Chinese Flowers in JingShan Park

Above: JingShan Park in Beijing. These children went to see flower show in JingShan Park during May holidays. I found there also China's new National Moral Principles, Ba Rong Ba Chi.


Chinese Flowers and New National Moral Principles
WILL NEW ETHICS INFLUENCE ON BUSINESS IN CHINA?

GOLDEN WEEK HOLIDAYS
China's May holidays, one of the Golden Weeks, is over again. Golden Weeks are national holidays since 1999, scientifically developed to boost domestic traveling business. They come three times a year:

1. Spring Festival week, January/February, by luna calendar
2. May 1st week, international Labor Day
3. October 1st week, China's National Day

TRAVELERS
Each Chinese Golden Week gives three working days holiday. Companies often work previous weekend to make holiday a full week long. Gifts are given to employees. Those employees who are from countryside, over 100 million of them in urban China, travel to visit their families.

MORE HOLIDAYS
In addition to Golden Weeks, many urban Chinese, who have worked over 3 years, have up to 15 holidays per year. Those 15 days are often used for short, one or two days holidays at a time.

Once I met a Chinese employee who asked his holidays in half-a-day slices, to work only mornings and have holidays in afternoons! 15 holidays could have given him 6 weeks like that!

At JingShan Park. During May holiday week I made a brief trip to Shanghai, the rest was spent in Beijing. JingShan Park had a flower show and I went to shoot pictures (see below). Park's map and history was on old introduction board, and there was a picture of President Hu JinTao. Below his picture I found new National Moral Principles for Chinese people.

Picture:
JingShan Park, Beijing.

New National Moral Principles by P.R China's President Hu JinTao. In Mandarin language, but here below in English.
Click to enlarge.

China's New National Moral Principles
According to President Hu, China's Communist Party officials and the Chinese masses should maintain socialist morality in line with
Eight Honors and Eight Shames - Ba Rong Ba Chi:

1. Love your country; do it no harm
2. Serve the people; never betray them
3. Follow the science; discard superstition
4. Be diligent; not indolent
5. Be united, help each other; make no gains at other's expense
6. Be honest, trustworthy; do not sacrifice ethics for profit
7. Be disciplined and law-abiding; not chaotic and lawless
8. Live plainly, work hard; do not wallow in luxuries and pleasures

IMPACT
If president's new guidelines became widely accepted, would business in China become easier? Or will business still have Chinese characteristics?

Let's not forget Chinese culture, Confucianism, education system, Guanxi (relations) or the way of daily life. Or China's unique market situation, rules and regulations. Let's remember that WTO agreement haven't succeeded to change China's domestic business culture, so far.

Being honest and law-abiding would of course be big benefit in China, like elsewhere. Modernization in China means rising economy but radical, rapid departure from the past thinking is not possible.

CHINESE WAY
Chinese have their own characteristics and way, and think differently. Let's take an example. When Chinese see something interesting, they want to be given its purpose and meaning.

When Chinese tourists visit Parliament House (Eduskuntatalo) in Helsinki, Finland, their minds are full of questions. These 14 front pillars, why just 14, what is the meaning of the number 14? How many steps lead up to the Parliament? What does that number means?

If you were able to give detailed answers to such questions, they would serve Chinese as a guidance, clarifying wider purpose. Chinese learn via details and practicalities, they don't go along with conceptual approach.

EPILOG
Globalization hasn't been able to change cultural characteristics between Americans and Europeans. While Germans focus on quality systems to enhance their products, Americans focus on measuring customer satisfaction, the other side of the coin.

Similarly, Chinese have developed their own complex thinking and characteristics which will not be changed by these new moral guidelines. These moral guidelines will not change Guanxi, relations based business practices and provide shortcut into western style rational "sales process/buying process" interaction.

To succeed with business in China you have to understand Chinese mentality. Failure rate for SMEs entering into China is estimated over 60%. At this development stage of China, Chinese businesses have priority on scale. Chinese buyers focus on product fit with average product qualities. Chinese sellers accept thin margins. Quick transactions and profits are wanted, but scale of business is still most important.

If President's eight moral principles and guidelines, Ba Rong Ba Chi, can change Chinese people's behavior, then we will see enhanced quality of the nation. But they will not influence on Chinese mentality, desires, or business practices.


BeijingMan aka Kippo

List of BeijingMan Postings

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JingShan Park in Beijing has many names. Its also known as Coal Hill Park, Feng Shui Hill, and Prospect Hill. Its in the middle of Beijing, just north of TianAnMen Square and Forbidden City and beside famous BeiHai Park. It has been open for public since 1928.

JingShan Park's history is known for a thousand years. Park was established during Jin Dynasty, depending on sources, in 936, in 1179, or in even 1420. Actually, park hill is man made, 45 or 48 meters high, again depending on sources. As Beijing is a flat city, JingShan Park is the highest point in city area.

Inside JingShan Park its history is introduced on an old board. Interesting point is, that the last emperor of Ming Dynasty, Chong Zhen (1628-1644) committed suicide at JingShan Park. Rebel army had broken into Beijing and Forbidden City, he had no way to escape. He hanged himself on a locust tree.

That interesting point of history was not introduced by that old board in JingShan Park.

JingShan Park is not large, for me one hour was enough to walk around to see it's gardens, pavilions, houses and dancers. This was my first visit. My home is not far away from JingShan Park, will go there sometime again.


All pictures in this post were taken at JingShan Park, Beijing, 2nd May 2006. I used Canon 20D with EF-S 10-22mm and EF 70-200mm L IS lenses. Click to enlarge.

Above-1: JingShan Park in Beijing. Western gate.

Above-2: JingShan Park in Beijing. Ticket sales. 5RMB (0.50EUR or 0,60USD) per person, students and elder people half price.

Above-3: JingShan Park in Beijing. A group gets briefing.

Above-4: JingShan Park in Beijing. Red hat travelers and president's new guidelines made me think about old Chinese symbols.

Chinese calendar has 12 symbols, now we have Dog Year. Those Chinese who were born during Dog Year, can wear all year red socks or red belt. Red belt is often hidden. This is their year. Symbolic reminders make them feel empowered, happy, and lucky. If you want to do business with Chinese, you should learn and recognize their symbols and make that to work for you.

Above-5: JingShan Park in Beijing.

Above-6: JingShan Park in Beijing. Walls and flowers.

Above-7: JingShan Park in Beijing.

Above-8: JingShan Park in Beijing.

Above-9: JingShan Park in Beijing. My best flower shot.

Above-10: JingShan Park in Beijing.

Above-11: JingShan Park in Beijing.
Big flowers. Afternoon +25C forcing them on defence.

Above-12: JingShan Park in Beijing. A lot of photographers, only a few persons made drawings.

Above-13: JingShan Park in Beijing. A flower army.

Above-14: JingShan Park in Beijing. An army of flowers.

Above-15: JingShan Park in Beijing. Blue sky!

Above-16: JingShan Park in Beijing. Visitors.

Above-17: JingShan Park in Beijing. A lady drummer.

Above-18: JingShan Park in Beijing. Five men playing with drummer lady. Men have small loudspeakers on belts.

Above-19: JingShan Park in Beijing. Dancing in the park.

Above-20: JingShan Park in Beijing. Groups, groups, groups.

Above-21: JingShan Park in Beijing. Groups, groups, groups.

Above-22: JingShan Park in Beijing. Millions of photos.

Above-23: JingShan Park in Beijing. Got barefoot?

Above-24: JingShan Park in Beijing. She was not barefoot.

Above-25: JingShan Park in Beijing.

Above-26: JingShan Park in Beijing.
Armbanded hand can give you ice cream, drinks, snacks.

Above-27: JingShan Park in Beijing. The Wall.

Above-28: JingShan Park in Beijing. The Doors.

Above-29: JingShan Park in Beijing. The Doors.

Above-30: JingShan Park in Beijing. Outside the western gate.


I had fun.
Weather was good.
Ice cream was good.
Nearly blue sky.
This old rap, don't ask me what it means!


Hali-Viivoo, Hali-Veivoo,
Hali-Viivoo-Veivoo-Vum.
Hali-Met, Hali-Sä,
Hali-Vei, Hali-Kot,
Hali-MetsäVeikot!

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UPDATE 9th September 2006:
Six men were resting and discussing in front of Ba Rong Ba Chi - Eight Honors and Eight Shames - advertisement near Workers Stadium at GongTiBeiLu Avenue in Beijing modern center.

UPDATE 20th September 2006:
Ba Rong Ba Chi has been made as a song. Today popular lady singer Yin Xiumei performed it at CCTV3 for a large audience.


JingShan Park near Forbidden City
+ Good park for walk-around, not oversized
+ Live music and dancers, a lot of visiting groups
+ If energy is no problem, extends well trip to Foreign City
- Traffic around the park
**** RELAXED TARGET FOR A WALK-AROUND ****

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© BeijingMan aka Kippo 2008, 2009, 2010