The Streets of China: Pre Covid

"rctothefuture" (rctothefuture) 10/12/2020 at 11:45 • Filed to: Carspotting, China, MadeInChina, Oppositelock, Pictures, travel

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My wife was a teacher in China for a year. Taught English as a second langauge in Fuzhou, China. Was a really interesting place, nestled in the Mountains with some very interesting history. I didn’t take a ton of pictures of the city, as I was enthralled with drinking Pineapple beer on the streets and eating Burger King meals for $2USD.

Alas, I did grab some pictures of the Chinese car culture and thought I’d share them here:

A simple street corner. You’ll see that VW and Suzuki’s were the flavor on this part of town. In the back is a tire shop, I have a picture somewhere of a McLaren there getting some new rubber. Really stood out amongst the humdrum options of transportation.

Not all streets were like this, but they were gorgeous. Would have loved to been cruising in a Miata down these roads.

Parking in China is a lot like this. If they fit? They park. If it’s a quiet street, they can usually last a week before they get a ticket then towed. It happens all the time and it’s funny as hell to watch people park and just get out like it’s totally normal. China is a place where unless someone yells at you, you assume it’s legal. Wish I got the picture of an SUV parked inbetween 2 bushes in the middle of an apartment complex.

This blew my mind. A Chinese, knockoff, Pontiac Aztek. It was only there for a few minutes and I didn’t get a chance to take a picture of the front. It was truly uglier and sounded like a diesel pulling away. Poetic, really. Just like this shop:

Gas stations are rare in the city. They usually have long lines and are slow moving. They do have attendants that fill the car for you. Not sure how the pricing works but it was interesting to watch

Now onto the parking lot of our apartment:

Mustangs are rare, really rare in China. This one was hit by the Chinese AutoZone rack. Batman stickers, Mustang Club interior and stickers on sidewall to make them “sporty”. I believe this was a 2.3 eco with an auto, close to $58,000 in USD. Insane.

This cleanly wrapped G37 always caught my eye. Sat right next to the dumpster, weirdly.

This is the dichotomy of China’s growing economy. A beautiful, modified, M3 with low mileage and a nice exhaust. Next to it? A Chinese knock off of a Cavalier with a broken in door and grass growing around it. Then you look over and see a Kia and a VW Golf. It’s such an interesting site. The rich, the middle class, and the poor all sharing the same spaces. You know who’s doing the best but they all share the same pavement, side by side. It really caught my attention and I think about it a lot.

You never think about it at home. In the USA, everyone uses cars and seeing a new M3 or an old Cavalier side by side is no big deal. These are modes of transportation. We don’t judge the Cavalier owner, we don’t see the car as a rolling rust bucket of failure. We understand everyone needs a car, that it’s the basic tool of freedom to succeed. Sure, we can turn our nose up but we also know we all started with something like that. We know that it’s a necessary tool, and some people treat a car like an appliance. That’s the American way after all.  

But in China, that old knock off was once the pinnacle of the community. Owning a car over a scooter meant you were somebody, that you worked hard and pulled strings to get that little sedan. But now? It’s a tin can, a piece of rotting metal garbage in the eyes of the citizens who once admired the owner and cast jealous and wanting eyes upon him. Now, they look to the left with those eyes (at the BMW) and sneer their noses down at that old sedan. They aspire for the BMW, buy the VW, and laugh at the folks in a cheap tin can or even worse, a scooter.

The car in China is a status symbol, a symbol that you have “made it”. You’ve got high speed rail, tons of local transportation and taxi options. Electric scooters and bikes are easier to ride and quicker than driving a car. Yet here China is, ever expanding their car ownership numbers as people see their cars as an accessory . It’s not a way of living, it’s a way of showing how you live.

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > rctothefuture 10/12/2020 at 12:37

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The Ssangyong Actyon makes the Aztek look pretty.

Thank you for sharing this. The Chinese car market is indeed quite an interesting convergence of eras in car design. Was the Infiniti sold in China new? Because I didn’t know they sold them there but it doesn’t have the US spec lights. The Mustang is clearly a US import because of the side marker lights.

If you’ve got any more photos please feel free to dump them on us. It’s interesting to diss ect them. You make a really interesting point about the knock off Cavalier next to the M3. Because cars have been so thoroughly entrenched in our culture for so long it’s easy to forget the status of owning a car in the first place.

404 - User No Longer Available > rctothefuture 10/12/2020 at 12:52

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A Chinese knock off of a Cavalier with a broken in door and grass growing around it.

Actually that’s a continuation of the Daihatsu Charade, locally produced as the FAW Xiali.

They had an actual Cavalier revival there, but it’s now replaced by the Onix and has now since moved back to Mexico .

404 - User No Longer Available > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 10/12/2020 at 12:53

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They were just ahead of its time. Basically a very early on prototype of a BMW X6 judging by that rear hatch .

duurtlang > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 10/12/2020 at 12:55

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And it’s actually South Korean, not Chinese. They even sold a few of these in Europe. With diesel engines.

rctothefuture > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 10/12/2020 at 12:57

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No idea on the Infiniti, I tried to look up China in Infiniti and they do sell them, no idea if it’s a domestic vehicle though. Never really saw it move so hard to say. Interesting note about the Mustang, didn’t figure it was an import. It was apart of an “American Muscle Car Club” which is pretty cool to see in China.

Appreciate you dissecting them, I sadly don’t have much more pictures of the cars. Got a lot of Shanghai, Disney Shanghai and local stores. Wish I would have gotten more of the cars, it was amazing. 

rctothefuture > 404 - User No Longer Available 10/12/2020 at 12:59

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Ah, good to know! I’m not good at finding the original “knock off”. I had a local teacher tell me it was a Cavalier, seems to be the go-to verbiage for a shitbox 

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > duurtlang 10/12/2020 at 13:06

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Yes, Ssangyong sure is an odd one though. Have they ever made a good looking car?

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > rctothefuture 10/12/2020 at 13:10

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You can tell USDM cars by the prominent orange side marker lights. Though I’m looking at European market ones and they seem to still have that space occupied so I don’t know. I might have to look at it a little closer to really tell.

I’ve always wanted to visit China. How did Disney Shanghai compare to Disney World in Florida? (If you’ve been). 

duurtlang > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 10/12/2020 at 13:14

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No. They used to build these odd interesting  looking vehicles. They have changed strategies and are offering generic looking things.

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > duurtlang 10/12/2020 at 13:22

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It’s better looking than the Equinox.

But yeah their stuff is too swoopy for me. 

Jb boin > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 10/12/2020 at 13:31

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Here is an European Mustang, they don’t seem to have the orange part :

Taylor Martin > rctothefuture 10/12/2020 at 13:40

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Of all things to knock off... why the Aztek? Did the designers watch too much Breaking Bad and thought that because the main character drove one it must be a cool car? Though truth be told, I like the windows on the kn ockoff, along with those extra P H A T tires.

I think cars are a universal symbol of status, and while I’d prefer looking at an old C avalier over a new and simple M 3, most normal people who don’t like ugly cars would judge the book by its cover.

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > Jb boin 10/12/2020 at 13:51

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Because why would you include a massive orange reflector and light if you didn't have to? But I'm so used to seeing that color there that pictures of cars without it kind of look a little weird to me. 

rctothefuture > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 10/12/2020 at 14:22

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I should do a post about it because it was one nuts trip.

That being said, Disney Shanghai is a lot like the rest of “New China”. It’s built for WHEN it gets busy. It’s a giant park, everything is BIG. The castle isn’t forced perspective, it’s a giant castle you can walk up and in.

The park rides are really spaced out and the pathways are spaced out. The idea being they make room for when it’s super busy. But the funny thing is, it’s not that busy. We got on all the rides within 15 minutes, which was awesome. They have a lot of similar rides, but some exclusive (Tron Light Cycle, mystic river journey, Alice in Wonderland Maze, Iron Man suit VR, etc.) and special versions. Check out their Pirates of the Caribbean . It’s insane how great it is, the whole area around the ride is like you’re in the movie.

The experience was more marred by the Chinese cultural. No lines, people spitting and taking a leak wherever they please (in line for Pirates of the Caribbean for example). A lot of people would call the Chinese “rude” but they really just have a culture of “fuck you, I got mine”. It really didn’t fit the fun and family atmosphere of Disney World, but the folks at Disney were quick to call people out on their shenanigans.

Disney World is like the “perfect” example of Disney and really the WORLD. It’s a place where if you pay, it’s a perfect vacation in a nice hotel with fantastic food from all cultures and the ability to enjoy being a kid for a week.

Disney Shanghai is the perfect example of Disney in America. All the actors are in English, all the Disney rides are similar to American rides and the food is all American (probably the only place to get a piece of cheesecake and a hotdog in China ). There are some traditional Chinese food options for the locals, but it’s really like the “idea” of Disney that people see and hear about on TV.

I really should do a post, as a Disney fan it was something to behold.

rctothefuture > Taylor Martin 10/12/2020 at 14:37

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I think the idea of a car as a status symbol in the U.S. is still a thing. In China though, it’s like driving a house. Since almost everyone lives in condo’s or apartment’s, this is their rolling claim to fame. Where as in the U.S. we may drive an older vehicle, but we may flaunt our wealth with our homes, ATV’s, RV’s, boats, guns, etc. We have much more ways to express it, while in China it’s either your clothes or your car. 

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > rctothefuture 10/12/2020 at 14:40

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Really, just taking a leak in line? That’s. . . well. . . something.

So basically it’s like a representation of the Americanized version of the things it represents? So it’s kind of a tourism of American culture and how we perceive the world in a way? Sounds like something that deserves its own post for sure. 

rctothefuture > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 10/12/2020 at 14:59

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Yeah. We were trying to figure out why the lines in the morning we’re all wet, as it didn’t rain...

Yeah, they have to hose down the floors due to all matter of fluids on the ground left by park goers...

But yes, that’s a great way to describe it. I’ll for sure make a post when I have some free time. Great way to reminisce as I do miss Ch ina.

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > rctothefuture 10/12/2020 at 15:05

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That’ s just gross really. Maybe it more accepted in their culture but like. . . 

Taylor Martin > rctothefuture 10/12/2020 at 15:05

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F air point. Everyone lives in those crammed cities (which personally, I could never do. I’m a big ol’ claustrophobe ) so getting out on the road is like breathing a breath of fresh air, and is a platform for you to show your true colors.

rctothefuture > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 10/12/2020 at 15:06

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pip bip - choose Corrour > rctothefuture 10/12/2020 at 18:12

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That Aztek knockoff is a ssangyong and yes probably was a diesel like most of them 

SpeedSix > rctothefuture 10/15/2020 at 15:32

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The “Aztek knockoff” is a Ssangyong, and those are South Korean SUVs and CUVs, not Chinese at all . They still make vehicles, but they’re all traditionally-styled now.

Chan - Mid-engine with cabin fever > rctothefuture 11/02/2020 at 13:55

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Love the coverage of Fuzhou!

Unlike Shanghai, it’s a city that doesn’t grab headlines but from what I’ve heard it has a lovely streetscape, some of which you have captured here.

The wealth dichotomy is stark, not unlike the US of the early 20th century. They missed out on most of the Industrial Revolution and they’ve been doing triple time since the 1980s...it’s insane.

gmporschenut also a fan of hondas > rctothefuture 11/09/2020 at 00:07

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Like that last photo  my aunt worked for a luxury fashion company and it always was interesting what they sold. In NA and Europe there would be general trends and tastes youd see. In china, might as use magic 8ball.