Page 182 - 2018 White Paper on the Business Environment in China
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8 White Paper on the Business Environment in China
allowed to grow beyond that their natural resources like the country’s cities, China’s villages underwent
could support, and odd-shaped buildings would be rapid transformation since the beginning of the century.
forbidden. The document came on the heels of 2015’s Between 2005 and 2015, as many as 900,000 Chinese
Central Urban Work Conference, the first such meeting villages disappeared, either being absorbed into
to address the issue since 1978 when only 18 percent of expanding cities or abandoned as residents migrated
China’s population lived in cities. The figure reached over to urban areas (Giles). From 2000 to 2010, the number
50 percent by 2015. Several problems came with this of villages in China dropped to 2.6 million from 3.7
increased urbanization including pollution and severe million, a loss of about 300 villages a day, according to
traffic congestion. Poor urban planning also led to issues research by Tianjin University (Qin). The communities
such as over taxed power distribution networks. The city- that remained, however, experienced building booms
planning document called on greater oversight from city fueled by money sent home by rural migrants. In some
legislative bodies and harsher punishments for anyone areas, tower blocks were being erected in empty fields. In
contravening urban planning regulations (Zheng). The the rush to build, good design was often being ignored
government document states that there will be a greater in the countryside. By opting for low-risk, copy-and-paste
emphasis on prefabricated buildings going forward, and blueprints, local authorities were hindering their ability
there will be a crackdown on designs or construction to deliver effective public services. “Certain institutions
techniques it perceives to be wasteful, impractical, and buildings end up looking the same in China,” Hong
expensive, or aesthetically displeasing. The document Kong architect Joshua Bolchover claimed. “Whether it’s a
goes on to state that the government will use satellites hospital, a school or an orphanage, they’re all concrete-
to monitor urban sprawl and to look out for construction frame, standardized building types. Design is critical, and
companies who are breaking the new rules (Myall). through it we’re able to bring other facilities (and) nicer
spaces into these environments.” Ambitious designs in
As land prices shot through the roof in the major rural communities can be challenging when many local
metropolitan areas, many developers started looking government officials are suspicious of bold buildings. It
toward the country’s second and third-tier cities, creating takes time and effort to get some of these communities
a new generation of plans for the provinces. President on board. As a result, projects can take up to three years,
Xi may have issued directive outlawing “oversized, even when the construction time is less than one (Giles).
xenocentric, weird”buildings, but many of these schemes Architects who are patient have the opportunity to play
were already well under way. From Harbin “City of Music” a special role in this revitalization. Their designs not only
to Dezhou “Solar Valley”, provincial capitals are branding improve the life of the residents, but also can enhance the
themselves as themed reserves of culture and industry reputation of a rural development project and stimulate
to attract inward investment, and commissioning scores tourism or agriculture.
of bold structures to match. Even where there is no
demand, city officials are relentlessly selling off land for
development. Selling land accounted to 80 percent of
municipal revenue in some cases. In the first two months
of 2017 alone, 50 Chinese cities received a total of 453
billion yuan from land auctions, a 73 percent increase
on the previous year before the Central Committee’s
“weird building” proclamation. The provincial capitals are
leading the way. At the same time, Xi’s national culture
drive has seen countless museums, concert halls and
opera houses spring up across the country. These cultural
centers are often used as sweeteners for land deals.
President Xi said, “Culture, is the prerequisite of the great
renaissance of the Chinese people,” but it is also proving
to be a powerful lubricant for a great deal of real estate
speculation outside of the big cities (Wainwright).
Culture is not the only thing motivating unique
architectural advancements in provincial settings. Just
182
allowed to grow beyond that their natural resources like the country’s cities, China’s villages underwent
could support, and odd-shaped buildings would be rapid transformation since the beginning of the century.
forbidden. The document came on the heels of 2015’s Between 2005 and 2015, as many as 900,000 Chinese
Central Urban Work Conference, the first such meeting villages disappeared, either being absorbed into
to address the issue since 1978 when only 18 percent of expanding cities or abandoned as residents migrated
China’s population lived in cities. The figure reached over to urban areas (Giles). From 2000 to 2010, the number
50 percent by 2015. Several problems came with this of villages in China dropped to 2.6 million from 3.7
increased urbanization including pollution and severe million, a loss of about 300 villages a day, according to
traffic congestion. Poor urban planning also led to issues research by Tianjin University (Qin). The communities
such as over taxed power distribution networks. The city- that remained, however, experienced building booms
planning document called on greater oversight from city fueled by money sent home by rural migrants. In some
legislative bodies and harsher punishments for anyone areas, tower blocks were being erected in empty fields. In
contravening urban planning regulations (Zheng). The the rush to build, good design was often being ignored
government document states that there will be a greater in the countryside. By opting for low-risk, copy-and-paste
emphasis on prefabricated buildings going forward, and blueprints, local authorities were hindering their ability
there will be a crackdown on designs or construction to deliver effective public services. “Certain institutions
techniques it perceives to be wasteful, impractical, and buildings end up looking the same in China,” Hong
expensive, or aesthetically displeasing. The document Kong architect Joshua Bolchover claimed. “Whether it’s a
goes on to state that the government will use satellites hospital, a school or an orphanage, they’re all concrete-
to monitor urban sprawl and to look out for construction frame, standardized building types. Design is critical, and
companies who are breaking the new rules (Myall). through it we’re able to bring other facilities (and) nicer
spaces into these environments.” Ambitious designs in
As land prices shot through the roof in the major rural communities can be challenging when many local
metropolitan areas, many developers started looking government officials are suspicious of bold buildings. It
toward the country’s second and third-tier cities, creating takes time and effort to get some of these communities
a new generation of plans for the provinces. President on board. As a result, projects can take up to three years,
Xi may have issued directive outlawing “oversized, even when the construction time is less than one (Giles).
xenocentric, weird”buildings, but many of these schemes Architects who are patient have the opportunity to play
were already well under way. From Harbin “City of Music” a special role in this revitalization. Their designs not only
to Dezhou “Solar Valley”, provincial capitals are branding improve the life of the residents, but also can enhance the
themselves as themed reserves of culture and industry reputation of a rural development project and stimulate
to attract inward investment, and commissioning scores tourism or agriculture.
of bold structures to match. Even where there is no
demand, city officials are relentlessly selling off land for
development. Selling land accounted to 80 percent of
municipal revenue in some cases. In the first two months
of 2017 alone, 50 Chinese cities received a total of 453
billion yuan from land auctions, a 73 percent increase
on the previous year before the Central Committee’s
“weird building” proclamation. The provincial capitals are
leading the way. At the same time, Xi’s national culture
drive has seen countless museums, concert halls and
opera houses spring up across the country. These cultural
centers are often used as sweeteners for land deals.
President Xi said, “Culture, is the prerequisite of the great
renaissance of the Chinese people,” but it is also proving
to be a powerful lubricant for a great deal of real estate
speculation outside of the big cities (Wainwright).
Culture is not the only thing motivating unique
architectural advancements in provincial settings. Just
182
