Rich Gate

As promised, here are my impressions of a new Shanghai condo tower called Rich Gate. Well come on, the name kind of explains it all, doesn't it? 'Rich Gate - Only if You're Loaded'. Actually, the feeling it always gives me is more like: 'Rich Gate - Not For You' or quite possibly 'Rich Gate - Not in Those Shoes' (sneakers in my case). It's four imposing marble towers, fifteen foot-high walls, 5 star looking (but most certainly not acting) doormen all scream out: Imagine what people will think of you pulling out of this building in your flash car. And so it begs the question, when did Shanghai overtake Los Angeles as the world capital of mindless money-muscle flexing?
I guess the answer to that question is in this decade and last, when Beijing loosened the strings just enough so that the Shanghainese, fairly gagging for it, could wriggle the gloves off and get down to some bare knuckled commerce. And oh boy, has it been Ultimate Fighting business ever since. Entire neighborhoods of row houses - blocks at a time - are disappearing before my very eyes. Daily do I notice a new area with a big red banner stretched across it with slogans and messages that say things like: 'Thank you for leaving your old home in a harmonious way'
But what choice did they have? Ever since the city's party bosses realised how much they could make from land developers it's been curtains for the common people who live in the old neighborhoods. It's sad, but I've lived in Asia long enough to understand that old things are not prized here, as they would be in say, New York. I remember I was thinking of buying a condo in Bangkok a few years ago, and I thought an older one would be a good idea; cheaper, better built, and with some charm to it. But my ex would have none of it, "It's oooold" she said, turning up her nose at the idea. "New one is better!" I tried to explain to her that in New York or anywhere in America for that matter, we know that the old ones were built better. But she just looked at me like I was from Mars.
I have heard conflicting reports from various Chinese people, Shanghainese or otherwise. Most say that the people getting kicked out of their life-long homes are fairly compensated with new apartments in high rises, although often way outside of the central area of Shanghai. That's nice. 'Sorry to give you the boot old timer, but enjoy your new one bedroom out by the airport. Just think of the money you'll save each time you fly'. Yeah right. Occasionally someone strays off the party line and tells me that no, they don't all get compensated at all, or maybe get a little money and a 'good luck'. Now that would be harsh. Remember that these buildings I'm talking about are in the CBD, and if they were privately owned these families would stand to make a bundle by selling. But this is China, and the government owns (or owned) everything.
And so now we have Rich Gate where there was once a vibrant block of families, a community. The funny thing about Rich Gate is that it's almost empty. It's definitely open for business, with it's regal sales office and grand lobby, but at night there are almost no lights on. I have heard that it's prohibitively expensive, even by Shanghai standards, and that the only ones sold so far were to wealthy Taiwanese and Hong Kong types - who would have it as an investment or a place to stay when they were in Shanghai on business. Sort of like a country home, I guess. Now that's putting the Rich into Rich Gate. I have seen a few sleek black (always black) German cars pulling out of the parking garage, with an over-the-top stylishly dressed woman at the wheel usually. So maybe it's a place where fat cats install their girlfriends? I have heard this theory also.
During Christmas Rich Gate decided that it didn't look quite rich enough, so they covered their massive front pillars in gold. It's a common Chinese ploy, and how they do it is by using gold fabric and crimping it all over unevenly so that it looks like raw 24 karat gold. It's a great effect, and it really works. Having seen it for the first time this year (lots of businesses do it) I had to go up and touch it to make sure. Anyway, in Rich Gate's case the pillars are so big that it really was outrageous looking - just the way they wanted I'm sure. The cost of the fabric alone must have been more than my monthly rent. A friend was here visiting from the States and he couldn't get enough of it, at one point trying to get the guard (Buckingham Palace has got nothing on these guys) to pose in front of that sea of gold. The poor guy was unsure, and then agreed until he looked inside and saw some un-busy management type running for the front door. He quickly walked back to his post - where he stands day and night, more or less at attention, in the cold under a huge umbrella.
When I first moved into the neighborhood Rich Gate was still basically a building site, surrounded by large signs advertising 'The Elegance of Living' and 'Truely Luxury Freedom' of your future life behind those plywood walls. One picture had a gigantic gold door knocker on a mahogany door with 'Rich Gate' engraved in fine Roman lettering. Classy all the way. Then, as Spring rolled around the walls started to come down, revealing the gardens, and small wooded copse within. Rugs of turf were going down, and new flowers and shrubs appeared daily. One day the actual marble pillars went up that would serve as a buffer to the inelegant and non-luxurious world across the street. Soon there were fifteen foot high pillars topped with vaguely old English looking lights, and then they started welding together the actual ironwork for the fences and gate of Rich Gate.
As I walked by one clear sunny day I noticed that gates were all in place, but they were oddly quite short. They only came up to about half the height of the pillars, and even though they were very ornate and tipped with small points, they looked odd being so low. Anyway it was kind of a cool effect, giving the pillars a very imposing presence, but surely a miscue. Sure enough, about a week later I saw all the gates coming back down and a very pissed off looking guy in a suit yelling at the poor harried site manager (who couldn't have been to blame for picking the small fences) as he simultaneously barked more invective into his cell phone. At that moment I really wished I could understand Chinese. I'm sure it was along the lines of, "See that gate? Not rich enough!" A day later an even more elaborate fifteen footer was going up in its place.
And that's about all I have to say about Rich Gate (for now). It is what it is. And Shanghai is what it is also. I have no doubt that as fortunes get bigger and people grow more and more ostentatious, Rich Gate will surely fill up with strivers, fat cats, and speculators. Some will probably lose their shirts (and their condos) while others will go on to build their own Rich Gates. But eventually Rich Gate will fill up...hopefully before it gets "old".