Quanzhou

We spent a little over a week in Quanzhou consulting for Yiyang Inc. Although we worked long hours touring Yiyang's factory and interviewing its employees, we had time for some sightseeing. 

View of Quanzhou from our hotel room

QING YUAN MOUNTAIN

A highlight of our stay in Quanzhou was a hike up the city's Qing Yuan mountain. The trail up the mountain is dotted with cultural sites, restaurants, and tea houses. 

No Climbing in Wonderland :(

Quanzhou seems to stretch on forever

KAIYUAN TEMPLE

Home to the city's two oldest pagodas and several temples, the grounds of Kaiyuan are peaceful compared with the busy market street beyond its gates.

A blue sky???

The gates to the pagoda

QUANZHOU TAIWANESE INVESTMENT ZONE

Our hotel was in Quanzhou City, but Yiyang was in the Quanzhou Taiwanese Investment Zone, a special economic zone an hour from the city center. The zone was designated in 2012 by the National Government for foreign direct investment in high tech industries. The city officials plan on the zone to be built out in 20 years. Currently the major infrastructure is being constructed, but much of the zone is still farmland and small towns. We were given a tour of the local government's showcase building for the zone where we were shown the ambitious plans for the new city.

Showroom for the Quanzhou Taiwanese Investment Zone

Quanzhou is across the strait from Taiwan

The investment zone is 200 square kilometers

A model of the new city...

...which lights up

The investment zone today. All of the existing structures will be raised.

The government headquarters for the investment zone

That time I crashed a Chinese wedding...

Some of you may have seen this article on facebook:

Let me reassure you that it is fake and I am not in any trouble with the local Chinese authorities. However the photo is real and it was taken at a bridal reception dinner that I was invited to.

TRUTH IS STRANGER THAN FICTION

Last Thursday, the owner of Yiyang Inc casually invited the Cornell SMART team to a bridal reception dinner for the daughter of his friend. The event took place in what used to be a seafood warehouse owned by the father of the bride. The warehouse was partially demolished--the local government had purchased it as part of a redevelopment initiative--giving the event an open air feel as parts of the exterior walls were missing.

When we arrived we were greeted by stares from the 200+ guests. We were the only foreigners in attendance. We were also the only people wearing formal business attire. No one was dressed up. The groom was wearing a black and neon nike hoodie.

We took our seats at a table at the far end of the warehouse that had a view of the production facilities on the floor below. Our table had some hors d'oeuvres, wine, and cognac on a lazy susan. Shortly after we arrived waiters began to serve dinner--10 courses of the freshest seafood I have ever had. Throughout the meal we were approached by other guests who wanted to toast with us, play drinking games with us, or offer us cigarettes. Most guests fled the reception promptly after dessert was served.

A few days later we were told that our presence at the wedding really got the wheels of the rumor mill going. The owner of Yiyang overheard people at other tables speculating that we were doing business with the father of the bride and that he was now exporting seafood abroad.

Consulting for Yiyang Light Manufacturing Co Ltd

WHY I AM IN CHINA

In October I was selected to participate in a student run consulting project through Cornell's Student Multidisciplinary Applied Research Team (SMART) program. My team members include Jonathan Davey, a lawyer for the Canadian Department of Justice; Andrew Joseph, a former sourcing agent in Guangzhou; Yana Karadjova an undergraduate in Agriculture & Life Sciences, and Hua Li, a first year CIPA fellow from northern China. Our assignment was to help Yiyang Light Manufacturing Co Ltd develop a new marketing strategy and address labor supply issues. 

YIYANG

Yiyang is a polyresin manufacturer that specializes in high end ornamental and decorative items. Its major clients include Disney and Sunbelt, and it exports to distributors across the globe:

A model for a new product in Yiyang's R&D department

Most of Yiyang's proprietary products are religious items

Looks and feels like metal

All of Yiyang's products are painted by hand

Polyresin mixing station

Yiyang's manufacturing facility

Cherubs are popular with Yiyang's Russian and Japanese clients

Disney products make up 10% of Yiyang's orders

The SMART team with Yiyang's owner and the administrator of Quanzhou-Taiwanese Investment District

Xiamen

On route to our consulting project in Quanzhou we stopped in the seaside city of Xiamen. The city is a popular vacation destination among Chinese because of its great weather, and excellent seafood. This was one of the cities on my bucket list that I missed on my last trip to China. So glad I made it because the seafood was truly incredible.

All oysters should look so pretty

The Chinese word for lobster is 'dragon shrimp'. Very fitting.

Hot off the grill...

So much seafood!

The sea was less impressive than the food...

Guangzhou

My return to China began with a five day stay in Guangzhou. I'm used to experiencing China through backpacking and hostel stays. This time I enjoyed the luxurious accommodations of the La Perle International Hotel. Continental breakfast. Fitness Center. Two hour Massage. Open concept bathroom? I could get used to this.

La Perle International Hotel

GUANGZHOU AT NIGHT

A great way to see the city is by boat. The Pearl River flows through the city and offers great views of the downtown and developing areas around the city. China is best seen at night for its neon lights. For less than $10 we got an hour long boat tour of the city from the VIP section.

Enjoying the VIP section

Guangzhou Tower

Downtown Guangzhou

CHEN CLAN ACADEMY

The Chen Clan Academy was built by the Chen family to prepare their children for the imperial examination during the Qing Dynasty. Today it houses the Guangdong Folk Art Museum. The museum showcases works from contemporary master artisans of traditional Chinese folk art.

Main gate of the academy

Traditional vase

Wood carving of crabs and lobsters on a net

This photo was taken by a girl in a U of R hoodie. She didn't know what the U of R was...

SHAMIAN ISLAND

This island was a Portuguese trading post during the colonial era. Today the colonial buildings house high end restaurants and foreign consulates.

The Catholic Diocese of Guangzhou

Probably the nicest Starbucks I've been in