As Pogo said so many years ago, “We have met the enemy, and they are us” (Poor quoting job, I’m sure, maybe more of poor paraphrasing!)
It’s all over China, and our friends back home love to get the copies when we get home. How does an authentic Rolex dealer in HK or Shanghai survive? And WHO CAN TELL the difference with a lot of the copies these days? Although, I am pretty sure that the copies of ProE at the local supermarket that are selling for 120 RMB are probably NOT legit. Just guessing….
On Jul 3, 2006 3:08 PM, Anonymous said:
I read your article in Budget Travel the other day - and it is true - your Shanghai is a LOT better than mine. I was a Red Cross girl in 1947 staying in the Park Hotel - across from the race track - neither of these two places seemed to have survived. As you remember your history you know that I was there before Mao - infaltion was wild. I thought every man was an attorney - they carred briefcases - but for their cash! My hotel bill was 3 million dollars - a newspaper was 5,000 dollars - the dollar word was used - as in Chinese National dollars. I still have some. I guess the Cathay Hotel is long gone too. And the white Russian stores, and hopefully the people who lived on the streets, pathetically without hope. And the rickshaws - are there no more of those? I enjoyed your article but it showed me no - zip - zero memory of the Shanghai I once saw.
Long Hua, Qi Pu Lu, and in Pu Dong; these are the new Xiang Yang Markets of 2006. On my block there are five music/DVD stores selling MI:3 and The Da Vinci Code for RMB 8-10 (USD 1-1.50) a pop.
China’s government kills two birds with one stone by eliminating the market and becoming a champion of IPR while making business with Hong Kong developers. China is gaining “mian zi” (face) with all international companies threatned by IPR, and grabbing some pocket change for a possible new parking lot or obscenely huge sky scraper on Huai Hai Road.
The Chinese government is smart.
I agree, counterfeit products will go on forever. The general salary for a Shanghaiese is RMB 800 a month (approx. USD 100). Most Shanghai residents cannot afford a genuine Prada bag with that, and if they want to look good and not burn a whole in your pocket for a real bag worth your salary, a RMB 30 bag that looks good is they way to go.
3 Comments
Great article.
As Pogo said so many years ago, “We have met the enemy, and they are us” (Poor quoting job, I’m sure, maybe more of poor paraphrasing!)
It’s all over China, and our friends back home love to get the copies when we get home. How does an authentic Rolex dealer in HK or Shanghai survive? And WHO CAN TELL the difference with a lot of the copies these days? Although, I am pretty sure that the copies of ProE at the local supermarket that are selling for 120 RMB are probably NOT legit. Just guessing….
I read your article in Budget Travel the other day - and it is true - your Shanghai is a LOT better than mine. I was a Red Cross girl in 1947 staying in the Park Hotel - across from the race track - neither of these two places seemed to have survived. As you remember your history you know that I was there before Mao - infaltion was wild. I thought every man was an attorney - they carred briefcases - but for their cash! My hotel bill was 3 million dollars - a newspaper was 5,000 dollars - the dollar word was used - as in Chinese National dollars. I still have some. I guess the Cathay Hotel is long gone too. And the white Russian stores, and hopefully the people who lived on the streets, pathetically without hope. And the rickshaws - are there no more of those? I enjoyed your article but it showed me no - zip - zero memory of the Shanghai I once saw.
Long Hua, Qi Pu Lu, and in Pu Dong; these are the new Xiang Yang Markets of 2006. On my block there are five music/DVD stores selling MI:3 and The Da Vinci Code for RMB 8-10 (USD 1-1.50) a pop.
China’s government kills two birds with one stone by eliminating the market and becoming a champion of IPR while making business with Hong Kong developers. China is gaining “mian zi” (face) with all international companies threatned by IPR, and grabbing some pocket change for a possible new parking lot or obscenely huge sky scraper on Huai Hai Road.
The Chinese government is smart.
I agree, counterfeit products will go on forever. The general salary for a Shanghaiese is RMB 800 a month (approx. USD 100). Most Shanghai residents cannot afford a genuine Prada bag with that, and if they want to look good and not burn a whole in your pocket for a real bag worth your salary, a RMB 30 bag that looks good is they way to go.