A foreigner's view on the closure
Updated: 2016-09-12 07:59
By Michael Werkmeister(China Daily USA)
|
|||||||||
Michael Werkmeister from Germany has lived in Shanghai for 15 years and is a regular customer of the bars along Yongkang Road.
I just returned to Shanghai from a trip and was surprised to see that Yongkang Road had changed.
We've all heard that the majority of the bars were closed mainly because they didn't obtain business licenses or have a permit to sell alcohol. On the Chinese landlord side there might have been illegal renting out of housing space and using it for commercial activity. I also heard that some expatriates did some illegal things, such as taking drugs in the small alleys of the neighborhood.
The bar managers must shoulder the responsibility for making sure customers stay within the law. Back in Germany, any bar manager that finds a customer whose behavior is problematic will ask him or her to behave, or leave. It should be the same here.
I came to the street a lot although I don't live or work nearby. I loved to grab a beer, read newspapers and watch soccer games here. But I didn't come at night. I knew people's behavior was sometimes excessive here after dark, which brought about the conflict with residents.
I love Yongkang Road and it seems far more interesting to me than Tianzifang or Xintiandi. This place is non-commercial and so natural and real. It reminds me of my home city Berlin, where we can see communities with shops on the first floor and residents living upstairs. But maybe Yongkang Road is overloaded with bars, which caused the problems.
My house is close to Hongmei Entertainment Street, a pedestrianized street independent from the adjacent residential communities and filled with foreign restaurants and bars. It is near the Gubei area where many expatriates live, and therefore there are fewer disputes.
I hope the bars on Yongkang Road can be reopened while avoiding any serious impact on the surrounding residents.
Michael Werkmeister spoke with Zhou Wenting
(China Daily USA 09/12/2016 page6)
- Joint ASEAN humanitarian drill 'improves mutual trust'
- DPRK's nuclear test condemned for cranking up tensions
- The world in photos: Sept 4 - 11
- Woman in iconic V-J Day kiss photo dies at 92
- Three women planning 'imminent' attacks arrested in France: minister
- China, Britain vow to deepen military exchanges, mutual trust
- US marks 15th anniversary of 9/11 attacks
- Beautiful, smart robots shine at expo in Nanjing
- In pics: Top 10 most global cities in 2016
- In pics: Couple living in a cave for 54 years
- Back basket: New money-making tool in scenic spot
- Legless man and boy climb a mountain together
- 15th anniversary of 9/11 attacks marked
- Yao Ming and Class of 2016 receive Hall of Fame jackets
Most Viewed
Editor's Picks
Anti-graft campaign targets poverty relief |
Cherry blossom signal arrival of spring |
In pictures: Destroying fake and shoddy products |
China's southernmost city to plant 500,000 trees |
Cavers make rare finds in Guangxi expedition |
Cutting hair for Longtaitou Festival |
Today's Top News
Trump outlines anti-terror plan, proposing extreme vetting for immigrants
Phelps puts spotlight on cupping
US launches airstrikes against IS targets in Libya's Sirte
Ministry slams US-Korean THAAD deployment
Two police officers shot at protest in Dallas
Abe's blame game reveals his policies failing to get results
Ending wildlife trafficking must be policy priority in Asia
Effects of supply-side reform take time to be seen
US Weekly
Geared to go |
The place to be |