Reflections

My impression of China improved after I visited the Shanghai Expo, as the Chinese had put in much effort into the planning and management of this event and it is indeed quite impressive. Be it for entertainment, or amenities such as food and restrooms, one can find all of these easily. Also, there are buses to ferry passengers around different pavilions and service ambassadors are available at all times to provide quality service.

Nonetheless, it is rare to attain perfection and I felt that the expo is too big with overwhelming crowds. One often needs to join a very long queue to enter the different pavilions. I spent six hours and was only able to visit a few of the pavilions. It is inevitable that I have some regrets for not having explored the entire expo site.

Shortly after my changed impression of China, I was astonished when we visited the Shanghai Pearl Tower. There were no problems with the queues but upon reaching the retail stalls and eateries, problems arose and I felt as if I was transported back to China during the 1980s. Service was scarce and we were pretty much left to our own devices.

I was at one of the stalls trying to get the attention of the salesperson. After calling out for three to four times, someone finally brought the item that I requested for. I merely asked a few questions when the salesperson retorted and asked if I have the intention to purchase. I made the purchase on the spot, as it was a small item that costs only 100 Yuan.

Upon reaching the restaurant, I was barred at the front door, as I could not find the tour guide. The doorkeeper asked me several questions that were even more direct than a security guard. However, once the tour guide appears, the attitude of the doorkeeper changed immediately and even welcomed me into the restaurant heartily. Although, it was supposed to be an international buffet, there were no tea, coffee or even water! Additional charges for drinks apply and we have to pay if we need to use their cups! Such retail methods are really astounding and it was an eye-opening experience!

I have been traveling to China since 1980s for leisure trips and I am always happy to see China progressing throughout the years. Usually, I travel to destinations that are off the beaten tracks with lesser crowds. However, my encounters while travelling in a group tour on this trip gave me much food for thought. I cannot help but to ponder: does mass tourists really deserve such treatment?

It goes to show that a city cannot rely solely on its exterior; it also requires good service that can provide satisfaction. Therefore, it is necessary to introduce adequate training to raise the local service standards. The development and progress of the city does not come easily and it is essential not to fail due to this minor aspect.

After evaluating others, I look back and figured that Singapore has much room for improvements in the aspect of service as well. Hope everybody can work together to achieve better service standards and progress ahead!

Bask in Zi Wei Star · Visit the God of Wealth · Explore Shanghai World Expo

The Feng Shui Discovery Tour has been held for four years running. Every year, I lead a group of like-minded enthusiasts to experience how the royalty incorporates feng shui into their life and politics etc. Even the royalty members need to rely on feng shui to secure their status, needless to say, commoners like us would need to do so too.

In our recent trip, we travelled to Beijing, Shanghai and Jiangnan. Jiangnan can be considered a strategic land between the Ming and Qing Dynasty. During the Ming Dynasty, the Imperial Court sent forces to Jiangnan on several occasions. There were several reasons for these expeditions, namely: 1) struggles over the reign of Emperor, 2) the Dragon's vein which denotes prosperous land and 3) foundation to increase the influential powers of the royalty. As for the Qing Dynasty, forces were sent to Jiangnan to look for the land with superior geomantic qualities, whereby the Seven Stars landed.

The destiny of the forefather from Qing Dynasty was influenced by the Seven Stars. It was essential to discover the land whereby the Seven Stars landed, in order to ensure prosperity for the future generations. Unfortunately, the troops did not go to Shanghai and returned empty handed instead. Thus, Shanghai was developed into a goldmine for the mass during the Ming Dynasty.

The main purpose of this feng shui tour to Jiangnan is to visit the Gods of Wealth, Shen Wan San and Tao Zhugong. I noticed that many people who seek or pray to the Gods of Wealth often hope to be blessed with wealth. Such thoughts are not encouraged. In fact, we should try to gain a better understanding on how the God of Wealth acquire his wealth and adopt the same attitude in order to gain the technique to making money. For example, Shen Wan San made use of the "money begets money" theory to acquire his wealth while Tao Zhugong used his wisdom to gain his wealth.

During our journey, we also visited Yiwu International Trading Centre, the film site for numerous TV and movie epics in Hengdian, Shanghai Expo sites, Maoshan Mountain etc. and it was an eye-opening experience! These destinations have its unique styles that are interesting in its own ways. For example, Maoshan Mountain is adept at using its status as the "Most Prosperous Place on Earth" and has developed into one of China's largest Taoism Centre for self-cultivation.

This year, we chose Shenwu Men, the northern gate at the Forbidden City, to bask in the Zi Wei Star. Although the sky was cloudy, we could still make out the position of the Zi Wei Star upon scrutiny. The circumstances whereby we basked in Zi Wei Star differs from that of the previous year. In the previous year, the night was clear with a bright moon and stars. It signified a somewhat favourable year for 2010. However, judging from this year's situation, the luck cycle for 2011 may be unfavourable. Thus, I hope that everybody can make better preparation to face the challenges in the coming year.

Next year's Feng Shui Discovery Tour shall be the last tour of its series. I plan to lead everybody to examine how the Emperor enhances his health and increase longevity. At the same time, we shall visit the Sleeping Deity at Huashan Mountain to improve vitality! For interested parties, do watch out for further details coming soon!