Week In Review: May 10-14

Jing Daily’s Top Posts For The Week In case you missed them the first time around, here are some of Jing Daily’s top posts for the week of May 10-14: China’s 10 Most Luxurious Cities Last week, the Chinese news portal JRJ posted its list of [mainland] China’s “Top 10 Most Luxurious Cities,” basing levels of “luxury” on living standards (presumably for those in what could generously be called the “city elite”), “internationalness,” high-end retail and overall infrastructure. Perhaps unsurprisingly, in this list of ten mainland Chinese cities, Shanghai — long China’s most international city — comes out on top. The list, as compiled by JRJ (translation by Jing Daily team): 1. Shanghai “The very worthy #1, with more luxury brands than any other city in China can come close to matching, not only does Shanghai have innumerable shopping malls and luxury retail locations, but its Bund luxury district is among the finest in the world.” Harrods Considering Shanghai Branch Following Mohammed al-Fayed’s $2.2 billion sale of Harrods to the sovereign wealth fund Qatar Holding this weekend, rumors are swirling that the high-end retailer may be considering a Shanghai location to take advantage of China’s booming consumer retail market. According to the Financial Times, expanding the Harrods franchise into overseas markets — where consumers are sufficiently far away to preclude a quick shopping trip to London (something that has stymied discussions on Paris or Madrid locations) — is just one idea so far put forth by Qatar Holding about how to revitalize the London institution. Also under consideration are a luxury online retail store and a London flagship makeover. Exclusive Interview: Mainstream Chinese Movies Gain Exposure in U.S. Chinese art-house cinema has long been a staple of the international film festival and museum circuit. But the films that most Chinese moviegoers line up for don’t usually reach international audiences. Opening at the UCLA Film & Television Archive in Los Angeles this week, Recent Popular Cinema of Mainland China introduces Angelenos to popcorn movies from the mainland. Jing Daily spoke recently with Shannon Kelley, Head of Public Programs at the Archive, about the series. Jing Daily (JD): How did the series come about? What was the thinking behind it? Shannon Kelley (SK): We had an approach from some friends within the Film Bureau of the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television, which has been a frequent participant in our programming. They were working with an associated transnational corporation called Beauty Media, which is involved in DVD distribution and television interests in the United States, and they were interested in bringing attention to other Chinese cinemas, other than the art cinema. That struck me as interesting. Asia-Europe Meeting Discusses The “Hard Sell” Of Chinese “Soft Power” This weekend, at an international cultural workshop held at the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) in Vietnam, a range of attendants, including government officials, NGO workers, artists and cultural experts, discussed current projects they are currently working on in China. According to Xinhua, the cultural workshop, organized by the ASEM, was held with the aim of discussing the best ways to foster multi-lateral cooperation through culture in the ASEM framework. Recommendations from the workshop will be submitted to the 4th ASEM Culture Ministers’ Meeting in September in Poland and the 8th ASEM Summit in October in Belgium. Jiangsu Province To Get Two New Shangri-La Hotels The Hong Kong-based luxury hotel chain Shangri-La Hotels (which currently has 30 locations in the mainland, with six more to be completed within the next two years) powers ahead with its mainland China expansion strategy, announcing it plans to build two new luxury hotels in Yangzhou and Nanjing, Jiangsu province. The company recently held a grand opening for its newest hotel in picturesque Guilin, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, along with several locations in Shanghai. (built in preparation for the Shanghai World Expo.) According to Shangri-La, the company’s two new Jiangsu province hotels will join the group’s existing six hotels in the Yangtze River Delta and two further projects in Shanghai that are set to open in the next two years. As Greg Dogan, president and chief executive officer of Shangri-La International Hotel Management Ltd. said, the timing of these hotels is no accident, as the company sees huge potential in the Yangtze River Delta region, particularly in the wake of the World Expo, currently taking place in Shanghai.

Week In Review: May 10-14

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Published May 14, 2010

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Week In Review: May 10-14