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With China's economic growth and the widespread presence of Western businesses like KFC, McDonald's and Starbucks, does it still feel exotic or does it feel just like visiting another Western country? Do the people there still seem different from people in the West in terms of their culture and values?
China is a big country with 30 provinces, 56 ethnicities.... which province, city are you referring to? Short answer: Shanghai/Shenzhen/Tianjin/etc. not really. Chengdu/Lhasa/Xi'an/etc. yes.
most big cities increasingly look the same. Everyone is rushing to building skyscrapers, shopping malls and subways. Mid-sized cities envy them and try to copy.
they are doing a lot of things that are making the country more generic and boring.
Everyone is rushing to building skyscrapers, shopping malls and subways. Mid-sized cities envy them and try to copy.
they are doing a lot of things that are making the country more generic and boring.
Like it didn't look the same 20 years ago? When nearly everyone lived in long 4-6 story buildings. It is not getting more generic, it is just not your taste.
I think China will be exotic for someone who has never been there before. However, it won't be very exotic for someone who has visited China many times. And people still point at you outside Beijing/Shanghai/Shenzen/etc, so they are still not used to foreigners.
China may have modernized greatly and its downtown CBD's may look quite similar to those in North America or the EU but I don't think it's accurate to say that it's becoming "generic." There's no way you could possibly mistake Guangzhou for NYC or Chicago or LA. It still has its own architecture, its own urban planning, all of which are functions of Chinese culture and tradition. Plus, a lot of the smaller cities haven't even started to westernize...
I haven't been to China, but I have been to India where there are also McDonalds and the like in most big cities. I wouldn't argue for one second that India isn't exotic though. I'd imagine it would be similar with China. Plus, Western China must be the among the most poorly understood regions of anywhere ever. That will be exotic for awhile yet.
With China's economic growth and the widespread presence of Western businesses like KFC, McDonald's and Starbucks, does it still feel exotic or does it feel just like visiting another Western country? Do the people there still seem different from people in the West in terms of their culture and values?
Your question is akin to a Chinese person who has never been to the U.S., asking if all of the U.S. is starting to look like and act like China now. Reason being that they hear the U.S. has Chinese restaurants and Chinatowns.
China definitely doesn't feel like visiting another Western country.
The people definitely seem different than people in the West in terms of their culture and their values.
Generally speaking, Asian countries develop and grow in their own ways. Sure, some KFCs and McDonalds are in there, but that doesn't make all the people Western and their cities look Western.
Your question is akin to a Chinese person who has never been to the U.S., asking if all of the U.S. is starting to look like and act like China now. Reason being that they hear the U.S. has Chinese restaurants and Chinatowns.
China definitely doesn't feel like visiting another Western country.
The people definitely seem different than people in the West in terms of their culture and their values.
Generally speaking, Asian countries develop and grow in their own ways. Sure, some KFCs and McDonalds are in there, but that doesn't make all the people Western and their cities look Western.
And while KFC, McD's, Pizza Hut, and to a lesser extent Papa John's and Burger King can be seen all across China, most people will still take a 5-8 yuan plate of noodles or rice with meat and veggies over a 25 yuan cheeseburger simply for economy's sake.
This plate of rice and veggies at a Xinjiang restaurant was 10 yuan...
There are probably about as many Xinjiang restaurants in GZ as there are McD's and KFC's, and they generally all make enough to stay in business.
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