asia2010 NO 15 A MAGAZINE by Chalmers studmagazineents in Asia

A taste of okinawa

Big Trouble in Rural China

Catching the Taiwanese Wave

Chalmers Asia - Taiwan office asiamagazine

WHAT IS CHALMERS ASIA? Chalmers Asia was opened in March 2003 and is the result of a bilateral exchange agreement between National Chiao Tung University (NCTU) and Chalmers University of Technology. The Chalmers Asia office is strategically located at NCTU, near Hsinchu Science-based Industrial Park.

PURPOSE - Increase awareness at Chalmers about the development in East Asia, with focus on Taiwan. - Support mobility of students and staff between NCTU and Chalmers. - Enhance Chalmers’ visibility in Taiwan and the neighbouring region.

THE CHALMERS ASIA MAGAZINE The purpose of this publication is to increase the awareness of Asia among the students and the staff of Chalmers. The articles are written by the Chalmers exchange students in Asia.

Editor HENRIK KJELLGREN [email protected]

Art Director CARL CHRISTOFFERSON [email protected]

CONTACT ADRESS Chalmers Asia, National Chiao Tung University, 1001 Ta-Hsueh Rd., Hsinchu 300, Taiwan, R.O.C. web www.asia.chalmers.se

phone +886 (0)3 573 73 69 +46 (0)31 780 41 55 fax +886 (0)3 573 74 69

Front cover: China pavilion at Shanghai World Expo Back cover: Chongqing highrises Page 1: Umeda Sky City, Osaka Photos by Carl Christofferson asiaContents asiaOffice 2 Letter from head of office

3 ASIa chronicle

3 office representatives

36 Asia Apply

asiaReport 4 A Platform to Success

6 UNDERGROUND TOKYO

9 “I’m sorry to leave before

you do.”

10 Singapore – a Graduate’s

Perspective

12 Hong Kong: A Good

Outpost for Engineers

14 ZEB in Singapore

16 A Taste of Okinawa

19 A Common Language

20 A Traditional White Box

23 Flavours of taipei

24 “Better City, Better Life”

26 Big Trouble in Rural China

29 P1.cn

32 Speeding Development

34 Catching the Taiwanese

Wave asiaLetter

uring April I travelled around These people must think I’m crazy; I’d bridge outside Stockholm is finished in China to collect data for my better focus on my letter instead. there is probably a new city next to DMaster’s thesis. The trip brought Xian. me to fascinating places in China and My first impression of Sweden, besides I had the opportunity to meet many the cold weather, was the lack of people The last impression I will tell you about friendly and interesting people. This is and how silent it is everywhere. I know regards the crazy game Mahjong. When some of my thoughts on the differences I have been complaining a lot during this I walked up and down the steep streets between China, Taiwan and Sweden. year about how loud Chinese people of Chongqing in China I noticed how can be but back in Sweden I really miss this impossible-to-understand-game I was sitting in our hotel room in it. On my train ride into Stockholm I is played everywhere. The difference Chengdu, Sichuan province, when I got almost panic, I can hear the old man sit- is not that we don’t play Mahjong, it is an email that made me jump of excite- ting in the other end of the car pushing how this game brings people together. ment. I was asked to come to Sweden the buttons on his cell phone. It’s too Any time of the day you can see large for a job interview! I quickly rearranged silent! groups of people gathered along the my ticket back so I would do a de-tour streets to play it. Instead of sitting at to Sweden on my way back to Taiwan. Minutes after my small panic attack I see home watching TV, like many Swedes do, something that I think signify another the Chinese people go out, socialise and Now, about three weeks later I’m sitting big difference between Sweden and play Mahjong. I envy this kind of warm at Qatar airport on my way back to China and Taiwan. The train passes by a and open culture. Taiwan. My short trip back to Sweden construction site; some kind of bridge is has given me a lot of thoughts about the being built. Its Friday around noon and Oh! One last thing before I let you differences between the two regions. all I can see is an empty excavator and move on to read the rest of this Asia I’m waiting to board my plane to Hong some lonely worker hanging around. In Magazine issue. When people in Sweden Kong and I suddenly realise that every China and Taiwan I have never seen an have asked me what day I will return to time a Chinese person walks by I nod empty construction site, not even at Taiwan, I have unwittingly answered: “I’m my head as a “hello gesture”. I act like night! About three weeks earlier I was going back home on Wednesday”. most Swedish people do when they see in Xian, China´s fastest growing city. I another Swede in a far away country. was struck by the enormous construc- That’s how I feel about Taiwan, I call it Seeing these Chinese people, prob- tion sites that surrounded the city my home. ably from Hong Kong, makes me feel at centre. I have never seen anything like it home. anywhere in the world! By the time that Jesper Moberg / Head of Office

2 asiaChronicle asiaOffice Representatives

he Chalmers Asia office has Jesper Moberg - Head of Office continued to attract attention at Graduate student at the Department of Mechanical Engineering at NCTU. TNCTU during the spring. At Easter Holds a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering at Chalmers University we held a much-appreciated egg paint- of Technology. Currently studying the second year of the Master’s programme ing activity and at the NCTU anniversary Sustainable Energy Systems. food-fair we embarked upon the task of presenting four different European dishes Carl Sylow-Rynning - Deputy Head of Office to the Taiwanese students. Just to men- Graduate student at the Department of Computer Science and Engineering tion two things. at NCTU. Holds a bachelor’s degree in Information Technology at Chalmers University of Technology. When it comes to travelling we all have one thing in common. All office members, for various reasons, ended up going to dif- Henrik Kjellgren - Representative ferent places in Mainland China. However, Editor of the Chalmers Asia Magazine. Graduate student at the Department of we still have very diverse stories to tell each other from this huge and contrast Industrial Engineering and Management at NCTU. Holds a bachelor’s degree in rich country. Industrial Engineering and Management at Chalmers University of Technology.

As we write this we have just presented Carl Christofferson - Representative the Chalmers Asia office to a delegation of German politicians. Before we leave Art Director of the Chalmers Asia Magazine. Graduate student at the Taiwan we also plan to help the Taiwanese Department of Architecture at NCTU. Holds a bachelor’s degree in exchange students who are soon going Architecture and Engineering at Chalmers University of Technology. to Chalmers prepare for the Swedish lifestyle. (Which, when we think about it, might be a lifestyle we hardly remember Hugo af Klint - Representative ourselves.) For some office members the Responsible for the Corporate Relations group. Graduate student at the final challenge before going back will be Department of Industrial Engineering and Management at NCTU. Holds a an attempt to ascend Jade Mountain in bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering and Management at Chalmers central Taiwan. University of Technology.

Finally, we would like to say that work- Martin Persson - Representative ing with this edition of Asia Magazine has Responsible for the Academic Exchange group. Graduate student at the been fascinating regarding the exciting Department of Mechanical Engineering at NCTU. Holds a bachelor’s degree articles we receive from all over Asia. in Mechanical Engineering at Chalmers University of Technology. Currently Turning these pages you can read about studying the second year of the Master’s programme Sustainable Energy students who seek out truly unique things and goes to very unexpected places. We Systems. would like to encourage all students who Sean Long Hoang - Representative go to Asia to find and explore the unique opportunities here. And then of course, Responsible for the Alumni group. Graduate student at Department of -give your story to Asia Magazine! Management Science at NCTU. Holds a Bachelor of Science in Bioengineering at Chalmers University of Technology. Henrik Kjellgren / Editor

Carl Christofferson / Art Director PS. I want to thank all the wonderful people that have made this year so great and give a special thanks to my colleagues and close friends at the Chalmers International Taiwan Office. You have all done an incredibly good job this year! / Jesper

3 A Platform to Success Naming ceremony of two offshore platforms in Singapore Text & photos: Sofia Eliasson

At Chalmers University of Technology there is a many sleepless nights when trying to design a platform on my Master’s programme called Naval Architecture. I have own without having any background in this particular study always been curious about this particular programme field. Even though it has been a lot of hard work, it has really and when it was time to choose there was no doubt been worth it. I have learned a lot in school this year and it has that it was going to be my first choice. During my third not only been about lectures, exams and assignments. When year at Chalmers I was offered to study the upcoming you are an exchange student in Singapore you go to a lot of year at the National University of Singapore. For me fun parties and you do a lot of travelling around South-East this was a great opportunity since it meant I might be Asia or maybe even further away. You get to see and experi- given the opportunity to study Offshore Engineering ence amazing things. Although, the most exciting moment for which is not being offered at any university in Sweden. me this year is not from any of all the great parties I have been to or from any of my own trips. It is actually from a school My wish to study Offshore Engineering has not been very easy trip. Together with three other students from my class I had to fulfil, and it has not been very easy once I finally started the great honour to attend the naming ceremony of two oil the actual studies. There has been a lot of running around to platforms that was built in Singapore. departments and professors to get the modules I wanted and

4 Everything started one regular Thursday in school. Our profes- parts of the visit was when we climbed up on the helipad and sor, Mr. Choo, announced that he could bring four students to looked down at the water and also when one of Singapore’s the naming ceremony of the two platforms “PV Drilling II” and ministers approached me and Erik to shake our hands. He was “PV Drilling III” if anyone would be interested. Well, if you are really interested in where we came from and why we were in asking this to about 30 students taking the module “Analysis Singapore. The ceremony ended with a huge buffet where you and Design of Offshore Engineering” of course someone is could find a lot of typical Singaporean food. I could not have going be interested. Those who wanted to go could write their enjoyed this day more and as I said in the beginning; it is one of name on a piece of paper and put it in a bowl. Thereafter Mr. the most exciting moments I have experienced during my year Choo picked four students who were going with him. It felt as an exchange student in Singapore. like my lucky day when one of the names he called out was mine.

When the day of the naming ceremony finally arrived I was feeling both nervous and excited at the same time. We met outside Mr. Choo’s office and from there we went by car to the shipyard where the platforms had been built. Before the event I had no clue of what it was going to be like. When we arrived at the shipyard, precisely on time, I realised that it was going to be quite fancy and that I maybe should have worn something else than shorts and T-shirt. We were greeted by several women wearing beautiful traditional dresses and we all got nametags to wear during the day. A red matt had been rolled out leading us to a big party tent where we were seated. The tent was filled with engineers, dressed up in suits and skirts, from all over the world. When all the speakers had said what they wanted and all gifts had been switched between the builders and the owners it was time for the actual naming; -it was time to smash champagne bottles against the platforms. Since the naming ceremony was held on the 9th of November 2009 the actual naming was performed at exactly 9:09 am. There were decorations all over the platforms and when the champagne bottles were smashed a lot of confetti was shot out into the air.

Finally it was time for the big moment; -it was time to enter one of the platforms. My legs were actually starting to shake and if it had not been for my Norwegian classmate Erik I might had been a coward and turned around. For two months I had been sitting in a classroom doing calculations on platforms and learning what to think about when designing one, but I had actually never been to one. I was amazed by how big it was. I knew in meters approximately how big a platform normally is but it is really hard to visualize. Everything on the platform was very clean and there were workers standing everywhere to welcome us and guide us around. Inside the platform it felt like being on a ship; there were control rooms, accommoda- tion and a lot of other facilities for the workers. The best

5 UNDERGROUND TOKYO Text & photos: Hanna Mangs

Tokyo is often associated with earthquakes and an active a part of the system is open for tourists. Together with extensive metro system, but few know that the Tokyo some friends from the school of architecture I decide to go underground also hides more man-made structures of there to learn more. interest. In Saitama prefecture, a one-hour metro ride from Tokyo city centre, the world’s largest and most Upon arrival we are greeted by our Japanese guide who advanced storm sewer system is situated, designed quickly apologises and explains that there is no English-speak- to save the residents of Saitama from flooding. The ing guide. Fortunately, this is not a problem since there are a system is often mentioned in the same sentence as large number of scale models of the construction. All of them ”cutting-edge technology” or ”world-class engineer- have a high degree of detailing, complete with light, water and ing” and it has recently also gained quite a lot of at- electricity and explain the flow of water through the construc- tention due to its monumental architecture. tion in a very pedagogic way. I throw a glance at my friends and we all seem to think the same thing, -this is typical for Japan. Saitama is an area which always has been prone to flooding For a while we are engulfed by the models but then we realise because of its low-lying land surrounded by several rivers. that this fascinating structure also exists in full scale and soon As there were frequent floods in the area, especially during we are going to see it. typhoon season, the government in 1992 decided to start the construction of a new flood control facility. 14 years and 240 Our guide informs us that there are five shafts, or silos, stra- billion yen later the Metropolitan Area Outer Discharge Chan- tegically placed along the rivers where flooding usually occur. nel was completed and ready to use. Nowadays the system To make it possible to transport water through the system the is used around five to seven times a year and when it is not silos are connected to each other by a 6.4 km long tunnel lo-

6 cated 50 m underground. The tunnel is the structure reaching saving thousands of people’s homes and possibly even lives. A deepest into the ground in the whole Tokyo area, including the megastructure at its best I found myself thinking while walk- entire metro system. During heavy rainfall the water is led to ing around looking up at the most tremendous columns I have the closest silo and then further transported via the under- ground tunnel to a giant water chamber. The chamber stands tall at 25 m and is 78 m wide and 177 m long and also features 59 giant concrete columns for structural support. After reach- ing this enormous storage space the water is pumped to the nearby Edo River which finally culminates in Tokyo bay. Overall this flood control system can store as much as 670,000 3m and engineers estimate that the sewer discharge channel reduces the flooded areas by more than 80%.

We are led over the above situated soccer field and down the stairs to the giant underground water chamber. We catch a glimpse of one of the silos but unfortunately it’s a non-acces- sible area because of the safety risks. We are only allowed to walk inside a marked area that is running through the mid- dle of the vast room. It is hard to imagine that this immense empty space sometimes are completely filled with water,

Saitama River.

7 ever seen. Not only does it serve a good cause, the space itself houses were flooded. In comparison there were 236 flooded is breathtaking for an architecture student like me. ”Is this houses in 2000. really a storm sewer? I thought I was caught in the grand finale of the next James Bond movie.” I hear one of my friends say. Now the inhabitants of Saitama can rest a little easier. The flooding threat is not entirely over but significantly smaller The world’s largest flood control facility, a high-tech construc- since the storm sewer was introduced. Japan can, not surpris- tion and an exciting tourist attraction it definitely is. But does ingly, call themselves the world leader in disaster management it serve its purpose? Since the opening in 2002 the storm control and Tokyo can add another intriguing structure on the sewer has been used several times, reporting satisfying results list. I have to agree with what I read before my visit; Japan’s every time. One example is during typhoon no 6 in 2002. flooding control system stands apart from any other in the Within 48 hours 141 mm of rainfall was recorded, approxi- world. Appreciated both for its ingenious engineering and mately the same amount of rain that fell in July 2000 before breathtaking aesthetics Saitama Storm Sewer is a true piece the storm sewer system existed. Thanks to the flooding con- of art. trol system the flooded Naka River could be drained and no

8 “I’m sorry to leave before you do.” (”Osaki ni shitsurei shimasu.”) Text & photo: Sara Förbom In Japanese there are two expressions you won’t find in any other language, “karoshi” and “karojisats”. What do they mean? –Death as a consequence of too much work and suicide as a consequence of too much work.

During the last month I have had the chance to explore the Japanese working society close-up. Everyday at 8.30 am I and about 10 million other Tokyo citizens tried to squeeze onto the trains that would take us to our workspaces throughout the city. At 12 pm I walked down to the nearest konbini (a small shop that is open 24/7 selling everything you need) for a quick snack and at around 3 pm I had a coffee. So far every- thing is more or less the same as what I as a Westerner is used to. But the difference starts here. I didn’t leave the office at 6 pm. The day had just started and not until midnight did I rush down to catch the last train taking me home. Most people may have left their offices a bit earlier though and had time for a meal and some beers at the izakaya down at the corner. There- fore the last train home is more or less as crowded as a late If someone left the office before the last train I would hear Friday night queue ouside one of the most popular clubs back “Osaki ni shitsurei shimasu.” before the door closed behind home (except for the fences and the free coffee). the one leaving. It litterally means “I’m sorry to leave before you do”. The emplyees at the office don’t cope for long and The office I was interning at is one of these small and upcom- most of them don’t stay for more than two years. Two long ing firms and has all in all about 30 people making up the staff. years of hard work, –for what you might ask? It is definitely 15 are regular employees and they host at least 15 interns and not for the salary because the office pay the minimum wage of staff candidates (people working for free, trying to become an 100,000 yen a month. And this even though the office has done employee). Half of the crowd is Japanese and the other half projects that has been published in more or less all the archi- come from all over the world. All are young, ambitious and tectural magazines there are, is doing loads of well paid works eager to make a career. abroad and the founder is travelling the world giving lectures. The answer to why the employees cope with this kind of work According to statistics the average working time in the Japa- is a result of many, many circumstances. One is being their only nese society is about 60 hours a week. This means working six chance to express some creativity at a small but hardworking days a week, 50 weeks a year and doing two hours of overtime office and to avoid becoming just another white-collar salary- every day. This is the case even though regulations and recom- man. Another –and maybe the main reason, is to be able to mendations say something else. And all overtime is unpaid. start their own business and to do so they need a reputation and connections, –things they might acquire while working at The expression karoshi appeard in the late 1960s but didn’t this office. become a well known phenomenon until the 1980s bubble economy years when media started to report about sudden I knew that these weeks were going to be crazy in amount of deaths amoung young and healthy people. The victims were work. Now when I look back at my tired face in the mirror usually highly educated and had well paid jobs. This led to I see that I have been doing 14 hours a day for seven days a warnings and restrictions in working hours at offices since the week. But I also see that I have learned a new working method deaths were said to be caused by the stress gained from too and learned some about the contemporary Japanese architec- much work. ture.

9 Photo: Carl Christofferson Photo:

Singapore – a Graduate’s Perspective Text: Daniel Forsberg, Ken Leong, Thomas Lindberg

Singapore was no exception when the financial crisis job you can find? And if you get a job, how is it to work in a hit the global market about two years ago. Being an multi-cultural country like Singapore? international trading hub with important relations to Europe and the United States it was the first country In order to answer these questions and get a perspective from to enter the recession in the South-East Asia region. the real world we met with Gireesh Kumar Bogu, 25, who The banking industry took a big hit and the manufac- moved to Singapore from India in 2008 to pursuit a Master’s turing an even bigger. As a student you cannot help degree in Bio-Informatics at Nanyang Technological University. feeling a bit worried when you have invested a lot of money, effort and time in an education that might only One year after graduation Gireesh works at a prestigious bio- result in student loan debts. medical company in Singapore. A typical day he spends most of his time developing and implementing algorithms to examine Singapore has two of the highest-ranking universities in South- genomic complexity. He got the job even though the country East Asia and attracts bright students from all over the world. was in the middle of a financial downturn. It was a direct result With 45% of the post-graduate students being foreigners there of doing a great work on his Master’s thesis that was partly is not only bound to be competition but also cultural shocks. carried out at the company. It seems, however, that he was one of the lucky few in his class where more than 70% did not As mentioned the current economic downturn can make it manage to get a job within their field of study after gradua- difficult for graduated university students. You may realise that tion. During the interview we could clearly see his gratitude to you are about to graduate soon and do not know what to do. actually have found this job. Will you get any job or is the economic situation so bad that you have to either lower your salary expectations or grab any Singapore was not Gireesh’s only opportunity. He was torn

10 Photo: Ken L eong Ken Photo: Hanna M angs Photo:

Gireesh Kumar Bogu.

between Denmark, the United States and Singapore but he student in Singapore gets around S$2800 per month, which finally decided to go with Singapore mainly because of the rela- definitely is not bad compared to other countries in South- tively low tuition fee. In addition, the tuition fee can be further East Asia. “The salary rate and position you get in a company discounted if you agree to sign a service obligation agreement. usually depends on your education level and qualifications,” This is what Gireesh did and currently he is fulfilling his agree- says Gireesh. ment that constitutes that in exchange for smaller tuition fees he has to stay and work in Singapore for at least three years Another aspect that was raised concerning the salary was how after graduation. it could sustain the high cost of living in Singapore. Looking at recent data, Singapore is ranked as one of the most expensive Gireesh described the company that he works at as a typical cities to live in. According to Gireesh, Singapore is undoubtedly Singaporean company; the workplace is very multicultural and an expensive city to live in, especially compared to India. Since mainly dominated by Singaporeans and Europeans. There are Singapore is so small the land price is higher than in most also some Indians, Canadians and Americans working at the other countries. It is also difficult to find places to stay because company. of the limited space in Singapore. However, this mainly applies for the places close to the city centre. Gireesh continues to Comparing the average salary in Singapore to the Western explain that there are cheaper alternatives outside the centre. world is certainly unfair. For example, an employee in McDon- alds only gets around S$5 per hour (which is approximately Singapore is considered as one of the most developed coun- 25 SEK) and that would not be enough to survive in Sweden. tries in Asia and is in many aspects comparable to the West- However, looking at the countries surrounding Singapore ern world, nonetheless, the working culture. “The working the salary rate may not be that bad. A fresh Master-graduate atmosphere is friendly and the co-workers are professional.

11 Sometimes though, it can be difficult to get feedback from the co-workers especially in terms of criticism. This can perhaps be explained by the co-workers’ worries of being criticised themselves,” says Gireesh.

In addition, the company Gireesh is working for offers great benefits to its employees. Some of the benefits such as health care and insurance are probably seen as inherent for most people in the Western world, especially in Swe- den. In South-East Asia where poverty is a major concern and worker exploitation is common, it means a great deal to get benefits. On the other hand, Singapore is perhaps an exception in South-East Asia. Being a central-hub in the region, many multi-national companies will definitely be present here. This means that the working culture and Carl Christofferson Photo: standards in Singapore are more likely to reflect the ones in the Western world because most of the larger compa- nies originate from the West. Hong Kong:

After working at the company for over one year Gireesh a Good Outpost has never been afraid of losing his job even though the economy has been a bit unstable. When Gireesh started for Engineers working he was instantly given tasks with a lot of respon- Text: Anders Bennehag sibility. To help him if he ever felt unsure or ran into prob- lems he was assigned a mentor from one of the seniors at the company. Why is Asia in general and Hong Kong in particular interesting to Western engineering Another interesting point that was raised during the inter- students? Well, it can’t have escaped anyone view was about the social activities in Gireesh’s company. that Asia is a region that sports massive devel- In the Western world it is quite common with after-work opment at the moment, with a huge influx of activities such as going out for a beer together but in Sin- technology and knowledge from all over the gapore, or at least at Gireesh’s workplace, social activities world. after work are not that common. “Grabbing a beer after work is not common at all for Singaporeans,” says Gi- Hong Kong is important because most of the invest- reesh. You have to find people who share similar interests ments in the southern part of China over the last 30 and like to have fun. “I had the luck to meet people that years have been coming from this small but densely enjoyed hanging out after work in the beginning but sadly populated peninsula. Hong Kong has one of the freest they are not with the company anymore.” economies in the world and the government inter- feres very little in everyday life. This is very different Despite the cultural differences, that can sometimes from the strict regulations in mainland China which complicate even the simplest task, Gireesh says that caused many multinational companies to establish a Singapore is overall a great place to work, live and earn presence in Hong Kong instead. It’s not only the free money in especially compared to India. However, he feels market that is attractive to foreign companies but also that the world has more to offer and a permanent stay in the geographic location. Having access to a very good Singapore is not likely. After he has completed his service harbour and the fact that Shenzhen, a major economic obligation agreement he will try to continue his studies centre in mainland China, is just across the border for a PhD in the United States. have cemented Hong Kong’s role as a major trading hub. Most of China’s manufacturing industry, including the very profitable electronics industry, is localised

12 Photos: Anders B ennehag Photos: The view over Hong Kong island from Victoria Peak. A Hong Kong tram.

in the Pearl River Delta next to Hong Kong. This inevitably themselves in China. –Alibaba, a startup company, knocked out creates a huge demand for engineers and many of those the American giant with a business model that is more adapted engineers live and work in Hong Kong. It is not a coincidence to the Chinese culture. that the largest electronics fair in the world, the International ICT Expo, is held annually in this megacity. As you walk along Hong Kong is a big pot where Western culture is mixed with the Avenue of Stars in Hong Kong at night, looking out over Cantonese and other ethnic Chinese cultures. It is the perfect the river, you realise that most of the light actually comes outpost from which one can travel to other places inside and from huge glowing company names and logos covering every outside of China. Another positive aspect is that the post- skyscraper on the other side of the water. I heard someone graduate, (or Master’s) education in Hong Kong is very good, say about the multinational electronics companies: “If you don’t mainly due to the high influx of talented students from main- have an office in Hong Kong coupled with a big name on a land China. The interaction between the Western and mainland skyscraper, you don’t exist”. culture is interesting to say the least. For example, I had one professor who, during class, said that the Chinese mainland But back to the main topic, -what is in it for engineers? It is students are much better at solving textbook problems but crucial to realise that Asia and China in particular, are attract- the Western students knows how to ask the right questions, ing a great amount of foreign investment and with that, creat- which according to him is equally important. Apart from be- ing a middle class with greater income. As the large population ing a strategic move for your career to go to Asia and Hong gets wealthier the world will see the greatest demand for cars Kong, it is also probably one of the most interesting places for and brand-name appliances coming from China. This causes studies abroad. Embark on a journey through a culture that is Western companies to establish themselves in Asia in order different, and do it with an open mind and you will have the to compete on the local market. But Asian culture is rather time of your life. different from the Western and for the engineers to succeed, they must have an understanding of the local culture and way of life. That was not the case when Ebay tried to establish

13 ZEB in Singapore Text & photos: Karl-Johan Törngren

Singapore’s first zero energy building (ZEB) is an When visiting the building you are surprised by the fact that interesting example of how sustainable technology can the indoor climate is very comfortable. Most buildings in be implemented in the tropics. With knowledge from Singapore are heavily air-conditioned and have an actual indoor Chalmers courses as well as visits to different Euro- temperature that is lower than their Nordic counterparts. pean passive house projects it was very interesting to –Something that may seem very surprising to a visitor from make a visit to this building. northern Europe. The BCA building uses devices that can detect if there are people around and adapt the air condition One could believe that creating a ZEB in a tropical climate accordingly. There are also systems for personal aircondition- would be very easy since there is no need for any heating. But ers around each desk so that the temperature can be adapted since the average outside temperature in Singapore is around on an individual level. In total these features will reduce the 30 degrees and cooling is much more energy demanding than need for air condition with 40%. That is quite significant in a heating, this is not the case. country where 60% of the utility bill normally goes into air conditioning. The solution is to set the zero emissions requirement on an annual basis. Energy consumption is allowed to exceed energy One of the most important features to reduce the need for production at certain times as long as the annual outcome is cooling is proper shading. In the BCA building horizontal a net gain or a zero balance. This can be achieved using two shaders with integrated solar panels blocks all direct sunlight different strategies, -by active systems such as solar panels and but still allows a generous amount of daylight into the building. by passive systems such as proper insulation. Vertical plants reduces the heat gain through the walls as well as it creates an interesting facade. Different plants are being BCA Academy is the education and research arm of Singa- used and continuous measurements are undertaken to find pore’s Building and Construction Authority (BCA) and the out which plants that will have the most positive effect. zero energy building aims to be a show-case of different sus- tainable techniques usable in a tropical context. Several different types of photovoltaic systems are used in the

14 building. Conventional silicon wafer systems are used on the sors for lighting and passive day-light system that through light roof but there are also different types of thin film systems on pipes illuminates the interior of the house. windows and shaders. To date these systems exceeds the re- quirements and the building produces about 15% more energy Singapore’s government has decided that 80% of the buildings than it uses. on the island should be green by 2030. Hopefully this project will serve as an inspiration and a motivator to go more green, In a conventional building in the tropics you will normally not only for the Singaporean construction industry, but for the find single glazed windows and no wall insulation. In the BCA whole tropical region. building high performance double glazing (which is a standard product in Europe) is used. There are also systems such as sen-

15 asiaLeisure

A Taste of Okinawa Text & photos: Joakim Olsson

Naha, Okinawa. 5 a.m. on a Saturday morning. I reluc- subtropical with temperatures above 20 °C during most of the tantly woke up, feeling my body shaking as the earth year. was trembling beneath me. A 7.0-magnitude earthquake had struck in the deeps of the Pacific, some 85 km off Okinawa was the first stop on a longer trip in the southern the Okinawan coast. The earthquake was big enough to parts of Japan, which I did together with some other exchange shake things up for about 10 seconds, but no damage was students. Naha, the vibrant capital of Okinawa, was the perfect reported. This was the first time I experienced a bigger start of our trip. After landing next to an airplane decorated earthquake. with “Pikachu”, a clear reminder that we were still in Japan, we headed for Kokusai Dori. That is the main street in Naha and Maybe you are a student at Chalmers University of Technology a hub of Okinawan culture. Here you will find everything from reading this magazine, thinking about studying in Asia next year. traditional crafts to restaurants and bars. We ate taco-rice, Or perhaps you are just interested in seeing the best sights a popular dish in the Okinawan cuisine. I also bought some Japan has to offer. The greatest thing about studying abroad traditional wooden lions and a bottle of 40 percent Awamori, a at a place as far away from Sweden as Japan has been the op- famous alcoholic beverage made from rice. The best Naha ex- portunity to travel to many unique places. I have tried to travel perience was a beach party arranged by the staff at our hostel. as much as my time and money have allowed me to. I would We stayed at Guest House Kerama, a great place for as little like to share some insights from my favourite destination in as 1000 Yen (about 80 SEK) per night. The beach in Naha was Japan, the Okinawa islands, located some 1500 km south-west one of the weirdest I have seen. Sure it had nice sand and the of Tokyo. It consists of a few dozens of subtropical islands, water was pretty clear, but a big highway-bridge just in front of stretching about 1000 km in a chain between southern Kyushu it kind of ruined the view. (one of Japan’s four main islands) and Taiwan. The climate is

16 Kokusai Dori, Naha.

Okinawa has had an eventful history. It is frequently referred In 1945 Okinawa suffered severely as it became the stage of to as the Ryukyu Islands, a name from the time when the one of the bloodiest and most brutal battles of World War 2, islands were independent and united as the Ryukyu Kingdom. -the final clash between the American and Japanese armies. Its central location in the East China Sea made it a prosperous An estimated 200,000 people, including more than 100,000 and important trading nation with closer ties to China than civilians were killed. The Battle of Okinawa was the only battle Japan. The kingdom relied only on peaceful trade and barely fought on Japanese soil. After the war it remained under U.S. had any military defense. control until 1972. As of today, thousands of American troops are still stationed on the main island, making it a highly con- I worked fine for almost 200 years, until the Satsuma clan of troversial and frequently debated issue. According to a poll in southern Japan decided to invade in 1609. The Ryukyu Islands 2007, 85% of the Okinawan population opposes the presence then became a territory of Japan and during the Meiji restora- of U.S. forces. However, hosting the military bases is a major tion in 1879 it was renamed the Okinawa Prefecture. The area source of income for the Okinawa Prefecture. around Naha is filled with remains from the Ryukyu culture. The most famous is the Shuri castle, the old home to the Located deep inside a mountain is the former headquarters Ryukyu kings. As many castles throughout Japan, it has been of the Japanese navy, consisting of several hundred meters of destroyed during wars and fires several times, but a recon- underground corridors and rooms. It now serves as a museum struction makes it possible to experience this cultural treasure. where visitors can go inside the tunnels to get an idea of what Since the castle is built on a high hill, what impressed me most it was like back in the days. I highly recommend a visit there was the panoramic view of Naha at the top. while in Naha. It was quite moving to walk in the tunnels, see

17 the shrapnel from the grenades, and learn the stories of some ited, but not by more than a few smaller villages. For the more of the people involved. adventurous traveler, there are also many uninhabited islands. A great thing about going to Okinawa in the end of Febru- Okinawa is well known for its rich underwater world, filled ary was that we had the beach all to ourselves. It was warm with colourful coral reefs and an abundance of marine life. enough to walk in flip-flops, shorts and t-shirt most of the This makes it an idyllic place for snorkeling and scuba diving. I time and you could go for a swim without getting cold. remember my Japanese professor telling me before I left not to miss out on this. I took his word for it, and me and some To sum up: Okinawa is home to a vibrant city, exotic nature, a friends took a scuba diving license. The first day was definitely colourful underwater world and the most beautiful beaches in an interesting experience, with a Japanese-only speaking in- Japan. It also has an eventful history and plays a controversial structor. Fortunately one of my friends speaks decent Japanese. role as one of the main centers for the U.S. military forces The fact that most of the diving-vocabulary is adopted from in Asia. Although I experienced a quite powerful earthquake, English helped a lot too. If someone plan to take the license in there was no harm, damage or tsunami caused by it. English it is possible, just make sure look things up in advance. In my opinion, Okinawa is definitely Japan’s answer to Hawaii, Less than an hour by ferry from Naha you find the Kerama but be sure to also get out of Naha, preferably to one of the Islands. We stayed one night at the island Tokashiki, famous for surrounding islands to really experience the nature. And –try beautiful beaches and great snorkeling. This island was inhab- the snorkeling or scuba diving!

18 ever, a city with one million people is nothing, -and therefore A Common Language they wanted something to put them on the map. Text & photo: Elina Friberg Before going to Japan I could never have imagined how Already there we found ourselves in a new situation, with a much of a problem the language would be. English scale and magnitude that were rather unfamiliar for most of isn’t understood by all and few can speak it beyond the us. Then add different languages, cultural backgrounds and the normal conversation phrases, even within the world of variety of educations and experiences. The project could start! the university. So how do we communicate when the languages that are spoken within the group are more We discussed, we talked, we drew, we agreed, and then under- than three, and English isn’t fully understood by all? stood that what we thought we all understood and agreed on With the only language we all share; architecture. weren’t the same. So we discussed, we talked and we drew some more, and once again we reached an agreement. Just to The 2009 World Architecture Workshop (WAW) took place start it all over again within a couple of hours or on the next in Lianyungang (China) with participants from China, Japan, day. Many times we found ourselves divided in the European Australia and France. WAW consists of two phases; a domestic continent versus the Asian, separated by a sea of misunder- studio followed by an international workshop. The internation- standings, different views and assertions. At those times you al workshop is held in the city which is the object of studies begin to realise how much the cultural heritage and values of for the year, while the domestic studio is held in the partici- your own country actually have influenced and affected you. pants’ own home countries. The theme this year was how to The perspectives changes and your knowledge of Sweden and turn Lianyungang into a Post Waterfront City* and by what other countries grows. As for the Chinese city, it slowly grew means such a development could be achieved. In the domestic as well. studio (in Japan) we were two groups working on different proposals; six Japanese, two Swedes, one Norwegian and one So finally, after six weeks of dancing two steps forward and French were divided into the two groups. So far so good! one step backwards, the city was full-grown and the domestic studio finished. United as one group, adopted to the local set- The local Chinese government demanded and wished for their tings and planned with the future in mind, a first proposal for a city something strong and with identity. The now rural and salt new master plan for Lianyungang was presented. The proposal producing town Lianyungang was to undergo great changes in was indeed something made globally but strangely embedded the future and transform into a city of almost five times the locally. We had overcome our dissimilarities and the commu- population and size of its present shape. The time was set to nication problems and the result was something to put on the 2030, 20 years from now, a development with a speed around map. six times that of an equal progress in Sweden. In China how-

World Architecture Workshop is a multi-national studio and a collaboration between the architecture department of universities in cities of four continents and five countries. First established in 2002 by Tohoku University, Tohoku Institute of Technology, Miyagi University and ENSAM in Montpellier (France), the workshop has been held annually across the world with more schools joining every year. The purpose of the workshop is to develop the students’ capacity to view local issues through multi-national collaboration with others of varying ideological and cultural backgrounds.

*With Post Waterfront City means how the 21:st century urbanism stands in proportion to a waterfront. This in comparison to the big trends around the 80s with a similar development.

19 A Traditional White Box Text, photos & illustration: Ellen Oldén

The world-spread conception that people in Japan live doors often go together with a tatami-room, the only room of in houses made of paper is of course a truth with mod- the house where traditional tatami, straw mats, cover the floor. ification nowadays, even though the uninsulated walls of Japanese houses are in general very thin. Instead a We see little of these elements in the modern buildings of new modern house architecture has been established, Japan. In the early 1900s architects such as Frank Lloyd Wright that throws the concepts of traditional space into a and Bruno Taut studied and were influenced by Japanese white box and shakes it. architecture. At the same time the international style of Le Corbusier and Mies van der Rohe became highly influential in Japan. Many Japanese architects, amongst others Fumihiko Maki and Kenzo Tange, worked and studied in the US after the Second World War and developed the Japanese architecture in an international post-modern context. Later Japanese archi- tects have faced the dilemma of how to develop architecture and be modern, and at the same time remain Japanese. For instance, the architect Tadao Ando works with sculptural light and darkness inspired by the traditional “praise of shadows”. Kengo Kuma, who exclaims the vision to “recover the tradition of Japanese buildings and reinterpret it for the 21st century,” does so most evidently by the use of traditional materials and craftsmanship.

But what about the typically minimalistic and world-renowned white boxes from the latest generation of Japanese architects? Strolling around in the central but surprisingly calm residen- tial neighbourhoods of Tokyo you are bound to bump in to House/white box - Project #001 by Tokyo Jyutaku, 2008. at least one of these tiny and original houses. They are eas- ily recognizable by the clean concrete or metal facade, that What we observe in the Japanese cities today is a free mix is characteristically white and perhaps at some point set to of architectural styles and urban conditions; temporary metal peculiar angle. There is generally an absence of decoration or shells next to old British countryside brick copies, raw ex- private belongings to the extent that you wonder if anyone posed concrete structures next to post-modern glass houses, is living there at all. Only a very fancy car parked next to the and randomly scattered amongst them some true works of house proves the existence of a resident. Of course there is art. Ever since the late 1800s when the strict borders to the an undeniable influence to this architectural direction from country were opened there has been crosswise exchange and SANAA, one of the most famous Japanese architecture offices, influences between Western and Japanese building production. run by Kazuyo Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa. Searching the pages Therefore, today it is somewhat difficult to determine any true of design magazines and web blogs of the same subject will Japanese style in the modern architecture. Occasionally you soon reveal the following generation of architects and offices see a set of shoji, the paper filled sliding screens that the paper by names like Atelier Tekuto, Go Hasegawa, Takeshi Hosaka, house expression derives from. In private homes these sliding Mizuno Architects or Hiroyuki Fukuyama to be the creators.

20 dining room or bedroom. This concept is translated into Ban’s house so that the family’s living area consist of two half stories hanging out over a combined restaurant and studio. The spaces have multiple uses thanks to the open relation between them and the adjustability of the outer walls.

Kristina Fridh, who has studied Japanese architecture from this viewpoint, describes in her book Japanska rum a tradi- tional Japanese perception of space that is profoundly differ- ent from the Western thought. In the West we tend to see rooms as measurable volumes that are there regardless of the

Glass Shutter House by Shigeru Ban, Jiyugaoka, Tokyo, 2003. person who experiences it. Instead of this objectively defined entity the Japanese room is described with terms of flexibil- These upcoming Japanese architects do not say themselves ity, transformation and emptiness. It can be compared with to be particularly confined to reinterpreting tradition or to the experience of a walk in a Japanese garden, designed as a create something typical Japanese and their architecture shows pathway through different moods, views, openings and calm few obvious connections to such thoughts. The materials used, spaces for rest. In this conception space can only be described most often white plastered concrete, glass and steel, have little subjectively and must also take into account aspects such as to do with the traditional Japanese. Neither do the interiors time, feelings and movement. that appear to be flooded with light, as opposed to the half ob- scurity in the traditional indoor spaces. And still there seems to be something basic but slightly indefinable that they all have in common.

In my neighbourhood in Setagaya-ku I come upon a house with similar characteristics, designed by the Japanese architect Shigeru Ban in 2003. Its facade consists of glass shutters that can be opened and closed all the way up from the floor to the roof. Here the first impression is that of a giant shoji, with its curtain providing the same half transparency as the traditional paper screens. However, looking closer at the layout of the in- terior uncover a more complex connection to traditional Japa- nese houses. In Western conception the openness between a restaurant kitchen and private bedrooms would probably be considered quite unpractical. But the Japanese interior has always had multiple uses, flexibly depending on the accessories used at the moment and the degree of openness chosen by regulating the sliding doors. The same tatami-matted room Katsura Imperial Villa, Kyoto. could during different times of the day serve as living room,

21 Having explained this I must admit that these notions about space can be a bit difficult to discover in Tokyo. Stepping into a house or shop here usually reveals that there is almost no space at all! More obviously we can see the traditional con- cepts when visiting an old palace or a traditional Japanese villa such as the Katsura villa in Kyoto. Here the post-and-beam construction supporting the heavy roof leaves the floor plan totally flexible and the half translucent paper screens lets soft light and diffuse space flow throughout the building.

An old Japanese woman describes to me how it was to grow up in a traditional house on the countryside, where her bed- room was separated from the rest of the house only by these thin paper shutters. To her the calming feeling of always sensing the presence of her family around in the house, but at the same time being temporarily in a private sphere, is the most memorable feeling.

The same concept of transitional rooms and translu-

cent connections is House in Landskrona, Sweden, Elding Oscarson, 2009. what the architec- outside and inside, created by the overhanging roof eaves and ture office of Sou layers of sliding doors in traditional Japanese architecture. Fujimoto plays with The non-existence of heavy load-bearing outer walls in these House N (conceptual illustration), Sou Fujimoto in the newly built buildings makes possible this fusion or undefined border that Architects. House H in Tokyo. is also transitional; sometimes it is inside, sometimes outside, It is of course not by any means a traditional house, but liter- sometimes both at the same time and sometimes a space in ally a white box punctuated by big square holes in all direc- between. It is this mix of interior and exterior, resulting in a tions, even in the roof and floor slabs. The result is a three- third spatial situation, that is the concept of House N. dimensional elaborated tree-like living space for one family. The open space is divided into partitions without heavy walls or The so characteristic transparency and flexible open space of doors, vertically generating the same kind of flowing space as modern Japanese architecture is thus not new, but perhaps in the horizontal layout of the traditional house. taken to a more extreme level now than ever. Even the walls to the bathrooms in the newest house designs are made of Sou Fujimoto Architects have many innovative and exploring clear glass – if there are any walls at all! And the new house in projects in their portfolio, of which the House N is another. Landskrona, Sweden, by former SANAA employee Elding Os- Here the Japanese engawa-space is conceptualized and re- carson, is a clear sign that this kind of architecture is appreci- interpreted. The word Engawa describes a space in between ated not only in Japan.

22 asiaDining Flavours of Taipei Text: Sean Long Hoang Photo: Carl Christofferson

Upon entering Taipei’s most well-known night market with a sweet and spicy sauce. I know that this won’t make you in Shilin, you’ll feel like you’ve arrived to a different full. So then grilled squid is another local dish to try, – it’s ei- world. The huge mass of people, noises, small streets ther dry or marinated and served on a stick. The last thing you and people eating while shopping and walking is Tai- have to try (save the best for last) before you leave, is stinky wan’s food culture and lifestyle. tofu. You haven’t experienced Taiwanese food culture unless you have eaten stinky tofu. It’s regular fried tofu given a very When unassuming restaurants or food stands in Shilin night special treatment. You can say that it has an aroma that blows market sell food and snacks for around 40 NT dollars (around you away, -literally blows you away. You either like it or hate it. 10 SEK) the question on the tip of everyone’s tongue must be: -Is it any good? The Shilin night market is a combination of new and old tra- ditional dishes with influences from different regions in Asia. A The answer is -Yes! visit at Shilin summarizes most of the night markets in Taiwan perfectly and make sure it’s on your to-do-list when you are in For starters, try black pearl tea. It’s regular milk tea with Taiwan. look-alike black pearls at the bottom that has a consistency similar to chewing gum. Next, if you are ready to set the sail, One thing is for sure, it leaves you stuffed and happy. You also you should try fatty pork sausages. Formed from lumps get the bragging rights saying you only spent 200 NT (around of pork fat and chopped pork it is moist and flavourful. The 45 SEK) for a unique dinner with dishes other people only sausages are usually grilled and served with many different have heard rumours about. varieties of condiment. The next step is to try the oyster omelette – a popular seafood snack that is fried and served

23 “Better City, Better Life” Shanghai hosts the 2010 World Expo Text: Carl Christofferson

Photo: Henrik Kjellgren The Chinese Pavilion.

On the first of May this year, Shanghai opened up the The theme for this year’s exposition reads “Better City, Bet- gates to the 2010 world exposition. Bringing together ter Life”. With these words Shanghai City wishes to focus most of the countries in the world for a huge cultural on topics of urban conditions. Environmental aspects, urban and technological showoff, this is an event bound to at- development, and explorations of lifestyles are all topics they tract attention. During a six month period, the organ- wish their participants to address in one way or another. Hid- izers are expecting about 100 million visitors. den beneath these big letter words one might sense there is a strong wish for national bonds to be made. This is, all in all, a World expositions have been held frequently over the years business and promotional event of global proportions. since the 1850s, promoting their host countries strength as a world power. During the 20th century there has been a steady The World Expo might be important for China on a global recession in the amount of interest raised by these occasions, scale, but it is also as important on the national level. This is however China might be able to change that. As the coun- an opportunity for the government to display to their citizens try’s influence keeps on spreading across the globe, this is an how far they have already reached. In that way the Expo can event of no less importance for China than it has been for the be compared to the Beijing Olympics in 2008 -it is a national (mostly Western) countries in the past. By hosting the largest happening that undoubtedly brings a lot of nationalistic spirit ever world exposition in terms of amount of participants, expo into the veins of the Chinese people. area and costs, China clearly shows its intentions. Chinese officials seem never to be shy spending money on

24 Photo: Carl Christofferson Happy visitors outside the Swedish pavilion.

big events and the 2010 Expo is no exception. Calculations The Expo committee of Sweden has been chosen by the show that the bill for the half year long party is going to touch government and their goals by participating in the Expo are down on about 400 billion yuan (445 billion SEK). That is more as follows: National branding, creating business opportunities, than what was spent on the Beijing Olympics and makes it increasing Sweden’s competitiveness in China, and marketing the most expensive world fair in history. One should however Sweden as an attractive country for tourism as well as for take into account that a big part of the investments are made business investments. The motto for the Swedish participation to improve infrastructure. For example the number of metro is “Spirit of Innovation”, and around 20 big Swedish companies lines in Shanghai has increased from three to ten (!) and new and their products are on display inside the pavilion for visitors roads, parks and public areas have been built. All these actions to be astonished by. Focus lies on sustainability, communication are most likely to benefit Shanghai also after the Expo. and by which means Sweden has been able to establish itself as a country of innovation. Also, the pavilion has a restricted VIP- There certainly seems to be much to gain for China, but what area for Swedish companies to use when important meetings is in it for the others? As already mentioned, an opportunity to come up. establish long-lasting relationships with the ever growing east- ern economy is an opportunity few countries want to miss. With several thousand visitors a day, Sweden can hopefully Out of the 192 countries participating, 45 countries have built manage to make a lasting impression and raise people’s aware- their own pavilions, and Sweden is one of those. ness about the pros (and not the cons) of northern Europe.

25 Big Trouble in Rural China Adventure doesn’t come any bigger Text & photos: Jesper Moberg, Martin Persson

Cheers! Or 乾杯 (ganbei), as they say in China, was the Program” which was introduced in 1999. The GGP is a nation- first word that Mr. Chen, the head of Shaanxi For- wide program aimed to increase forest cover and prevent soil estry department, said to us at our welcoming dinner. erosion on sloping cropland. It is the world’s largest conserva- In China it is customary to start with a drink of rice tion project and has converted 32 million hectares of land area wine before discussing business. This was one of many into tree and grass plantations. The program provides money representation dinners that we attended during our and food grains for up to eight years to compensate the farm- two trips to mainland China. The purpose of our time ers that convert their land. The GGP was initiated to increase in China was to collect information for our Master’s the vegetation and reduce erosion and sedimentation that is thesis but what we also gained was amazing experi- the primary cause of the degradation of China’s Yellow River ences from the Chinese culture. and Yangtze River Basin. According to the World Wildlife Fund the annual soil loss in the two rivers was four billion tons in When the president of China, Hu Jintao, held his speech on cli- 2003! Many environmental experts believe that soil erosion is mate change at the UN climate summit in New York 2009 he the primary cause of the devastating floods that have been oc- talked about China’s plan to increase the forest cover in China curring in later years. In addition to reducing the degradation with 40 million hectares until 2020. China has since many years of China’s two largest rivers the GGP also increases the ter- been trying to increase the forest cover through six different restrial carbon, since carbon is absorbed by the growing forest. forestry programs and today China is one of the few coun- Although it was not the primary target of the GGP, increased tries in the world that has a growing forest cover. The largest reforestation is one way of controlling the carbon dioxide level and most important forestry program is the Grain for Green in the atmosphere. Program (GGP), also known as the “Slope Land Conversion

26 “Sichuan Pepper” covering the slopes of Shaanxi.

From an environmental point of view it is interesting to esti- be a forestry researcher and we asked ourselves if this is how mate the carbon mitigation potential of the stands under the it’s going to continue during our whole field trip? -It did! After GGP. We therefore chose to do this research as our Master’s checking in at our hotel in central Xian, all arranged by Shaanxi thesis at Chalmers University of Technology. forestry department, it was time for dinner and a first meeting with the Head of GGP in Shaanxi. Since neither of us had been In January we headed off to Beijing to start our research by at any Chinese welcoming dinner before we didn’t know what trying to find background information regarding the GGP. to expect but it was definitely a warm welcoming. The table During our stay in China we faced several great obstacles. One was filled with local dishes and plenty of the local rice wine was trying to collaborate with the Chinese National State that we had heard so much about. Since the Chinese society Forestry Administration. Even though we clearly stated that has a strong hierarchy the guys from the forestry department our research would benefit the GGP they refused to give us all individually wanted to propose toasts with us starting with any forestry statistics regarding the program other than what the head of the office and continuing with all the official staff. we could find in the published forestry yearbook. It was es- This of course meant a lot of drinking and after a while we all pecially frustrating to hear: “Yes, we have the information you got a little bit too tipsy. That’s how the Chinese culture works, are seeking in our database but we can’t give it to you because take it or leave it. it is classified on national level”. Apparently the same forestry statistics is not classified at province level, which makes their While working our way down through China we stopped by bureaucracy even stranger. After a month in Beijing we decided in Chengdu, Chongqing and Guiyang. On our second day in to go on a field trip to visit some plantations in Shaanxi, Si- Chongqing we woke up to the sound of rain. We looked out chuan and Yunnan provinces. The purpose was to increase our the window and decided that is was not going to stop us from understanding of the GGP and hopefully collect the data that our planned sightseeing. Like every morning we started with we were not able to get in Beijing. breakfast and checking email. After a few quiet minutes of email reading Jesper says: When arriving at Xian airport we were met by our translator “We should bring an umbrella today.” and a personal driver holding up a sign that said: “Welcome Mr. Martin responds: Moberg and Mr. Persson”. It now started to feel really good to “Why? It’s just some warm rain; it’s not a big deal!”

27 Jesper: “No but Sarah (our new found friend in Chongqing) tells me derful people of China. What we have mentioned here is just that the rain has a pH below 7 today so it is acid rain and therefore a small selection of our two months of travelling, -there are it’s recommended to use an umbrella.” many more stories to tell. If you are interested in the results of Martin: “What?!” this research we will publish our thesis in the autumn 2010 at Chalmers University of Technology. When the taxi pulled up outside Yunnan forestry department in Kunming we had a good feeling. After visiting both Shaanxi and Sichuan forestry department we both felt that we knew how this works. But in China you should never think that you are in control of the situation. When arriving at boss of the GGP’s office our translator had forgotten the recommenda- tion letter which would allow us to interview him. Despite that we already had spent 10 minutes talking to the boss and that he wasn’t busy at all, we simply had to take a taxi back. He refused to continue the conversation when he found out that we didn’t bring the letter. Going forth and back in a Taxi through the city of Kunming took us more than an hour just to spend five more minutes at the forestry department to collect the forestry statistics we needed. After our experiences with the bureaucracy in China we will never complain about heavy bureaucracy in Sweden again, that’s for sure.

Both of us have been travelling quite a lot before but nothing compares to what we have experienced during this trip. There Meeting in Shiyuan village, Shaanxi Province. is so much to learn and to love about the different but won-

28 P1.cn Where the crème de la crème socialise Text: Carl Sylow-Rynning Photos courtesy of P1.cn

What does a web community of fashion, networking of random events eventually got them up to full momentum. and lifestyle do in a developing country like China? Many people saw a great potential in their project. Today the P1.cn attracts young, wealthy, big spenders that want ownership of P1 is divided among several international inves- to build social networks, take part in fashion, get high- tors and the two founders. end brand discounts or just be seen. Those days when China could be regarded simply as a poor country are The website was launched in the end of 2007 and P1 quickly long gone. found an effective approach to attract the right users. They simply brought their camera and hit the streets of Beijing The founders of P1.cn, Yu Wang and Sophia Pan, met when and Shanghai. There they captured fashion-aware people and they were students in Stockholm and came to understand that people of satisfying social group which they invited to become they both shared a common background with roots in Beijing, members of their community. China. Yu and Sophia also shared a vision about going to China and take advantage of the booming economy and Beijing was When asked what the name P1 stands for Yu tells me; “It’s up the natural starting point. to you to make your own interpretation, but it might stand for; people, privileged or premium, -who knows?” What’s obvi- From the beginning the idea about what they wanted to do ous though, is that this website and the people behind it are was not clear at all, but after a while the concept that today not afraid to stick their necks out and segregate people into is P1 started to take shape. Inspiration came from Facebook’s different social classes. The P1 crew kicks the Swedish “Jante- fantastic social interaction, stureplan.se’s ability to catch what law” in the nuts and they are proud of it. In my opinion, that is is going on among the affluent people and asmallworld.net’s what will make their success. While others try to attract the ability to let the users feel exclusive by the use of invitations. big masses and the common people, P1 turns 180 degrees with In the early stage they were struggling with the lack of con- a vision of attracting all (or almost all) wealthy big spenders in nections in Beijing to set their plan into action but a series China. And those are not few.

29

According to P1’s own market research, their targeted A user base of affluent people of course attracts many po- clientele are the top 3% most affluent people in China. That tential sponsors and partners. Today P1 works together with is equivalent to 80 million people. If P1 succeeds to attract a luxury brands such as Lamborghini, Hennessy and Versace, but market leading share of 60% they will have 48 million users. also lower-end brands like Adidas, Puma and LG. In other words the amount of users would be larger than the populations in Sweden, Norway, Denmark, the Netherlands To get where they are today has not been a walk in the park. and Belgium combined and they would all be able to conduct P1 is an experimental venture business not expected to make shopping sprees on economic steroids. When analyzing these any profit until 2012 and they are heavily dependent on their figures one must remember that in the business of online investors. As the business started up in late 2007 the second communities there is no such thing as being second best. Today round for generating investment turned out to be in the fall P1 has about 600,000 users and the corresponding numbers 2008 when the financial crisis hit hard. Fortunately, P1 was for their competitors focusing on the same client base are in able to survive thanks to a promising business plan and healthy the scale of a few thousands. relations with their investors.

P1 management tells me that statistics shows that 39% of their When I ask if P1 is planning to expand internationally the users use an iPhone to access their mobile platform. (One short answer is “No, why should we?” To explain further, Yu should remember that an iPhone costs the equivalent to four adds that it wouldn’t be a serious approach to start discuss- months salary for a factory-worker in China.) To develop a na- ing these things while still having this huge potential market in tive application for the iPhone, as well as for Android, is a top China not yet fully covered. priority on P1’s agenda.

30

Photo: Carl Christofferson Photo:

The usage of their services is not at full speed yet. Compared P1’s idea is to create a sense of being part of an exclusive to Facebook, P1 still have to stimulate their users to use their group among the high status users. To increase networking services more frequently. Mikael Gustavsson, titled VP Product, and usage of services among the lower-status users it is also admits that they have a lot to work on in this area and tells important to motivate them to climb the social ladder. me that in a near future they will provide some solutions. The most unique one is that they plan to distinctively divide their If this concept of P1 will work and eventually succeed to bring most prominent users into categories with different privileges: profit is unsure. What is not is that it looks damn promising.

• Ambassadors, the most privileged users, are appointed by P1 and can recruit an unlimited amount of VIPs. • The VIPs have unlimited invitations and can appoint 50 privileged members. • Privileged members have 50 invitations and can be pro- moted to VIPs if they invite the right people.

Super networkers and organizers of high-end events will be appointed to ambassadors or VIPs and get access to exclusive events and private groups. Photo: Carl Christofferson Photo:

31 Speeding Development Text: Henrik Kjellgren

If you put your finger at Shanghai on a map of China city streets. They display a future Chongqing with a blue sky and then follow the Yangtze River far into central and crystal clear rivers. Efforts to improve the environmental China you will find Chongqing. With well over 30 mil- protection are said to be made but hard to notice. It seems to lion inhabitants some consider it to be the largest be difficult to keep up with the expansion of the city and the municipality in the world. This anonymous megacity is rapidly increasing population. now China’s new frontier of economic growth. In order to observe some of the development and meet two Chongqing’s transformation to central China’s economic pow- companies who are involved, two of us at the Chalm- erhouse has been directly led by China’s central government ers Asia office pay a visit. that took control of the area in 1997. They have actively used their power to direct Chongqing into the desirable progress. The urban areas of Chongqing are spreading rapidly, skyscrap- For example they recently had a big crackdown on organised ers are popping up everywhere and some areas look very crime. The sweep did not only aim for underground gangsters, sleek and modern. But in many ways Chongqing is not a nice many local authorities and high-ranking police officers also place. Although it is “sunny” weather during our stay, the faced long time jail sentences. air quality is terrible and thick smog embraces most of the skyscrapers and makes it impossible to distinguish the hori- We pay a visit to ABB who manufactures some of the biggest zon. The traffic is very rough and everywhere hard working electric transformers there is one the world market in Chong- but poorly paid “bangbang men” are seen. Bangbang men are qing. Magnus Ström, President of ABB Chongqing, tells us that men carrying loads of goods on their backs with the help of the Chinese demand for all their transformers was soaring bamboo sticks. Each load seems to weight a lot more than the before the financial crisis. Now it is a bit slow going for all bangbang man himself and they are perhaps the most char- products except for transformers for railways, mainly thanks acterising part of the logistics in Chongqing. As we explore to China’s big hunger for high-speed trains. Their factory in the city we walk to the point where the brown water of the Chongqing looks neat and modern, –a must since ABB also Yangtze River meets the equally dirty Jialing River. It is not want quality-demanding international customers to consider as beautiful as we thought it would be. The contrast is sharp buying their Chinese made transformers. from the sleek billboard illustrations we occasionally see in the Photo: Carl Christofferson Photo: Chongqing city and the Yangtze River.

32 Another company we decide to visit in Chongqing is Volvo models of Ford Focus (and until recently Mazda3) dominate Cars. They are there because their owner Ford (still owning the factory. The agility of the factory seems quite impressive. Volvo as I am writing this) together with Mazda, was assigned Especially when we study the long list of different car models the Chongqing based car manufacturer Changan as joint ven- introduced in the factory during the recent years. The main ture partner in China. Jörgen Håkansson, Operations Direc- purpose of the Chinese made Volvos is to increase the tor, shows us the factory where Changan rather than Volvo is competitiveness on the Chinese market by receiving the tax in charge of the production. There is a high degree of manual break for domestically made cars. It works well for Volvo and labour, the assembly lines look somewhat crowded and the Jörgen happily shows us the increasing sales figures. illumination sometimes seems a bit inadequate. Although the quality of the cars is good, Jörgen says he wish Volvo could When we leave for the Chongqing Airport we are once again influence the production more. But he also tells us that the living on the edge in the backseat of a recklessly driving taxi. young work force, both in the factory and in the administra- I start thinking about how well the taxi’s breaks are working. tion, is very ambitious and eager to learn. A few seconds later I realise that it does not really matter. Just like Chongqing itself, the taxi driver is not very keen on On the assembly lines Volvo cars are a minority. Various slowing down. Photo: Henrik Kjellgren Photo:

33 asiaSports

Catching the Taiwanese Wave Text & photos: Hugo af Klint

Surfing in Taiwan began in the early 60s around the Jin new water sport. Jeff and his younger brother, who were Shan area on the north-east coast. At this time there taught how to surf by the American soldiers, naturally became were great tensions between Taiwan and mainland teachers to the local community. One of the younger surfers, China. who was coached by Jeff and also by a Japanese surfer named Naoki, was the 20 year old Erik Yang from Taipei. In search of American military forces had been sent to Taiwan to help a new lifestyle and because of a dedicated love for surfing Erik defending the island if the situation got more critical. It was moved to Wai-ao, a small fishing village, where he opened a an era of martial law that among other things included tight surf shop called Ohana. supervision of the coastline. The Taiwan- It was in Wai-ao me ese soldiers were not and my friends met familiar with surfing Erik for the first time. and were sometimes One of my friends even firing at the broke a fin on his surfers paddling in board and Erik said he the water, believ- could help him repair ing they were spies it. He invited us to stay from mainland China. at his surf shop which This was obviously also provides lodging inhibiting the growth and rental of boards. and popularity of the Erik was very friendly new coastal sport. In and offered us lodging the beginning surfing at his shop as often as was mostly limited we wanted during the Taiwanese surfer Erik Yang. to American soldiers year we would spend and a few locals. Some of the first Taiwanese surfers were the in Taiwan. He also offered us to store our boards there for a Sun brothers who still are active in the field of surfing. Jeff Sun, minor fee. Suddenly we became “Ohana surfers” and a part of the older brother, still runs “Jeff surf shop” in the small town of the Taiwanese surfing community. Daxi on the north-east coast. This was also the first surf shop in Taiwan. Currents, tides and wind condition affect the condition of the waves and every time we go surfing Erik drives us to the spot When the tensions with China calmed down, more and more where the best waves are. He tells us where to paddle out people found their way to the ocean trying to manage the depending on the currents, what wave is worth trying to catch,

34 how to stand up and how to turn. Erik is a true open hearted Hopefully it is just a matter of time before surfing gets its real person who blindly trusted us from the beginning. He invites recognition here as more than just a hobby practised by a few us to meet his friends and to join them for dinner in nearby enthusiasts. towns. He also teaches me how to repair my board when ac- cidents happen. Surfing in Taiwan is blooming right now. According to the R.O.C Surfing Association there are about 30,000 people Erik is an experienced surfer with a history including sev- surfing the waves and the number is increasing. The quality of eral medals from surf competitions and he is still one of the surfing in Taiwan is also beginning to get international recogni- best surfers on the tion. Nowadays lots of north-east coast. He foreign surfers come has told us amazing here to explore the stories about what good waves. it’s like to surf in the giant typhoon waves The time we spent on that sometimes hit the the north-east coast coastline of Taiwan. became so much more than just surfing. In the northern part All the nice people we of Taiwan you can surf got to meet, the trust, all year around but the hospitality and you need to wear a the feeling of being wetsuit in the winter- a part of the surfing time since the water is community will be a cold. In the south and great memory for the The crowded waters outside Wai-ao. south-east areas the rest of my life. As Erik weather stays hot and humid all year around. The waves are once said; “Surfers support surfers”. That is a true description usually better and more consistent here as well. of the mindset in the Taiwanese surfing community. No matter where you come from, how old you are or what language you Every year there are two major surf competitions in Taiwan, speak you are always welcomed by the surfers at Ohana surf one in the north and one in the south. There are also a lot club*. of local competitions with smaller amounts of prize money. So far, no Taiwanese surfer has been able to survive only on *Ohana Surf Shop, 273 Binhai Rd., Toucheng Township, Yilan County sponsorships and prize money without having a part time job. 宜蘭縣頭城鎮濱海路273號 Phone: +886-988-306-388

35 asiaApply Photo: Carl Christofferson Photo:

National Chiao Tung University.

Chalmers Asienprogram

National Chiao Tung University (NCTU) är det främsta tekni- sant, dynamisk och utmanade. Allt fler med teknisk utbildning ska universitet i Taiwan. Universitetet har sin starkaste profil kommer att i sitt yrkesliv ha kontakter i hela området från inom elektronik och informationsteknologi. I samarbete med Japan till Singapore. Därför har Chalmers utvecklat ett spe- National Tsing Hua University täcker utbytet alla civilingen- cialprogram som ger studenter möjligheter till studier och jörsprogram på Chalmers. Utbildning ges på engelska för erfarenheter från dessa ekonomier. studenter från Chalmers genom anpassning av de kurser som utbytet omfattar. Utbudet på kurser som kan ges på engelska Programmet består av följande delar: ökar men det är en fördel att kunna en del kinesiska varför • Intensivkurs i kinesiska, 6 veckor i juli – augusti 2010. företräde ges till de studenter som genomgått språkkursen i Kursen är förlagd till Hsinchu,Taiwan. kinesiska föregående sommar. • Studerandeutbyte med National Chiao Tung University. • Kontakt med andra partneruniversitet i Asien: Japan, Ekonomierna i östra Asien har visat en enastående ekonomisk Singapore, Sydkorea och Kina. utveckling under slutet av 1900-talet. Japan har fått sällskap av Kina bland världens ekonomiska giganter. Regionen är intres-

36 CHALMERS IN ASIA Studying at Chalmers does not limit you to Gothenburg, Sweden. Through many exchange programs Chalmers students are given the opportunity to study at a range of Asian universities. Likewise, students from many different countries are invited to study at Chalmers in Sweden.

Sendai, Japan Tohoku University

Tokyo, Japan Tokyo Institute of Technology

Seoul, South Korea Konkuk University

Beijing, China Sino-Swedish Centre

Shanghai, China Tongji University East China University of Science and Technology

Hsinchu, Taiwan National Chiao Tung University

Hong Kong, China The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology

Singapore Nanyang Technological University The National University of Singapore Chalmers University of Technology

SE-412 96 Gothenburg, Sweden Phone +46 31 772 1000 www.chalmers.se