This is our last installment on “defining” the parameters of COMBATIVES.

The point, I am sure, will be missed by some but it must be emphasized that this material is historical fact and is accurate in substance and detail. It is an objective view of combatives and NOT a subjective opinion or personal “definition” designed to fill an agenda of one sort or another.

The Battle of Britain began in early July 1940. England was isolated, cut off and alone. The miracle retreat from Dunkirk and the German “Blitzkrieg” across Europe, including the crushing tactical defeat of the famed French “Maginot Line” proved the Third Reich war machine to be virtually unstoppable. Hitler’s plan for the invasion of England, named “Operation Sea Lion” was a daily focal point of danger and concern for the British.

Dunkirk had decimated the British forces and moral was at an all time low. Two recently returned veterans of British colonial rule in Shanghai, China approached the War Office and offered their services at this desperate time. William Ewart Fairbairn, retired as a ranking officer of the Shanghai Municipal Police force and his partner Eric Anthony Sykes, a private arms dealer who served as a “volunteer” in the SMP and who headed the “sniper” unit of the famed Shanghai Riot Squad promised the War Office that their training and methods could in short order make “any one man the equal of ten”. After the debacle at Dunkirk this was a MOST important and dramatic statement. Initially dismissed, these two men went on to PROVE the veracity of their words and convinced the power that be as to absolute effectiveness of their methods. If that meant that an over middle aged W.E. Fairbairn had to place several young bucks in the hospital to prove his point in an impromptu, but VERY realistic “demonstration”, so be it. Those who “tested” Sykes fared NO better. So the methods that these men had developed during decades of very dangerous work in Shanghai now became a highly valued and integral part of training for all British forces and Special Operations personnel.

The attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941 coupled with the Imperial Japanese military’s coordinated assault on all American and British forces across the Pacific Rim pulled the United States firmly in this world wide conflagration. We were now fully at war with the Axis forces. Fairbairn who was now in Canada, assigned to the infamous “Camp X” (where along with “unarmed combat” experts WEF and George de Relwyskow was a BRAZILIAN JUDO/JUJUTSU EXPERT, Hmmm…….Colonel Carl Eifler was ALREADY undergoing training here) was ordered to assist the US government agency known as the “The Office of the Co-coordinator of Intelligence” the precursor of the OSS. Eric Anthony Sykes remained in England and found the need for his services in great demand. He also found himself working under the auspice of the British covert force known as the Special Operations Executive.

The history of these men from the early days of Shanghai, up to and through the war years is an entire story unto itself and beyond the scope of this article. However it must be clearly understood that the contribution of these men had a profound effect and influence on close-combat methods, tactics, and techniques for DECADES after the war. Despite the often heard “argument” that we have somehow “evolved” beyond these methods, we will in future articles put this notion to rest. They were however, certainly NOT the only “experts” involved in this field! An example (one of many) would be A.J. Drexel-Biddle who studied and trained extensively in boxing, Savate, jiu-jitsu, swordplay, knife-fighting and various bayonet methods.

As the United States geared up for war, a major factor began to be publicized. Both here and in Australia the press made a great deal about the superiority of the Japanese fighting man. Part of this was, to be sure, rooted in fact. The Battle of Port Arthur, the turning point in the Russo-Japanese war, several decades earlier, had shown the world the tenacity and ferocity of the Japanese soldier, particularly in the area of close-in man to man combat. Much was made of the large Russian soldier finding abject defeat at the hands of his smaller Japanese adversary when engaged in hand to hand combat(hence a very obvious boost for the creation of Sombo). Jiu-jitsu was given world-wide attention and notoriety in this regard. The Japanese conduct of their war in China also showed the world a seemingly invincible and unstoppable force. A force that was brutal and deadly in the extreme.

So much attention was given over to the training of US and Allied forces in methods that would enable the average soldier to meet the Japanese fighting man on a somewhat equal footing. EVERY branch of the Armed Services began an intensive physical training program designed to meet these needs. Much of the “expert” instruction needed, particularly in the arena of close-quarters man to man combat, came from the civilian quarter. Men with tremendous and varied life-long experience in all forms of “combatives” were tapped to create training programs that would give the Allied soldier sufficient means by which to engage their enemies at close-quarters. The Axis did the same of course, Japan being the obvious factor in this regard, BUT even Adolf Hitler proclaimed the absolute need for boxing and jiu-jitsu in military training as it imparted courage and daring to the average soldier to close with his enemy!

In the US there were a PLETHORA of varied methods and training systems. ANY attempt to narrowly define the methods extant in this era is FOOLISHNESS! Though the contribution of Lt. Colonel Fairbairn is GREAT, as is the influence of Colonel Applegate, there were DOZENS upon DOZENS of different close-quarters battle systems developed. From wrestling, boxing, savate, judo, jiu-jitsu, Chinese boxing, and even football and rugby methods were NOT only drawn upon, but entire “systems” were advocated based on these individual methods. It may come as a surprise to many, but here in the US, even Japanese KARATE was used!

Many of these “unarmed combat” courses were highly complex and technical as they were rooted in the favored methods of the men tasked with their “creation”. Wrestlers tended to rely on that method, Judo men on that system, Boxers on their expertise and so on and so on. Each method also could claim stunning success in actual combat! True after action reports showed that ALL of these methods had merit and COULD be used effectively in the rigors and stress of real battle. However, as the war progressed two major factors began to influence and change these training protocols. One was the fact that more and more men from ALL sorts of varied backgrounds being were drafted into military service, the other was that as demands for more and more replacement troops began to rise the amount of training time became by necessity reduced and limited.

The approach that seemed MOST feasible and useful was one that COMBINED the “best” or most effective, efficient and quickly learned methods as well as those most well RETAINED! The rudiments of boxing and wrestling were made part of an overall general physical conditioning program and “unarmed combat” became a specialized block of instruction. These courses in “unarmed combat”, “hand to hand combat”, “combat judo” and so forth again sought to COMBINE the most advantageous holds, throws, trips, locks, strangles, blows, strikes and kicks from all the varied methods available. The ONLY truly limiting factor here was the TIME element. Other considerations were also important. The O’Neill (another Shanghai veteran and ranking Kodokan Yudansha) method is a classic example of a system specifically tailored for both the training environment available as well as the NATURE of the combat engagement expected. There were even attempts made to instruct the military in actual Koryu Jujutsu systems here in the US! However the MOST effective systems still sought to MIX ALL the varied methods of physical combat.

As the war progressed more and more after action “intelligence” gathered from the reality of actual battle helped shape and determine training priorities. Many methods of close-combat began to be “trimmed” down to those fundamentals that proved MOST effective OVERALL and most applicable to ALL TRAINEES across a wide and varied spectrum of physical attributes and skill.

Applegate was perhaps the most vocal of these advocates owing to his exposure in the INFANTRY JOURNAL and the publishing of “KILL or GET KILLED”. And he was NOT without his critics, as was Fairbairn.

Some courses were so short in duration that they involved ONLY SEVERAL HOURS of instruction. Others were quite involved and very complete in their syllabus content. Many are familiar with the Navy V-5 programs and the training at Benning, but lesser known is the very EXTENSIVE training at places such as Fort Meade and at the Hawaii Jungle Warfare complex, just to name two! Here at these locations, and such training was conducted from Brooklyn to California, a very complete and MIXED program of “combatives” was taught. From the CIC training center in Chicago to the Army training camps in Colorado, from Parris Island to the Ranger/Commando schools in the Hawaiian Islands, from the training bases in England prior to D-Day to the “Killing” school in Palestine, the METHODS taught ran the FULL gamut of man to man tooth and nail “combatives”. From the complex to the “instinctive kill” (a method designed to take FULL advantage of so-called natural “animal” killing instinct) ALL these methods, systems, and approaches FALL under the definition of COMBATIVES! Even the OSS personnel training at Area B were shown the methods of SIAMESE boxing (read Muay Thai)! From Anglo Boxing, wrestling and grappling, French “foot-fighting” (including Assaut Vite savate), Indian Varma-adi/Varmannie, Chinese boxing, “Roman” boxing, Japanese Judo/Jujutsu and Karate, Siamese boxing, Burmese boxing-Bando (remember the CBI), western fencing, Filipino edged weapons and ANY and ALL other systems (including almost every weapon known to man) deemed effective in DISPATCHING one’s enemies to the hereafter were STUDIED, RESEARCHED. IMPLEMENTED and TRAINED! One WWII era US hand to hand combat manual makes reference to INDONESIAN “methods”!

This IS the legacy of COMBATIVES! This is the TRUE DEFINITION of COMBATIVES! And to those who need to “pigeon hole” others into the “box” of “only” doing World War II “combatives”………………………..well, applying the above definition based on the TRUE historical RECORD, then HELL YES!…………………I do follow the LEGACY of WORLD WAR TWO “COMBATIVES”!

Note: If there is sufficient interest we will also be pleased to cover ALL of these topics in FULL detail based on OBJECTIVE historical facts.

Future newsletter articles will go into depth on history, training and method covering armed and unarmed combat as well as topics on various subjects from Shanghai to “Shangri-La”(for those still wandering around in La-La land).

©2005 http://www.thetruthaboutselfdefense.com

Can mirrors ever lie? One look at Prosenjit Chatterjee and you’d probably have to say that yes they can. Age, for him, is just a number. Since his debut in “Dui Prithibi” playing the younger version of the legendary Uttam Kumar in 1980, Prosenjit Chatterjee or Bumba Da as he is so affectionately called by his peers and fans has been the leading star in the Bengali Film Industry, acting in over 250 movies over the last three decades. One may argue that most of his movies are commercial movies with rustic storylines that intellectuals stayed away from, but since Rituparno Ghosh’s “Chokher Bali”(2003) he has acted in many critically acclaimed movies like “Dosar”, “Sob Charitro Kalponik”, “Moner Manush”, “Autograph”,”Noukadubi”, “Baishe Srabon” earning him numerous accolades for his acting prowess. We caught a hold of him on the sets of “Shanghai”, a political thriller by Dibakar Bannerjee, co-starring Abhay Deol, Kalki Koechlin and Emraan Hashmi.

Excerpts:

In the recent past, you have rejected numerous roles from Bollywood. What changed your mind?

Well, I have been very keen on making a comeback to the Hindi Film Industry for quite some time now. I signed Shanghai because to be frank it is different from the typical Bollywood masala movies, where the same love story between a hero and a heroine is shown time and time again.

What is so special about Shanghai?

Definitely the director Dibakar Bannerjee.

What about him?

Dibakar is one of the most prominent directors of this generation and I have always wanted to work with him. He has a unique approach to storytelling that I very much admire. When Dibakar approached me for the role of Dr. Ahmadi, it took me two months to decide. I thought Shanghai deals with a very contemporary socio-political aspect and have a strong message.

You have relatively less screen space than you are used to. Did that have any effect on your decisions?

Yes, it is true that my character has a relatively small screen time. But, again, the whole plot of the movie revolves around Dr. Ahmadi and the biggest challenge for an actor according to me is to venture into unknown territories. You work so hard to create a niche for yourself in this industry and this role was definitely a challenging one for me because this was a totally new character and a totally worthwhile experience I must say.

So what’s next for Prosenjit? Is there anything left to accomplish?

(Smiles) I don’t really have challenges or goals per se anymore. But, I will keep on working in this industry as long as I feel I have something to give. There is a new wave of talented directors in the industry and a lot of ideas are floating around. I would like to contribute whatever little I have learnt in my last 30 years’ experience.

This investigation like all research started with an idea gathered from anecdotes heard from many young women around Shanghai who were, good looking, successful, had money and were confident. However they all had one thing in common – they were not in a relationship of any kind. The hypothesis for this paper was simple: were girls here in Shanghai alone because the men wanted to find sub-dominant women who they did not feel threatened by in term of social status? The results clearly show that in fact men sought out woman of a lower social status to have a relationship with and so leaving the vast majority of successful girls alone and unfulfilled.

Introduction:

In order to substantiate the hypothesis a model of relationship symbiosis was devised in order to test women and men’s attitudes to the model and if they agreed with the proposal. This model was a simple correlation of social status to symbiosis between couples. In China many men seek a lower status woman as a way of feeling in control of the relationship through money, status, family and intelligence. Therefore they tend to seek and relate to women one step below them on the social scale. Women on the other hand are looking for a man for, security, status, home-making and propagation i.e. one step at least up from their social status.

If a woman earns more income than the man, has a higher social status or property then he feels he will lose face in front of his family, work colleagues and friends. They will feel he cannot provide for her or show a higher level of achievement. They also cannot cope with a woman of more intelligence, often leading to arguments that they cannot win against a better educated opponent. China is a highly judgemental society were social comparison not only thrives here but positively rules peoples lives in trying to live up to and match social expectations of others.

Brown (1986) suggested that social equity theory shows that people in general look for rewards, exchanges and most of all the amount of investment in a relationship. This is the situation where couples add up what they invest in a relationship such as, who does what tasks, who is the more caring, loving, sensitive, who takes care of things, financially, family or domestic. In this situation couples are looking for a reward over the cost of the relationship in the form of profit. Thibaut and Kelley (1959) went further than Brown to suggest that couples also compare themselves to others in relationships to see how they measure up and so decide if you would be better off in a different relationship somewhere else. In China this is certainly the way things appear to the outsider looking inward at the society and its credo. Although both of the above theories seem to suggest people as basically selfish, in that they are only interested in their immediate rewards, there are those who make sacrifices in the hope of future rewards, such as the daughter who looks after her aging parents in the thought that when they are gone she can have her own life. This is as Eric Berne (1960’s T.A.) would say an After-Script, that a person will wait for happiness in the future by a sacrifice today. The alternative as Berne sees it is the Until-Script in which until you do something you cannot be happy. For example until you have a successful career you cannot spend time being in a loving relationship.

The Model:

The model that was shown to Chinese participants, the research was straight forward and kept very simple. The model was shown to adult classes of Chinese students learning business English in many areas around Shanghai.  Almost all were single men and women of ages 20 through to 35. After a short introduction to the concept the model was drawn on the white-board in simple format as shown below:

Step 1

MEN                                                               WOMEN

A                                                                     A

B                                                                     B

C                                                                     C

Step 2

An explanation was given then as to the scenario in the model as follows;

“A” men look for “B” women because they can control them, dominate them and have a higher social status.

“B” men do the same thing looking for “C” women.

“C” men have a hard time finding suitable women and often looked for uneducated country girls or poor family city girls.

“B” women seek “A” men in order to find social status, security and support for her family in the future through marriage to the “A” man.

“C” women seek “B” men for the same reasons. However a “C” woman dreams of an “A” man but is unlikely to attract them.

“A” woman finds “A” men too weak, unsupportive of their ambitions and afraid of their power and social status – and therefore end up alone with few suitable possible mates. “A” women can be attracted to foreign men who do not have the same social worries as Chinese men. The Chinese women being highly educated mostly speaking English well are able to communicate with foreigners in Shanghai, who are often businessmen or highly educated teachers or professors.

Step 3

The participants where then asked to discuss the merits of the model, give examples from their own lives and whether they agreed with the over-all concept bearing in mind people are individuals and that the model is merely a reflection of traditional values, Chinese culture and social mores of the current situation in Shanghai as of 2008.

Step 4

Free voting was then encouraged as to the validity of the model from the participant’s perspective. (There is of course through the explanation in step two some leading of the participants in the model’s view, however the researcher believes this was not enough for the participants to be mis-led when asked to vote from their own opinion as to whether they agreed with the model’s concepts.)

The Results:

At the end of each presentation most of the participants voted in support of the model (95%) – those who objected did so not because they thought the model wrong but in fact from personal experience of not having been in a relationship or that they hoped the model was in fact wrong and sought hope in that their own future relationships would be based on more romantic sentiments than the model suggested. In fact the model ignored “love” as a variable as in Chinese society this is considered unimportant when choosing a possible mate or marital partner for the future. The women who participated identified most closely with the model but the men often found that they wanted to disagree but when thinking about their own relationships found the model in fact had predicted their own current situation.

Discussion:

The results clearly show how difficult it is for an “A” girl, educated, successful, and glamorous in Shanghai to attract a suitable man to offer her support, equal status and long term commitment. The “B” and “C” girls are in fact more likely to have boyfriends and to attracted suitable husbands in the short term. According to Winch (1958) happy marriages are about fulfilling each others needs, even if this means an unequal partnership where one dominates and the other is dependent in nature. This complementary view of relationships was seen clearly by Berne (1960’s) in the theory of Transactional Analysis in which symbiosis in relationships was the most common factor. That is women are looking for a man to look after them and men want a woman to look after. Therefore “A” women in particular in China lose out to this idea. Chinese men do not want a more successful woman than themselves or one that has a higher social status that may embarrass them to their family and friends.

Many of the “A” girls that saw the model identified with the sentiments expressed in the model and often quoted anecdotal evidence to support the model from their own failed relationships where social status was the major issue in the break-up of the romance. Also many agreed that foreign men were a good choice for them sometimes, in the fact they are less concerned with social status and encouraged success and ambition in the woman’s career and life. This non-judgemental approach gave the women the support they feel they needed in their high pressure jobs and lifestyle.

Those who identified themselves as possible “B” women agreed they sought high social males as mates and looked first for security and a good future for themselves and their families. Under the one-baby policy of China this has created a great fear amongst young women that they must find a suitable husband to support their families in old age.

There were few “C” women in the participants mainly due to their lower status and education and are not likely to turn up in business English classes. Most “C” girls work as waitresses, shop-girls, cleaners and similar low-paid, low-status work.

There is a tendency to marry a person of a similar age in China, much more so than in Western countries where women more often seek men a few years older than themselves. This could in China be a contributory factor in the failure of relationships as the men are often less mature, socially and empathetically than the girls they are with. In this variable the likelihood of symbiosis is low and eventually leading to unhappy relationships based on unequal maturity between the couples.

Summery:

The sad part of this ABC model in Shanghai is that it may be seen in other big cities in China from Beijing, Wuhan, Guangzhou to Hong Kong in that successful, powerful and dominant women find it hard to find suitable men to encourage, support and love them for who they are; that is modern women with their sites set on ambition and wealth. The “A” girl’s social status is assured through her education, dedication and fashionable demeanour.

Many of the “A” girls admitted loneliness, frustration and disappointment in many of their failed relationships with men who are only interested in their own social status and saving face in Chinese society and culture. While we may think of this situation as sad, many of the actual woman took a positive view in that they had freedom to pursue their career, could determine their own life-style and enjoy autonomy without a man telling them what they should do and should not do in their daily lives.

In the future the model will be continued to be shown in classes and see if over time the results change in line with more modern thinking about success in women in China and a more mature attitude change in the men in seeing a woman successful and ambitious is a thing to be proud of not embarrassed by.

References:

Gross R. (2005) Psychology 4th Ed. The Science of Mind & Behaviour. Pgs. 412/413. Hodder & Stoughton Publishers.

Brown R. (1986) Social Psychology 2nd Ed. New York Free Press Publishers.

Thibaut JW & Kelley HH (1959) The Social Psychology of Groups. New York, Wiley Publishers.

Winch RF (1958) Mate Selection, A Study of Complimentary Needs. New York Harper Publishers.

Berne E. (1960’s) Various publications for Transactional Analysis.

I’m Thinking About a Garden in Shanghai

I’m thinking about

a Chinese garden somewhere in old Shanghai

they call it Yu,

pleasure-they say

-it is said to have meant, from the ancient Ming Dynasty;

ancient pool or pond,

winds through nine corners

of superstitious greens and blues

as sculptured animals some mythic- some true seem to glance

their stony eyes

towards you;

a dragon’s sculptured, fiercesome head

seems to wish that you might be dead

while to the north in Beijing

in a wine cup of jade green

the shadow of a rich Chinese Queen

eats delicacies

with chopsticks of gold

until she’s had more than enough;

I’m thinking about a Chinese lady, so delicately beautiful,

so strongly dainty,

a face that hides

what she has seen in her few years the story told inside

each of her tears

of her hope and dream

for a new life

of love and laughter free from strife;

the garden in Yu recalls the first pair when only sunshine filled the air,

the pleasured paradise so fair, of hope for a future

free from despair;

bamboo motifs

of lovely grace

a lovely, simple painted face,

a zig-zag bridge of many turns while wisteria and camellias bloom,

where Marco Polo traded silk,

and stuccoed walls painted white as milk;

Cherry trees drop petals in the Oriental breeze,

and Chinese maples,

colors of delicate tracery,

reflected in the waters still

of green ponds of peace;

sculptured rocks that tell

a tale so carefully placed,

and the gate is cautiously guarded by an age-old cassia tree;

I am thinking about a barber in Suzhou,

who’s weaving scissors

upon a thousand heads,

he smiles at everyone

who walks into his shop,

the name of all

he knows by heart his haircuts all-

a work of art;

the garden stones

so carefully laid,

in the most auspiciously chosen place;

the doorways laid out meticulously to cast

a shadow of beneveloncy from the past;

upon the dynasty

of Chinese kings and queens to be,

a lovely weeping willow tree;

silently cries amidst

the painted silken skies,

all plants arranged

perfectly harmonized;

The Forbidden City

and Great ominous Wall, reminds us of freedom’s call;

but in the garden freedom rules

the gardener works

with his gardening tools;

the teahouse recalls,

an ancient Chinese song,

a story of forgotten love and of bicycle

rickshaws,

a painted Chinese female dove;

I’m thinking about a hippy I knew

whose painted Chinese pictures

filled the room-

who told a story

of compromise, of fearful alibis

and lies

who finds his peace in

the dream of the east

whose flowered pictures

gave the eyes

a sumptuous colorful feast

I’m thinking about

Philadelphia, PA,

of the people who live

so very far and distant away, from Chinese people

in a world on the other side,

while painted murals line the skies,

while flowing rivers

are slowly meandering by,

the same latitude

as Old Shanghai;

The Shanghai Ming garden hasn’t much changed,

five hundred years

it’s remained much the same, while it’s mysteries

we try

to somehow explain;

I’m thinking about a Chinese day,

of gardens, ponds

and painted birds of hope, and birds of prey,

of Chinese letters painted black,

of flowered trails

of days long back,

of roads that carried golden silk,

of roofs that dip upward like an ancient ship;

I’m thinking about a Paradise,

when only peace and laughter

fills Chinese skies, with only love and truth

a garden of peaceful pleasure like the Garden of Yu,

that slowly extends its hand

from millenniums gone by to plant its peaceful garden

forever earth wide;

I’m thinking about China all week long,

I’m thinking about

a new peaceful song.

End of poem

Shanghai’s top 10 shopping markets are under review!

On Nanjing Xi Lu, in mid-May, the temperature is heating up. A delivery man stops his bike, gulps down a drink and unthinkingly tosses the empty plastic bottle on the ground. Western observers are scarcely able to suppress their indignation at such careless littering, but within seconds a man carrying a garbage bag walks by and picks the bottle up.

A moment later another man, plying a similar trade, approaches from the opposite direction. There is a short territorial dispute over who is entitled to this precious piece of litter.

For residents in certain Western countries – Canada and Germany for example – sorting the garbage has become a near full-time job. Newspapers, cardboard, plastics and bottles must be separated and even tiny violations can lead to forfeiting the right to have one’s trash collected. In Shanghai, on the other hand, there is a market in waste. Peddlers of recycled materials come to your home, weigh your ‘goods’ and pay to take away your garbage.

Men ride through communities with loudspeakers calling out kongtiao, diannao (air conditioner, computer). This familiar sound signals the trade in used electronics and household appliances, which, once discarded by city folks, are either sold to factories to be used as scrap or taken directly to the countryside where – if the items are still operational – they are sold on to less discerning customers. Here everything is bought and sold.

Dongtai Lu Antique Market, 87 Dongtai Lu, by Fu Xing Lu (6328 1589), is a treasure trove of old coins, books, propaganda posters and curiosities where bargaining skills are required to get a good price. Fenshine Fashion and Accessories Plaza, 580 Nanjing Xi Lu (5228 2372), is a popular substitute for Xiangyang Market selling imitation branded bags, pashminas, watches and other simulated luxuries – often indistinguishable from the authentic items, although quality varies enormously.

Hongqiao Flower Market, 718 Hong Jing Lu, Honqiao, sells fresh flowers, plants, vases, planters and handicrafts.

Hongqiao Pearl City, 2nd floor Hongmei Lu, by Yan’an Lu, is filled with booths selling pearls, semiprecious stones, coral and turquoise jewelry.

Nihong Kids Plaza, 10 Pu’an Lu (near Jinling Lu), a vast underground kids’ market, provides a one stop shopping venue for children’s clothes, shoes and toys. There is also an indoor play area where youngsters can romp while you shop.

Shanghai Xin Mai Peng Electronics Market, 638 Qiujiang Lu, 91 Baoshan Lu, and 723 Qiujiang Lu, is a great cyberpunk haunt – the place to go for gray-market technology products.

South Bund Fabric Market, 399 Lujiabang Lu (near Liushi Lu), provides a wonderworld of fabrics, from silks and cottons to brocade and cashmere. The market has highly skilled tailors who can produce or reproduce just about anything made of fabric, including well-cut men’s suits and elegant evening gowns.

Qipu Lu Wholesale Market, Qipu Lu, near Henan Lu, is overwhelmingly crowded but cheap, selling clothes, shoes, accessories.

Yatai Market, Metro Station of the Science and Technology Museum, Pudong, the rather sterile and dull version of the old Xiangyang market, nevertheless hosts an impressive assortment of gift shops, luggage stores and knock-off items.

Yuyuan Bazaar, Fuyou Lu, by Jiujiachang Lu, bustles with traders selling Chinese lanterns, chopsticks, faux silk qipaos and hongbao. The adjacent Fuyou Lu Antique Market provides another option for those in search of antique collectables.

Shanghai divides easily into three major parts: the Old City; the Former French, British and America Concessions; and Pudong, the New Shanghai. While the structures of the older city tend to reflect typically older or traditional Chinese culture, the Pudong projects its vision of Shanghai with towering skyscrapers and bright lights. Wherever you stay, in traditional or newer luxury hotels, Shanghai promises you will experience a city in which the past and the present coexist.

Architectural Contrasts

In Shanghai, architecture reflects the trends and culture of the period. The Bund is, however, the best place to visit to view the range of popular international styles of the 1920s and 1930s. In construction of its banks, theatres and luxury hotels, Shanghai saw the favouring of the Art Deco style. This is particularly true in the Peace Hotel by Palmer and Turner and the Park Hotel by L. Hudec.

In parts of the Old City, the international look never gained a footing. Art Deco was not common, but traditional Shikumen (old stone gatehouse) houses remain. So, too, do temples and market places. In Xintiandi, renovation and restoration has modernised the Shikumen, turning them into trendy bars, chic stores and high-end restaurants.

Across the river, a different type of architecture plays out. This is the Shanghai of the future. In Pudong, the buildings and towers are bold and brassy. They reflect the new Shanghai. The Oriental Pearl tower is the tallest of its kind in Asia, while the silvery-coloured Jinmao Tower is a marvellously elegant and rich 88-floor hotel. The Shanghai World Financial Centre is also in Pudong. Constructed in 2008, it rises up 101 stories. This impressive structure includes the Skywalk, an observation platform, and the world’s highest hotel – the Park Shanghai Hyatt.

Museums – Big and Small

You can often judge the worth of a city by how it takes care of and presents its past. While it boasts high-end shopping, lively entertainment, beautiful architecture and luxury hotels, Shanghai also allows visitors a look at the city’s past. It even provides a look at different aspects of the city’s cultural history.

A visit to the city is not complete without spending time admiring all that the Shanghai Museum in People’s Square has to offer. Among the more than 120,000 pieces are truly unique items. The Sancai (3-colour) pottery figures are exquisite in design and rendering. The Shang Bronzes include some wonderful objects of skilled craftsmanship and art. In the Jade Gallery, you can wander past delicately carved pieces of jade. Some date back as far as the 31st century C.B.E. The exhibits include skilfully rendered and ornate artefacts that range from the Neolithic period to the Quing Dynasty.

Shanghai hosts other smaller, and often curious, museums. One of the more intriguing local museums is the Shanghai Jewish Refugee Museum. You can locate it on Changyang Road, Hongkou District. The 1927 structure originally housed the Ohel Moshe Synagogue. During the 1930s and into the period of World War II, the Synagogue was the place of worship for many of the Jewish refugees seeking safety from the ongoing slaughter. Shanghai, unlike other cities and countries, did not refuse Jews. In fact, it took in approximately 25,000.

Today, the Synagogue is a reminder of an important part of Shanghai’s past and Jewish history. The former Prime Minister of Israel, Yitzhak Rabin, came to the Museum in 1993. He admired the various cultural relics, including ancient scrolls. Yet, he also came to thank the people in Shanghai for doing what so many other peoples and nations had failed to do.

Entertainment that Delights

You can find entertainment in many of the city’s luxury hotels. Shanghai, however, beckons visitors with a variety of venues and forms of entertainment. They reflect Shanghai’s heritage as both traditional and western-influenced offerings vie for your attention. Catch the incredible and world-famous Shanghai Acrobatic Troupe at either the Shanghai Circus World or over at the Shanghai Centre Theatre. The Peace Hotel offers traditional New Orleans Jazz nightly, while over at Babyface, the trendy and popular nightclub, visitors can people-watch and listen to more mainstream music.

If you are a fan of opera, consider sampling Chinese opera. The Yifu Theatre provides classic examples of this stylised form of traditional music. The Heluting Concert Hall, meanwhile, provides performances of classical and chamber music while the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra is on stage at the modern, butterfly-shaped Shanghai Oriental Art Centre.

Jazz and Blues are alive in Shanghai. Visit the Cotton Club, the J2 Club or even the House of Blues and Jazz. Alternatively, you can check a local guide and find any number of modern techno, indie or popular music venues.

Shanghai Car Rental Overview

Rising incomes have seen levels of car ownership in China increase dramatically during recent years. As a result, traffic in Shanghai can be dense, particularly during peak hours, and local driving techniques mean that driving is not for the faint-hearted. However, if you long for that sense of freedom that driving can bring then you can rent a car from any of the local or global car rental agencies.

Requirements to Rent a Car

If you want to drive in Shanghai, you will need to apply for a Republic of China driver’s license, as international licenses are not recognized by the Chinese authorities. To apply for a Chinese license, you will be asked to provide the following documentation:

o Passport and Entry Visa

o Residence Permit valid for a period of at least 3 months

o Current Valid National Drivers License

o Certificate of physical examination for driving license application, available from public hospitals

The complete process requires passing a written examination and takes approximately 3 hours. Non Chinese speakers are advised to take a bilingual interpreter with them to assist with translation and document completion.

From there, the process is similar to those found in Western countries. When arriving at the rental location:

o Present your passport, Chinese driving license and major credit card.

o Select any additional insurances required.

o Provide verification documents and leave a deposit upwards of 5500 RMB.

o Check and sign your Rental Agreement

Self-drive car rental agencies in China are still in their infancy. Oftentimes, renting a car in China means contending with limited selection, discovering that the car you reserved is not available and learning that the price quoted over the phone doesn’t include additional charges such as Shanghai Insurance, coverage for more than one driver and refueling fees. In addition, in order to protect their interests, many agencies require customers to undergo a lengthy process of document verification or to provide a local guarantor before allowing customers to rent cars.

If the process of renting from an agency seems too much of a hassle, then there are also foreign and local companies that offer vehicles with personal drivers.

Hiring a Personal Driver

Most foreign expatriates or visitors to China consider driving on their own too much effort and instead choose to rent a car with a personal driver. These are readily available, reasonably priced and can be rented long-term. China’s car rental companies offer wide vehicle selection, from economy cars to luxury limousines.

The process of renting a chauffeur-driven vehicle is much less complicated and allows customers to enjoy the sights or concentrate on business. Unlike self-driven vehicles, chauffeur driven vehicles are usually reserved for half or full day rentals. Although the rates are slightly higher than those for self-driven cars, the price can usually be justified after factoring in fuel, parking costs and customer convenience.

Rental Tips

Although we can not guarantee a pleasurable experience every time you rent a car, you can reduce the number of times you encounter problems at the rental counter by following the tips below:

Local vs. international agencies

There are a few international car-rental agencies that have local branches in China. These companies offer a level of service comparable to what one would expect from overseas. Although the price is usually higher than local companies, international agencies offer a reliable alternative. If choosing a local company, it’s important to choose a company that has international service experience or that is a member of an international rental association.

No gratuity necessary

Unlike in Western countries, tipping the driver or paying an extra gratuity charge is not necessary. These charges are always included in the quoted rate. Beware of those companies who try to add extra fees. You may end up paying a lot more than you bargained for.

Brace yourself for urban driving

In a city of 6 million bicycles and 20 million people, driving on the streets of Shanghai is an experience in itself. Whether it’s deciphering foreign road signs, avoiding weaving bicyclists and taxi drivers, or locating a parking spot, driving in Shanghai is like navigating an obstacle course. If all this sounds like too much, then consider hiring a chauffeur-driven vehicle.

Service may not be included

It’s important for any renter to be aware that in China “you get what you pay for.” Some companies will not offer anything more than delivery from point A to point B. You may be lucky if you even get that much. It’s up to the renter to do proper due diligence and choose a rental company that can fulfill their needs and provide the service they desire. Fortunately, there are international and foreign invested car rental agencies that cater to international travelers. These companies will usually include additional services such as language interpretation, introductions to local points of interest, etc.

For more information about Shanghai car rental agencies, please refer to the automobile rental section or try search engine sites such as Google or Yahoo.

The recent construction boom in Shanghai has resulted to an influx of investors who want to take advantage of new business opportunities as well as comfortable working spaces for themselves and employees. Shanghai real estate, unlike properties in other Chinese cities like Beijing, is still relatively more affordable. However, it is still wiser to choose properties with care, especially when it comes to properties located in or near the center of the city. Here are a few practical tips on how to rent an office in Shanghai.

Ideal Properties

There are a number of ideal properties in Shanghai. Among the areas favored by expats and international companies is the Pudong area, where numerous buildings offering commercial spaces are located. This is also one of the fastest growing areas in the city and is perfectly suited for commercial establishments. The outskirts offer more affordable properties. Areas like Suzhou offer relatively inexpensive commercial spaces for foreign corporate renters. If the location is not very important, there are numerous properties in the outskirts of Shanghai.

Rental Details

The minimum rental duration is one year and most commercial lessors require customers to fork over 3 months’ worth of rent. For high end properties, the rental costs start at about 500,000 RMB per year for a 100 square meter space, while more modest office spaces located near the center may cost businesses about 150,000 per year for the same size. Prices are more affordable in the outer parts of the city. For example, commercial office spaces for rent located in the outskirts of Shanghai cost about 50,000 RMB per year for 100 square meters of office space and lower than that for spaces located farther away from the center. For spaces located farther away, rental spaces cost about 30,000 to 40,000 RMB per year for the same size of office space.

There is no need to worry about other legal requirements since most Shanghai real estate agencies take care of the details for their clients. Some rental spaces may not come furnished, however, so it is best to hire a local staff member to prepare the space for occupation before actual operations commence.

Another option for foreign businesses seeking to launch operations in Shanghai would be to rent directly from property management companies. Not only are the spaces furnished and ready for occupation, they also offer longer lease durations compared to regular rental contracts. It is important to note, however, that in order to make rental payments easier; it is advisable to use an account with a Chinese bank. Most companies use the Agricultural Bank of China or Bank of China to process rental payments.

Choosing a Good Real Estate Agent

For companies with no local connections, the best person to go to would be a local real estate agent if they want to rent an office in Shanghai. Real estate companies that work with foreign companies are wise options, since these companies are more familiar with the legal requirements for foreign companies that want to lease real estate in China.

For a truly cosmopolitan experience in China, Shanghai is the city of choice for many foreigners. Shanghai is stylish; it is highly commercialized; it is vibrant with the intense energy of only the very largest modern metropolis in the world. It boasts of futuristic skyscrapers and architecture and the latest innovations in transportation; and it is also home to large manufacturing centers and industrial complexes which provide its huge working class population with a means of living. If you want to live and search for your ideal life mate in a Chinese city that will constantly stimulate all your senses, then you should make Shanghai your new home away from home. The fact that Chinese women are probably the most attuned to Western culture is a nice bonus for Western men seeking a Chinese life partner.

Shanghai is a living and breathing entity, much like Manhattan and Los Angeles, with its thousands of high-rise commercial buildings, hotels, shopping centers, and apartment complexes and dense population keeping the city abuzz 24/7. The city is a veritable treat for the senses. The air is pregnant with the aroma of all kinds of food being cooked on sidewalks and with the sounds of traffic, both human and machine. The city is a vision of vivid life, with its thousands-of-miles-long narrow backstreets and wider, main avenues crowded with people engaging in all sorts of business. It radiates a feverish rhythm in its continuous and tireless metamorphosis and which spills over its inhabitants like a palpable energy that fuels their hectic activities.

The landscape of Shanghai has exploded both vertically and horizontally in physical size, and the city has also hugely grown in population; and it is still growing. While this means more choices of ladies for a foreign man, as well as more excitement and adventure, the metropolis can also be too crowded and too crazy a place for a man looking to settle down. As with any living, breathing, and growing metropolis, it has pollution and traffic congestion problems that do not make it the most ideal place to live a laid-back life and start a family. Shanghai would definitely have a strong appeal to single, foreign men who love the hustle and bustle of the urban lifestyle.

Being in Shanghai can be both a humbling and stimulating experience, with its magnificent, daring, and futuristic infrastructures and technology. The city’s modern treasures include the cutting edge Maglev train; thousands of miles of crisscrossing, multi-level expressways; the world’s longest sea bridge, the Hangzhou Bay Bridge; and the longest cable-stayed bridge, the Sutong Bridge.

The old parts of the city are also those that offer tourist attractions: the Bund, Frenchtown, and Nanjing Road are all in Puxi. For a day of sightseeing, walking around is the most recommended option; the city streets are very easy to remember and one would only waste hours getting stuck in Shanghai’s hopelessly congested roads. Riding a cab is the next best thing if one wants to visit tourist spots, mostly because subways do not have stations at many tourist destinations, buses are often crowded and are tricky to sort out, and bicycles can also get gridlocked in heavy traffic.

You can’t go wrong entertaining the Chinese woman of your dreams in Shanghai, and even if she is from a different Chinese locale, you’d do well to bring her to this fabulous city if you really want to impress.

For entertainment, a foreign traveler will simply be overwhelmed by the long list of restaurants, clubs, bars, and other entertainment spots enumerated in individual guidebooks. Shanghai offers world-class entertainment that comes in a wide selection of international flavors, as well as the best in high-end shopping. The city also boasts of its amazing arts and culture, with China’s world-famous Chinese acrobatics, classical music, opera, theater, and puppetry.

Having praised the city to the maximum, there is a downside. Meeting and living with the people of Shanghai, a foreign man would soon discover for himself, with not much surprise, that they are more westernized and worldly than other Chinese, and that they have a tendency to be straightforward, brusque, and haughty. They have often been compared to New Yorkers, with their superior and self-important attitude. In fact, it is often said that Shanghainese set themselves apart from the rest of China, dismissing most other Chinese as backward. For a foreign man, dealing with such attitudes may seem all too familiar. Nonetheless, he would not be far-off in his expectations of a Shanghai woman being “a modern woman of the world,” very sophisticated and stylish.

If you are planning to spend your next holiday vacation in a colorful city where you can perfectly enjoy the combination of Eastern and Western cultures then, without an iota of doubt, Shanghai would be your perfect destination. The largest city of China has all, which you, while being a modern person, would love to see and spend time with.

For its wonderful weather, excellent city beauties and natural attractions, Shanghai has always been a central of attractions for the travel enthusiasts of all around the globe; records say that eminent personalities like Bernard Shaw, Albert Einstein and Tagore visited this place a number of times.

With the growing popularity of Shanghai, travel and tourism industry has been massively developed in the city. According to a recent data, the tourism industry earns billions of dollars every year, so you can understand how demanding the city is in terms of a hot travel destination.

You see, in highly demanding travel destination it often becomes difficult to find great quality hotels at cheap price; but fortunately Shanghai is a place where you will not encounter the same problem. The Shanghai hotels industry offers you the facility to live comfortably while giving less pressure on your accounts book.

Cheap hotels not always mean dirty and unclean environment, if you stay at a small inn then you can experience Shanghai’s local food and discover its warmth culture with ease. If you are an avid traveler then you know that the small lodges will help you to get introduced with the local people, food and culture.

At the affordable Shanghai hotels you might not find the Three Star and Five Star luxury, but you will definitely experience the comfort and friendly people which will ensure that you have a pleasant holiday vacation. You will find each and every room and bathroom of these affordable Shanghai hotels very clean and hygienic. In a calm environment you will be offered good quality foods at very affordable prices. In short, the affordable Shanghai hotels will reduce your accommodation and food expenses and you can easily use the money for other activities like traveling and shopping.

The smartest way to look and book an affordable Shanghai hotel is doing so through an online portal. Over the internet, you will find a number of travel portals and traveling service providers and from there you can easily book your ticket to Shanghai and Shanghai hotels.