Day Eleven - ART Day; Life in the 798

We began the day with a company visit to Aigo, a Chinese leader in technology and innovation. I hadn't heard much about the company before, as they aren't active in the US market, but I was really interested in learning about their products and strategies in China. We were taken into a product showroom which displayed all their new and upcoming products, alongside some of their best-sellers. They had everything from digital cameras to USB drives, to digital photo frames, mp3 and mp6 players, and the "Aigo pen" (which worked almost as a remote and corrosponded with books, music downloading devices, and even maps of tourist attractions like the Summer Palace).



From the showroom we were led into an adjacent conference room to hear a presentation about the company. It was interesting, but brief - I felt we could have learned more about the company and their business strategy, but it was still cool to be able to see things from an insider's perspective.

We were free for the rest of the afternoon (after an extensive lunch at a pizza place. why are we scheduled to eat at these slow-service western places while in china?), so Eric, Lindsey, and I ventured to the ART DISTRICT, a.k.a. the 798. I was beyond excited.



The area was packed tight with intertwining sidestreets draped in eccentric art galleries and eclectic shops with handmade products. (I found a few unique necklaces for insanely good prices). I was wonderfully overwhelmed with the Chinese art; some galleries were wildly contemporary while others were quaint and traditional. There were also various sculptures stationed around the area. I wish we could have stayed there all night, but we had to get back to the hotel to meet up with our project teams (for the Wal-mart/Carrefour project). Below are some photos of some of my favorite things from the art district:

















After the 798 we met up with our groups and went to Wal-Mart to continue our study. For the most part, the Wal-Mart was very similar to those in America...or so we thought, until we got to the basement food section. It looked like a full-out Asian market. There were fish laid out in the open, meat hanging everywhere, whole animals showcased in deli counters - the works. It was quite unexpected (and a little scary, I thought).





Called it a night soon after - had to rest up for the GREAT WALL!

Love,

Karen