Tianjin

When Britain made South Africa a country by force, each of the preceding countries bar Natal (which got cash) was given a Capital. SA has three Capitals... Pretoria is where the Executive sits, Bloemfontein where the Judiciary sits, and Parliament is in Cape Town. Pretoria and Johannesburg are not the same city... but you wouldn't know it on the 60km drive. In China, Beijing is the Capital but just 130km away is Tianjin - also one of the biggest cities in the world with over 15 million people. In 1856, officials suspected a ship was engaged in piracy and dealing opium. They boarded and arrested 12 men. In response the British and French sent gunboats. The resulting "Opium Wars" allowed Britain to continue trading, but according to their rules rather than those of local authorities. Along with opening up to trade, the city also has numerous European style buildings in the concession areas. Architectural reminders of their rule in the form of Churches and Villas.

Church of Our Lady's Victory - 1869

Chengdu

Two thousand years of Imperial Rule ended in China in 1912. A lightly held Republic was established, but that descended into Civil War as "The People" had different views of how to govern. A common foreign enemy in the form of Japan brought temporary alignment before the Civil War resumed after the second World War. Part of the Cold War, in 1949, the Government of the Republic was forced to Taiwan and the Communist Party established the People's Republic. Chengdu is unique as a major settlement that mostly maintained its name through these periods. It means "becoming a Capital". I like that. Cities are the closest thing physical places have to people with limited lives. They may still be there, but like growing children, you have to love them while letting go of each moment as they fundamentally become something else. King Tai said a settlement needed "one year to become a town, two to become a city, and three to become a metropolis". Today Chengdu is home to 14-18 million people depending on your definition of its borders. It is still becoming.

1949 Troops entering Chengdu

ending the Chinese Civil War

Beijing

The borders of countries are tidal. What divides and rules us depends on the whims of the times, and the songs we happen to be singing. Cities tend to be renamed, swell, and shrink... but they don't move. The people do. Beijing was conquered in 1215 by the Mongol Empire. By 1240, the turn had come for Kievan Rus, and they were readying to destroy Vienna when the Khan died in 1241. They still returned to flatten Baghdad in 1258, at the time the world's centre of learning. Beijing was rebuilt between 1264 and 1293. It was called Bei (Northern) Jing (Capital) in 1403, with the Forbidden City constructed as the Imperial Residence. Beijing has remained the political centre of China for most of the last eight centuries. It now hosts the most Fortune 500 companies, and the world's four largest financial institutions. Very much connected to the rest of the world, as it has been for thousands of years.

Beijing

Shanghai

Four Cities in China have the same rank as Provinces - Tianjin, Beijing, Chongqing, and Shanghai. Shanghai has a population of about 24 million people, roughly the same as Australia. The City was one of five treaty ports forced to open to foreign trade after the British victory over China in the first Opium War. European tastes for silk, porcelain, and tea caused one-sided trade imbalances. Chinese Officials weren't keen to even the scales with Opium. Gunboats forced the issue. The City then flourished as a centre of commerce. It has now become a showpiece for the booming Chinese Economy. Shang means upon, and Hai, means sea. Ports have for a long time being where the best and worst of us clash.

Pudong, Shanghai (2010)

A reclaimed swampland

Chongqing

Chongqing Skyline

Chongqing Municipality

Chongqing is one of five National Central Cities in China. The populations of cities are difficult to measure as they grow more organically than countries without the constraints of borders. The Metropolitan Area includes those in the less populated commuter belt. For Chongqing, that includes 52.1 million people. The urban/rural definition is fuzzy and based on population density and infrastructure. Chongqing's has 36.7 million people. The 'City Proper' is more clearly defined by legal, or political, boundaries. By that definition, only 8.5 million people live there. In 1950, the world's urban population was just 746 million. By 2007, more than 50% of us were living in cities. The Chongqing municipality was created as a merger of 43 counties in order to spearhead China's western development.

2015 World Urbanisation Map

Guangdong

Guangdong

Guangdong Province (China) has a population of 107 million. As a country, that would make it the 12th largest in the world just behind Japan. 13 million people live in the capital, Guangzhou, which would be the 73rd largest country behind Chad. The area was called Canton by Westerners. As the Mongol Empire came to dominate Asia and Eastern Europe, the Han Chinese pushed South. Since the 16th century, there were extensive trade links with the rest of the world. Initially by land and the Silk Road, then by sea. The opium traded through Guangdong triggered the First Opium War with conflicting views on trade and which 'rule of law' should be applied, and by whom, to foreign nationals. As a major port of export for goods, and emigration, a large proportion of overseas Chinese people speak Cantonese rather than Mandarin.  

Guangzhou

Photo: jo.sau

Monopolising Violence

Conn Iggulden is a great author [Hat tip Rob Grave]. He writes historic novels using well researched detail as the starting point to weave an embellished tale. I have just finished the 5 book series starting with the rise of Genghis Kahn and ending with his grandson Kublai Kahn. Kublai founded the Yuan dynasty (from where the Chinese currency gets its name).

People often talk about the past being much simpler. Most historical accounts I read make me very glad to be living today! Incredible destruction had to go into the monopolisation of violence so that people didn't have to live in constant fear. History was about putting the strongest in charge - and hoping that power would protect you from others. Kings, Kahns, Shahs, Popes and Emperors fought for world domination. Once mere geography was out the way, it became idealogical. You didn't really have the choice to opt out and live peacefully.

It is tough to read the books and know how to view the destructive leaders. You see Syria and Egypt struggle without a monopoly of violence and yet we gag at the lack of liberty of the people under the autocratic leaders. Part of the US 'right to bear arms' was a rebellion against that monopoly of violence being in the hands of Government - because the British Monarchy wouldn't let them have their liberty. Iggulden's books certainly show some 'benevolent' leaders and some tyrannical leaders.

I am a fan of violence being monopolised, but I hope that one day it is disappears altogether. The sweep of history suggests we are heading in that direction - but lots of trauma around the world shows it is not in a straight line.

Amy Tan on Creativity

Amy Tan is an author, one of her latest books is called `Saving Fish from Drowning'. In this TED talk on Creativity, she explains the Chinese saying behind the title of that book. Buddhists believe in doing no harm to living creatures, but they still need to make a living. Some Chinese Fisherman justify what they do by saying that they are saving the fish from drowning, but unfortunately they die in the process... so they sell them.

That is an aside. She is not the most energetic of speakers, but a lot of what she said got me thinking... definitely worth the small investment of 18 minutes of your time.

One of the things she spoke about was her decision to visit Burma. People had told her that if she went, she would be seeing as condoning the military regime. She decided that that is not why she wanted to go, and irrespective of what others thought, she would go based on her intent.

This raises an interesting point. If you disagree with China, or rather, if you are upset by their human rights record... should you object to the Olympics being there, or doing business with the Chinese? Should you refuse to interact with the Chinese?

I am not convinced that that is the right answer.

FACT: China is going to play a big role in all of our futures.
FACT: The wests human rights record is not spotless.

I think there is a massive cultural understanding gap... with China, with the Middle East, amongst others. It is very easy for us to assume a moral high ground and not engage with those with whom we disagree. The problem is, I don't think we have any right to assume that high ground, plus without understanding underlying philosophies and cultural belief systems, honest engagement becomes very difficult.

Anyway... that has little to do with her talk. Which is the first TED talk I downloaded this month after going WAY over my bundle limit last month. Need to organise unlimited downloads soon or I am going to get very sad. In one day, I have used up 40% of my monthly allocation.

Download her talk.