Does the CCTV headquarters qualify as "weird" architecture in China?
More directives are being issued by Beijing these days and the latest one was an interesting edict -- no more "weird" architecture, gated communities or illegal structures are to be built in China.
The directive from the State Council came two months after leaders met for the Central Urban Work Conference -- which was left held in 1978! One wonders why they procrastinated this long.
One of many "White House" replicas in the mainland...
Forty-eight years ago only 18 percent of the population lived in towns and cities, compared to 55 percent as of last year at 750 million people.
Nevertheless, the directive says urban architecture should be "suitable, economic, green and pleasing to the eye", in contrast to the "oversized, xenocentric, weird" buildings with no character or cultural heritage, that Chinese President Xi Jinping said reflected "a lack of cultural confidence and some city officials' distorted attitudes about political achievements".
One big building that might fit the bill is the CCTV tower, the Rem Koolhaas-designed building that locals nickname da kouchar (大裤衩) or "big underpants". Others are replicas of famous landmarks like the White House, Eiffel Tower, and London Bridge.
... Oh and Eiffel Towers can be spotted in around China too
Liu Shilin, head of the Institute of Urban Science at Shanghai Jiao Tong University, said while "weird" has yet to be defined, the new policy was heading in the right direction.
"These buildings do not have much value in terms of use, and cost a lot to operate and maintain. Quite a few were torn down soon after completion," he notes.
However, the big concern is the opening up of gated communities that were built for expatriates and the wealthy to keep the riff raff out.
"Residents have all paid their share to use the roads in these communities. How can you open them up just like that? Opening them up will bring in noise pollution, air pollution and security risks. How can residents' safety and health be ensured?" said one online commenter.
Residents of gated communities are worried about opening up
By the way -- does Zhongnanhai also qualify as a "gated community"? Or perhaps it's in a category of its own...
Have you seen women like these dancing around your neighbourhood?
On my way to the shuttle bus that takes me to work each morning, I pass through a small park and there's music blaring and a group of women in their 60s are busy following a dance routine, waving their arms, sashaying to the right then the left.
Some include handkerchiefs to accessorize their dancing, others fans. One time Gangnam Style blasted out which shocked me -- those aunties were really cool! But then I never heard them play that song again.
In Beijing, these "dancing grannies" were commonplace. After offices are cleared out, these women start converging on parks, plazas and even wide sidewalks, anywhere they can spread out and do their thing -- even if passersby have to snake around them to get to the other side.
While the music can be unbearable to listen to -- some are old school songs or just plain bad recordings, it's great to see these women not only getting some exercise in, but also socializing with others, which is probably the key to their well-being and health.
But not everyone likes the "dancing grannies" and there have been incidents where angry residents have tried to chase these women away to go dance elsewhere. In 2013 a Beijing man was so annoyed that he fired a shotgun in the air and set three Tibetan mastiffs at the dancing group. He was later arrested near his home.
This week the Chinese government has decided enough is enough and has issued rules developed after a joint study by the General Administration of Sport and the Ministry of Culture. The hope is to develop "healthy, watchable, scientific and wide-ranging" dancing, state media reported.
Therefore, an expert panel has developed 12 model routines that will be taught across the country by instructors who have received official training.
Here's the first one for you to check out:
Three scantily-clad young women show aerobic-like moves to synthesizer music that surely will rile up grannies who prefer their traditional songs.
"Dancing in public squares represents the collective aspect of Chinese culture, but now it seems that the over enthusiasm of participants has dealt it a harmful blow with disputes over noise and venues," said Liu Guoyang, chief of the General Administration of Sport. "So we have to guide it with national standards and regulations."
While many of these "dancing grannies" have complained about being regulated, other critics say the rules don't deal with the real issue -- noise levels. A commentary on news portal RedNet said:
"What the grannies need are venues, not regulated routines. Only an increase of public sports venues can satisfy urban and rural residents' need for fitness routines such as football and square-dancing, and lessen the phenomenon where square-dancing disturbs residents and takes up all the parks and public spaces."
Another commentary on Xinmin Evening News said: "The biggest tragedy is not the square dance by grannies, but the fact that grannies have nothing else to do than square-dance."
The last thing the government should want is a revolt from these "dancing grannies" -- they know organization and coordination!
