UNIVERSITY FRESHMAN Li Jiajia doesn’t have much work experience under her belt.
But she says that being in Shenzhen allows her the perfect opportunity to pursue her dream of either becoming a designer, or an artist – or both – because this south China economic powerhouse is constantly reinventing itself... and change, she says, is the wellspring of creativity.
As even our most casual readers are well aware by now, every two weeks we bring you a substantial glimpse into what makes young urban professionals – i.e. yuppies – click. Or in Ms. Li’s case, a young urban aspiring professional, a description I will not attempt to make a new catchphrase for.
We at NextInsight believe that these behind-the-veil views of denizens of China’s most crowded city, one that caught a break being both 1) adjacent to Hong Kong and 2) the first designated special economic zone (SEZ) proclaimed by former PRC leader Deng Xiaoping in the late 1970s, are important in helping wrap your mind – and possibly your hard-earned investment dollars – around the Middle Kingdom.
We all know the big marquis numbers – China’s economy grew nearly 10% in the fourth quarter while the rest of the developed world was mired in low single-digit growth.
And perhaps even most significant from a historical perspective – it was a year ago right now that the People’s Republic officially overtook neighbor and historical rival Japan to become the planet’s No.2 economy.
Depending on whom you ask, China is likely to overtake the US to ascend to the top spot in anywhere between 20-40 years.
Hence, the importance of knowing more about Shenzhen – the city that got it all started back in 1978 when Deng was generally cited as justifying the concept of SEZ’s by saying: “No matter if it is a white cat or a black cat; as long as it can catch mice, it is a good cat.”
And who can forget: “To get rich is glorious!”
It is hard to imagine his predecessor, the Great Helmsman, making these statements, but be that as it may, Shenzhen is one of China’s richest cities and has the most expensive flag-fall fares in the country if you travel by taxi.
“Adopted” by neighboring wealthy entrepot Hong Kong in the 1980s as the destination of choice for their investment capital, Shenzhen has grown to become more a rival than a neighbor, with container and cargo shipping ports that increasingly divert business away from the former British colony and a manufacturing base that has grown to outsize Hong Kong’s several times over.
Therefore, perhaps it is safe in the Middle Kingdom's re-development to say that Shenzhen is, in a way, a microcosm of The People's Republic of China – at least the PRC’s recent spectacular economic rise to the silver medal spot.
And just as it once was said about automaker General Motors and America, perhaps it can now be said that: “As goes Shenzhen, so goes the People’s Republic.”
Our college coed, Ms. Li, is the perfect interview subject, not only because she has all the hope and aspirations of a young lady, but she is also a lifelong resident of Shenzhen.
I met up with her recently to find out what made this Shenzhener tick, and it was obvious from the start that she was more interested in chasing the almighty masterpiece than the almighty renminbi, for she had not one, but two, cameras slung around her neck.
I asked her “why two?” and told her that it seemed like wearing two ties simultaneously, in other words, rather excessive.
Jiajia: Each camera has a different specialty, and different settings, and I don’t like to fiddle with the knobs and dials while a perfect shot walks or drives away.
NextInsight: We have an expression in English, “starving artist.” It is universally feared by parents but often romanticized by the young. And as you were born after 1980, you are very unlikely to have any siblings because that is when the one-child policy kicked in.
You mentioned you are studying fine arts and design at a local college. How does that go over with friends and relatives in this, the most industrious and profit-chasing city in China?
And as an only child, are your doting parents worried about your career path, one not exactly known to bring opulence and the option of early retirement?
Jiajia: In fact, I sometimes don’t get my parents. They are putting me through school now to get a degree in fine arts, but they definitely want me to pursue a career as a jeweler, so perhaps in their heart of hearts, they would prefer I were now studying gemology.
But although in my heart of hearts I would love to spend my live painting and photographing everything that struck me as interesting, I do realize that they have my best interests at stake, and I may need to eventually take the painting/photography activities as merely a hobby. But I can’t see ever giving it up. Ever.
So how do you reconcile your personal dreams with your parent’s expectations?
Jiajia: I think I am onto a compromise. I am not really that interested in cutting up gemstones for a living, although I realize that if you are good at that, you can make a very, very good living indeed. Especially here in Shenzhen where there is just so much wealth creation, ostentation and conspicuous consumption.
But if I can use my fine arts degree to work as a clothing designer, to pursue a career in fashion, my parents will likely accept that because at least it involves a steady income. They often remind me that a photographer is only as rich as her last shoot, and an artist is only as wealthy as the public is willing to pay for their works.
However, although I may eventually become a clothing designer, I will always be an artist in my heart.
It is truly refreshing to meet someone here in Shenzhen who has not caught the gold bug, if you will pardon the expression. I thought idealism was a dying art – only kept alive in China by artists in studios outside Beijing and Shanghai these days.
Jiajia: No, there are a lot of us here. Maybe not like in those two cities. But I think Shenzhen is the perfect place for aspiring artists. As a local, I can tell you that the city's countenance changes drastically every few years, and what better a subject for photographers and painters?
Also, and I say this with a bit of hesitation, because we are not Beijing or Shanghai, artists here in Shenzhen have a much better chance of displaying their photos, paintings, drawings and sculptures in galleries because there is a lot less competition.
So what do you feel about your hometown, compared to the two cities you just mentioned?
Of course, everyone loves the place where they were born, but I can also speak with a bit more authority on the matter. I have been to other big cities and I can say that Shenzhen has a lot to learn about civility and society.
But having said that, over the years it has gone a long way to catching up with Beijing and Shanghai in these areas.
See previous pieces on Shenzhen pros:
SHENZHEN ‘Not As Warm As Harbin,’ Says Newcomer From North
SHENZHEN NURSE Setting Sights HIgh
SHENZHEN EXPAT: Briton Walking On The Wild Side
