractive. This district has been included in Shanghai’s master plan by 2035 as a high-quality public space in the city center offering innovation, creativity, culture and other essential functions of a global metropolis.
View from the Centre Pompidou x West Bund Museum
Centre Pompidou x West Bund Museum: 2 exhibitions
Observations – permanent exhibition
Observations, the first exhibition of this museum is organized in 6 chapters, On / Off, Monitoring the Self, Time Suspended, Public Intimacy, Machine Visions, Data and noise. The 15 artists invite us to discover the evolution of the image from the beginning of the video to the digital image. Here, no tables but mainly video extracts that allow us to pay attention to the details of the images. Observations calls on our attention and perception. We can also note that the Chinese public is very interested in the discoveries and visual experiences.
Mapping The Studio II with color shift, flip, flop&flip/flop – Bruce Nauman
My favorite work was the one of Rineke Dijkstra, I see a Woman Crying (Weeping Woman) Tate Liverpool where we can see some students in the museum commenting a work of Picasso and trying to explain what they see. The way the scene is filmed, and the children’s comments and observations make this work very moving.
The Shape of Time – Temporary exhibition
Organized in 2 main parts with 11 chapters, the Shape of Time is available until the 9th of May 2021. It proposes a vision of the conception and representations of time with more than 100 works from 1905 to the present. Miro, Picasso, Kandinsky and others propose their own representation of time through their work.
In the 1st part of the exhibition, the artists reflect time through mainly the modern French society that is emerging in the industrial era. This part is composed of 7 chapters which are Modern Times, Rhythm and Resonance, Night for Day, Writing the Self, Passages, Balancing Acts and Eye and Body in Motion. Some movements are highlighted such as Cubism, Surrealism or Expressionism.
The second part is composed of 4 chapters: Matter and Memory, Nature at Work, Exposures and Shifting States. This part invites us to rethink our relationship to history. It begins in 1960, when new ways of consumerism appeared in Europe, then in 1980, with the presence of new media and finally in 2000, the new millennium, where artists reflect how the globalization and post colonialism have affected cultural dialogues.
In the corridor, we can see some French but especially many Chinese, some passionate about culture, some curious to discover this new museum.
Auditorium, The Box, Creative Gallery
As I write these lines, the lower level of the museum is not finished yet. Indeed, an auditorium and workshops will open their doors soon. For now, a children’s playground and “The Box” room are open to the public. In this “Box” we are immersed in a room to live a musical and sonic experience.
Finally, I would like to say that I liked to visit this museum to compared with the ones in France. I enjoyed discovering new artworks, however I found the price a little bit too expensive.
Practical information
Hours: Opening Hours 10:00-17:00 Admission close at 16:00
Closed on Monday
Subway Station: YunJin Road Station
Website: www.wbmshanghai.com
Prices:
Weekdays: Semi-Permanent + Temporary 150 Yuan / Weekends & Holidays: Semi-Permanent + Temporary 170 Yuan
If you like contemporary art, I advise you to sign up for the Shanghai Biennale!
When I first landed in China, for the first time in my life in Asia, I was curious about everything before even being scared to be on my own this far from home. Even though I traveled a lot in my whole life, this has been the most challenging experience in my life. And for some reasons the most beautiful thing I have ever done. It was a personal growth that I never could have thought of.
Pearl Tower Unfinished
I went many times West (Los Angeles, San Diego or even Mexico) but never East.
Why you would ask ? Simply because I have never been attracted by it. And I never could say or explain why I was not attracted by it.
It has been beautiful thanks to things you never thought you would discover. Being this far from your basis and daily life, you reconsider everything : what is really important to you and what you truly want from life.
Personally I have never been farthest East in my life than Marseille, in France.
Even though I did all the paperwork, I first realized that I was going to China when the plane took off. I was like « Alright, I guess I am going to China then ! ». I flew with a particular feeling of not being anxious at all, maybe because that’s how I am, I deal with things once I cannot bypass them. That sounds like a suicidal thing. Fly out there without even being able to speak a single word of Chinese and don’t know where I’ll step foot. But let’s try ! Who knows what’s there for me ?
As I landed, after 12 hours of flight, I was hungry, I arrived in downtown Shanghai, I let my eyes scan what was around. Needless to say that I only saw Chinese characters that I couldn’t understand. The only thing that I did recognize was the world famous M of Mc Donald’s. I was relieved, finally something I know. That was before I had to pay, three choices were proposed to me : credit card, AliPay and Face Recognition. I let you picture my crazy European face when I read this. I was the only one surprised by it. Some guy took out his phone and waved it to me, like « What are you waiting for ? Are you retarded or what ? »
My first thoughts were : “Why am I here ? What have you done Mathieu ? I am such a pro at putting me into troubles ! Why am I like this ?! I just want my BigMac, how can it be that hard ?!”
That was my first experience with the Digital Revolution. A huge leap ahead. I thought this was a movie, or even a 10 years ahead livid dream. I went to sleep and only when I woke up, the next morning, I understood that, yes, I am in China for 8 months. So let’s go outside and face your fears young boy ! I took a walk and observed everything and everyone around me. SO MANY SCREENS !
People from 7 to 77 years old, they are all on their smartphones. Scrolling on an application that I only knew the name, WeChat. I a blink of an eye I understood why this guy at the McDonald’s looked at me like a was a fool. China is digitalized on so many levels. I am really into technology and what can be done on mobile but I am not using it 24/7. So as I was stepping out of my confort zone by going to China I thought, why not change your habit and try the lifestyle they, Chinese people, have.
Queuing In China : Never Loose Your Phone
Hence, I took out my phone and went on WeChat, like they do. I sent a text to one of my friend back home, he went to Shanghai a year before, as an exchange student. He told me to reach to this guy at the YOGA Agency if I want to rent an apartment. I sent that text describing what I was looking for, he instantly replied to me, one hour later I was visiting places, three hours later that first visit, I was in the apartment with my luggages.
Yoga Agency Website and add on WeChat Yoan who goes by the username : yoyo060890
This is the fastest way to find a place that suits your needs in Shanghai. They are reliable and bilingual. An added value is that Yoan speaks French.
That sounds crazy in Europe, but yes, I found a place to stay for 8 months in less than a day.
This crazy speed of doing things became really common. Everything is done by QR Code and by WeChat. You add friends on this app and even pay with this app, which is linked to your bank Chinese bank account. I was more than happy to go to McDonald’s and pay with my phone. I was SO proud, first huge achievement in China, act like a Chinese.
This made me want to discover more because you achieve things so fast that you want to keep doing things this fast.
Even though I understood way less than half of things, let’s be real, nothing because it’s written in Chinese, I still wanted to experience things with my phone. It never left my hand for 8 months. I always had battery, something that was really optional for me in Paris. I even bought an external battery to keep using it when I forgot to charge it at home or at school. Because if you don’t have battery you can’t pay. Not having battery in China is like forgetting your wallet at home, you can’t do anything. Also, you don’t want to be lost in Shanghai, so keep some battery young fellow.
As time went by, I became more and more friendly with Chinese applications, thirst of knowledge I guess. I tried things that I didn’t even try in 20 years in Paris. For exemple I never used a Velib’ in Paris but I used a HelloBike almost everyday. This is because of the digitalization of every product.
Everything became fast and simple. I managed to create an account even though it was written in Chinese. You scan the QR Code that it’s on the bike and as it is linked to your AliPay account, which has all your informations, you unlock the bike. Renting a bike was something that I never did when it was written in French. With one AliPay account you can unlock 7 different types of bike, just with your phone. Imagine doing with those things in Paris that are called electronic scooters.
Fast forward to 6 months later. I had more than 100 contacts in my WeChat and stainless steel thighs.
It meant that I met more than 100 people that I could speak and learn with. Mainly in English though. But more than this, my phone became my wallet. I left my wallet at home for 7 months like it was a new habit. As a guy, we all do the same move while going out, tap on every pocket of our pants or our jacket. But in China, you only check the pocket that olds your keys, because your phone is already in your hand.
When I got back home, in Paris, I felt like a stranger.
I went to the bakery and bought a baguette, a thing that I was dreaming of. I showed my QR Code at the cashier. She looked at me, like the Chinese guy at the McDonald’s back in Shanghai. Like I was a fool. I felt like I was Steve Jobs. 10 years ahead of everyone. I felt like everything was going slow. Paying became a true act of purchase, if you thought about bringing your wallet… Meaning that you have time to think twice if you really need that thing, if you are really hungry or if you really want to spend your money on this.
More than the digital aspect of things, once I got back, I realized that I did learn so many things that I could never have thought of. On the professional aspect of things, digitalization soaked me in. I was absorbed by screens, thought about everything that can be improved in Europe. And then I realized that the country of France is not ready at all for all these changes, yet.
You realize it once you try to explain it to your parents and their friends. They look at you with those wide open eyes. They want to understand how it’s possible. And this is pretty much how I look at myself when I think about everything that I have done, alone, in a foreign country where I couldn’t understand a single word. You rely on your personality. You find new things about yourself. I never thought I could overpass that much problems.
I went to the police station to find my lost phone, they didn’t understand what I was saying but kept my calm. Thing I wasn’t even capable of. Like a true Parisian I would go nuts when the car in front of me when didn’t see the red light turn green right away. I realized that I was helping lost tourists in Paris, a thing that I never did in 20 years. One thing that you don’t loose is being angry and walk fast in the metro, that’s in my blood I guess…
Going to China is the most intense thing I ever experienced.
I’ve done crazy things in my young life. But challenging myself to go somewhere I didn’t know anything about, of course I knew that it was a complete different way of life. But experience it went way beyond my beliefs. It’s not like a became a new person, just an upgraded version of myself. More aware of what is going on around me, more conscious about a big scale of an improvement in technology. And what became funny about it is picturing my grandparents using their phone to pay. I bet they would go insane.
Oriental_Pearl_Tower_in_Shanghai
But most of all, as I evolved day by day and found what I truly want in life, in my deeper self, I met people that are now part of my life. We experienced things together and we grew together. We faced difficulties together. You really become a different person. You find your true strengths, not which thought you had but what you can tell you truly have. What stroked me is that I wanted to overcome my weaknesses as fast as I found an apartment. And this is the same now, I can’t stand making mistakes, I want to make things perfect. I want to correct everything that I was doing wrong before.
This is pretty much how China works, either you evolve at this speed, either you stay in your confort zone and you will only have your eyes to cry.
This is what I learned in China about myself and about life itself.
Never take something for granted. Give everything you can. Be proud of what you have done today in order to reach for more the day after. Never go to bed without knowing what you have learned today for you to keep in mind to learn more tomorrow.
If you take a walk on a Sunday afternoon around People Square in Shanghai, it is highly likely that you will come across this surprising market. The umbrellas market.
What is it?
As its name evokes, this place is covered with umbrellas. However, they are not the ones who attract all the attention, but the small pieces of paper that are attached on them!
The tradition is that every Sunday, parents of young Chinese adults (between 20 and 30 years old on average) gather at People Square. They exhibit a kind of Curriculum Vitae of their children, written on a paper that will be fasten to the umbrellas.
How it works?
While one of the parents stays close to his/her umbrella to answer questions of possible potential new interested parents. The other walks to see if he/she does not find the perfect candidate for a girl or his son among all the other profiles presented. If she/he finds one, the four parents meet and arrange a meeting with their children.
Here are two examples of resumes you can find on those umbrellas. The most often displayed information on the resume is the birth announcement, the size, the job position and even the salary! It is not uncommon to also see some criteria issued for future candidates. For example, some people are only looing for women between 1m60 and 1m6. Others specify that they are looking for someone from the same a social environment “or higher”. It’s quite surprising!
The most surprising in this market is that there are no pictures on these resumes. “If the mother is pretty, the girl is pretty too fore sure!”. explained me a Chinese man in the market when I ask the question.
In a society where digitization takes more and more space, it is surprising to see that this kind of tradition still exist even with the mass arrival dating apps. Most resume are still written by hand! Maybe the QR code will soon be on the umbrellas too …
How to get there?
It’s very simple, take the metro to People Square Station (Lines 2, 8 or 1) and take exit 17. At the edge of the park, you will quickly find the crow.
When to go?
The Umbrellas Market takes place every Sunday from around 11 am to 5pm.
Cet été, nous avons pu lire de nombreux articles annonçant la fin de l’argent liquide à partir de janvier 2022. Le développement des modes de paiements alternatifs annoncent-il l’obsolescence des espèces ? A quoi ressemblera le quotidien sans pièces ni billet et, nous iront plus loin, sans carte bancaire ?
C’est à peu de choses près le quotidien de près d’un milliard de chinois qui payent avec leur téléphone portable.
En sortant de chez soit le matin, vous achetez un jian bing au petit marchand en bas, et le payez en scannant son QR code. Vous l’emportez dans le bus, et plus besoin de sortir votre carte de métro, vous scannez votre QR code à la borne. A midi, vous commandez sur une application de livraison de nourriture, et au moment de payer, vous n’avez qu’à valider le paiement, votre compte de paiement est directement lié à votre application.
Le soir au supermarché, le caissier scanne votre QR code, vous passez chez le primeur, achetez vos fruits, et scannez le QR code du primeur, tout ça sans jamais sortir une pièce de monnaie.
En rentrant vous commandez quelque chose sur un site de e-commerce, et payez de nouveau avec votre smartphone.
Le propriétaire de votre appartement vous réclame le loyer du mois, et vous lui transférez l’argent instantanément sur l’application de messagerie.
Comment ce système fonctionne ?
Vous devez avoir un compte bancaire, que vous liez à vos applications de paiement mobile. En Chine, les deux principales sont Wechat Pay (du géant Tencent), et Alipay (du géant Alibaba). A noter que les deux ne sont pas utilisables en toutes situations, par exemple, il est impossible de commander sur Taobao (Alibaba) avec Wechat Pay.
Ensuite, il suffit de scanner le QR code du commerçant, ou qu’il scanne le vôtre, pour effectuer la transaction. Vous aurez besoin d’un mot de passe (ou de touch ID/face ID) pour accorder le paiement. Sur l’application de messagerie Wechat, il suffit d’ajouter une personne pour lui transférer de l’argent.
Ce système existe-t’il en France ?
Oui et non, il existe, mais il n’est pas autant au point qu’en Chine.
Vous connaissez sûrement Apple Pay, qui vous permet de payer jusqu’à 30€ grâce à votre téléphone portable.
Vous connaissez peut-être Lydia, qui permet de transférer de l’argent par sms à d’autres personnes détentrices de l’application, ou même parfois de payer un commerçant détenteur du système.
Ces modes ne sont pas encore très répandus en France, mais ce n’est que le début.
Si les banques ne se penchent pas sur cette question, des entrepreneurs prendront le devant et créeront une application de paiement mobile qui permettra de lier son compte bancaire à l’application, envoyer de l’argent à un ami, payer un commerçant, payer sur internet…
Y-a-t’il un risque ?
Pas plus qu’avec une carte bancaire classique. Pour payer avec son téléphone, il faut le déverrouiller, puis autoriser le paiement grâce à un autre mot de passe. En cas de vol, on peut toujours appeler la banque et bloquer la carte liée.
Les chiffres en France :
En France, le retrait moyen au distributeur automatique de billet est de 30€, soit nettement moins que dans le reste des pays Européens.
Le moyen de paiement le plus largement utilisé est la carte bleue à 50%.
Le paiement en liquide tend à réduire, et le paiement sans contact tend, lui, à se développer.
It has been 25 years since the X-Games have been created. Gathering every so-called extreme sport in the world. Athletes from Skateboard, Motocross, BMX and more are reunited to compete in their own discipline. For the first time ever, X-Games are coming to China. The chosen city is Shanghai. Competition is June 1st and 2nd.
Along with world-class action sports competition and athletes, X Games China will feature musical performances, art installations, and festival experience. X Games China will have a distinctly Chinese flavor, showcasing the beautiful country, cities, and culture of China in everything from the course designs to the medals, and highlighting the youth and sports culture in Shanghai throughout the festival village and live coverage.
Extreme sports and music are closely related. Artists from China and around the world are coming to perform. The Japanese dancer Saori Kanda will perform in live her latest work to the crowd. Moreover, music artists, such as Vava, Ryotracks and Soft Lipa will be present for the event.
Nyjah Huston X-Games China June 2019
Considering athletes. Will be there Nyjah Huston, the child that we used to see skate with his long dreadlocks as now evolved into a strong guy per maggiori. (https://nyjah.com/) Such as his skateboarding skills. He won this week the SLS in London and he is here to add a medal to his already huge collection. He already won 10 gold medals at the X-Games and he is only 25 years old!
The Brasilian esthete Luan Olivera is part of the trip. This magician his blessing us with his tricks that will for sure amaze the Chinese crowd.
Moreover, the X-Games also is about winter. It will be back during this year and athletes from all around the world will come. So stay posted to know more about it!
“It’s a great honor to be among the first athletes invited to help announce X Games China,” said Cai Xuetong, two-time X Games snowboard medalist and the first Chinese athlete to win a medal at the X Games.
Find out more about the contests and activities on the X-Games China website :
Riche d’une histoire millénaire, l’Empire du milieu a une relation toute particulière à son patrimoine. Parfois renié, relatif ou encore valorisé de manière exponentielle… Désormais le gouvernement se prononce en faveur de sa préservation et tente le tout pour le tou-risme.
Un “défaut d’être” occidental ?
Je m’interrogeais souvent à Shanghaï en croisant des panneaux apposés sur divers bâtiments avec la mention “relique culturelle”. Cela sans beaucoup d’autres explications. À mon installation dans cette ville, je me suis sentie quelque peu dépassée par le manque, si ce n’est les galeries et musées digitaux, de culture “en dur”. Habitude ou “défaut d’être” français ? 😉
Il est vrai que si l’on parle souvent de Paris comme d’une ville-musée, ce n’est pas vraiment le cas de Shanghaï. Les parties anciennes de cette capitale marchande correspondent, selon l’idée générale, aux concessions, Bund, jardins et temples et à la vieille ville. Cela s’explique par le rapide essor de ce qui n’était initialement qu’un petit port. Les lieux de vie sont grandement touchés par la facilité que les chinois ont à démolir et rebâtir.
Prenons l’exemple des “lilong”, habitat typique shanghaïen et des “shikumen” (portes en pierre). Ces authentiques villages dans la ville sont au fur et à mesure détruits au profit de tours et de barres. Il est évident que les conditions de vie ne correspondent plus aux standards modernes. Pourtant le Xintiandi rénové témoigne bien de son insertion réussie dans le coeur de la ville.
La gestion culturelle des sites
De plus en plus développé, le tourisme en Chine est pourtant encore récent. Autant que la notion de patrimoine. Lan Xinzhen, journaliste au Beijing Review, écrit : “Dans l’esprit du peuple chinois, protéger les reliques culturelles est une responsabilité du gouvernement. Pourtant, il manque à ceux-ci les connaissances élémentaires de la préservation. Les vestiges sont l’incarnation de la culture et les archives de l’héritage d’une nation. Ils nécessitent une participation massive pour être sûr que ces sites précieux soient maintenus et protégés efficacement (…).” – 28 Février 2019
La Grande Muraille a été classée au patrimoine mondial de l’UNESCO en 1987. Face aux besoins de la plus grande construction humaine jamais réalisée, le gouvernement a autorisé une collecte de fonds à laquelle plus de 100 000 personnes ont participé. Un bel exemple qui a su mobiliser l’opinion publique.
La gestion des sites touristiques est parfois étonnante pour un oeil européen. De grands palais vides de toute âme ou de tout meuble, un bétonnage parfois agressif et d’étranges cohabitations entre immeubles et vestiges… Mais c’est peut-être ainsi que la Chine, paraissant parfois si éloignée de nos us, prend le dessus sur une Europe-musée. Avec une main d’oeuvre dynamique, forte de son tourisme et à la pointe de nombreux défis technologiques, ce pays sait conjuguer les temps pour revaloriser ses traditions en les liant au futur.
Parmi les 4 grandes ligues américaines, la NBA est très certainement celle qui a le plus d’exposition et de rayonnement à l’international. Cela s’exprime directement au sein de la ligue, avec des joueurs de toutes nationalités. Cela s’exprime également en dehors, que ce soit en Europe ou en Asie. Mais en ce qui concerne ses investissements hors de ses terres, la NBA a bien compromis quelle était sa terre promise. Celle où elle doit axer ses investissements et y rendre la ligue pérenne : la NBA en Chine.
Une trajectoire exponentielle depuis les années 80
L’histoire de la NBA en Chine commence dans les années 1980, à l’époque de la rivalité Lakers – Celtics. Le commissionnaire de l’époque, David Stern, fit alors le déplacement pour rencontrer les dirigeants de la chaîne étatique CCTV pour les convaincre de diffuser les matchs. Dire que cette stratégie fut une réussite serait un euphémisme. En effet, selon Derek Chang, CEO de la NBA en Chine, 640 millions de chinois ont consulté des contenus relatifs à la ligue en 2017 – 2018. Ce chiffre ahurissant représente un peu moins de la moitié de la population chinoise.
Un autre élément de taille a contribué à la popularité de la NBA dans le pays. Cet élément, c’est le géant Yao Ming. À son arrivée en tant que 1er choix de la draft en 2002, beaucoup doutaient de sa capacité à s’imposer. Mais Yao décida de leur prouver le contraire. Malgré de nombreuses blessures, il termina sa carrière en étant 8 fois All-Star et 3 fois All-NBA. Même le grand Shaquille O’Neal qui s’était donné pour mission d’humilier le rookie lors de leur première rencontre s’y cassa les dents. Il exprima plus tard son respect. Aujourd’hui intronisé au Hall of Fame, Ming est un ambassadeur important pour la ligue en Chine.
Les actions concrètes sur place
En vivant à Shanghai, on peut aisément ressentir cette ferveur pour le basketball au quotidien. Les meilleures actions des matchs de la veille sont diffusées sur les écrans des bus. Il suffit aussi de rentrer dans un centre commercial. On peut croiser successivement plusieurs boutiques NBA ainsi que des boutiques de la marque chinoise Li-Ning à l’effigie de Dwyane Wade. Le jeune retraité a en effet signé en 2012 un contrat avec la marque chinoise et prolongé celui-ci en 2018 à vie. D’autres joueurs majeurs ont depuis signé en Chine, dont CJ McCollum chez Li-Ning, Klay Thompson chez Anta, ou Tony Parker chez Peak.
Mais la NBA est très loin de se satisfaire de ces résultats déjà excellents. Derek Chang estime qu’il y a 1,3 milliards d’individus et que cela devrait être la cible à atteindre. Pour augmenter son audience, la ligue va continuer à organiser comme chaque année depuis 2004 les China Games. Cette année, ils verront les Lakers de Lebron James et les Nets de D’Angelo Russell s’affronter à 2 reprises. La première rencontre aura lieu le 10 octobre à Shanghai et la seconde le 12 octobre à Shenzhen. La NBA va aussi continuer à multiplier les partenariats avec les géants du digital chinois. Déjà partenaire de Tencent depuis 2015, la ligue commence à travailler avec China Mobile, Bytedance ainsi qu’Alibaba.
If you are in Shanghai and have some time to travel in China, here is an article that might interest you. You will appreciate it even more if you like to contemplate the beauty of the landscapes and the adventure in the middle of nature. Here, this article will guide you in the organization of your trip to Huangshan in the heart of the Yellow Mountains from Shanghai or Hangzhou.
The journey to Huangshan
First of all, you have to know that to go to the Yellow Mountains, you have to go through the city of Huangshan. For that, you have to take a bus. Here are the buses from Shanghai and Hangzhou to Huangshan Bus Station: Buses from Shanghai leave Shanghai Long-Distance South Bus Station. There are only two bus schedules each morning, a bus at 7:57 am and another at 10:27 am and the journey to Huangshan takes about 6 hours. Buses departing from Hangzhou depart from Hangzhou West Bus Station. There are buses all day long between 6:50 am and 6:20 pm and the journey to Huangshan takes approximately 3 hours.
The accommodation in Huangshan
The best Huangshan area and the most typical is the old city district. Regarding your accommodation, it is best to locate you in this area, because it is lively at night and filled with small shops and local products.
The climb from Huangshan to the peaks of the Yellow Mountains Natural Park
There are buses that can take you to the entrance of the park. But from Huangshan city you can easily find a van, directly in the streets, which will take you where you want, that is to say at the entrance of the natural park. When you are at the gate of the park, you will have to pay the right to enter this sanctuary. From that moment, the steps can begin. But there is the funicular option for those who are unable to climb 4,000 steps. Because you have to be in very good shape to make such an effort.
The end of your perilous adventure in Huangshan will finish with a reward that is priceless. It is this incredible vision of the sunset over the sea of clouds and the mountains that emerge from it.
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