The Olympics - Page 30

Why do you assume that based on his comment? My assumption was the opposite, though it was still a slightly unexpected thing to mention. It seems to me that someone who hadn't been to Shanghai and Beijing or who had just been there briefly might just assume that everything was very inexpensive.

If he hasn't been to an Asian city, that is a perceptive comment. Many people from the center of Beijing and Shanghai have had to move out to the suburbs due to relocation programs in which they are badly compensated for their high-value properties in the center. Prices are extremely high for the original inhabitants of Beijing and Shanghai. Obviously, there are countless exceptions, but inflation is extremely high, and many people have had to move out of the city centers. This was an interesting aspect of urban development to mention, but it is a theme nonetheless. There are also huge waves of migration into Shanghai and Beijing, but that doesn't change the fact that people are essentially being priced out of the city centers. Well, to be honest, I don't know the situation in Shanghai very well.

I have been to Shanghai, Beijing, Guilin, Saigon, and several other villages in rural Vietnam. I was born to parents who were saised in Saigon (HCM City now...) and I made sure I knew what I was talking about before making that comment. From what I understand, all the land in China is owned by the government and living on the land doesn't necessarily mean you own it. (Please contribute or correct if you're familiar with this situation.) The fact that cities like Shanghai are experiencing a building boom shows that there are people being moved out of their old homes which were just simple old buildings 2 or 3 stories tall. A family living in one of those homes may not be able to move back into the new condos or apartments that were built in their place which leaves them no choice but to find another place to live, most like away from the center of the city. Reading back on my old comment, I realize I did mistakenly say that most people had to leave their town which isn't completely accurate but I hope I cleared that up.