In transition

First thing this morning is a razzia at a nearby restaurant. Twenty city guards block the road, an even larger number of workers tears the facade down, carry the kitchen outside, load it on vans and leave a completely stripped space behind. It's the second time in a week that it happens. The other shops have been empty since, leaving the owners looking rather devastated.

Apparently its an omen, a little further down the road where our market used to be, there is only en empty street. This used to be a kilometer of bustling wet market, full of exotic fruits and vegetables, poultry, meat, and to my horror: alive turtles. Completely gone in a day! 

It looks like the final stage of tearing down the original houses in our neighborhood has started. At first sight, all the 3 story buildings here have been demolished and abandoned. But upon closer inspection, they are still very alive. A face appears from a window, hanging his underwear to dry. Elder people sit chatting on their porch, little noodle stands are still selling. At night there are little lights everywhere. In between the ruins people hold on to their homes .

All around us, these old fashioned houses have made room for 32 story high risers. The crowded narrow alleys where everything happens outside make place for modern compounds where a month's rent comes to €750. More people per square kilometer, smart looking, better for the pockets of government. 

There's been a big wave of urban renewal running up to the Expo in 2010. Shanghai has become more accessible for foreigners, has a better look and feel to it, the old and ugly is (almost) gone. 

With an average income of €300 per month, I don't think many of the Shanghainese will be able to afford an apartment like ours. They will be moving further out of town, in search of cheap places to live. It's sad to witness, but perhaps a small price to pay for speedy development. 

For an interesting view on the tearing down of Chinese 'urban villages', read this article by professor Bartlett.