Foreign tourists in Shanghai are often amazed by the city's futuristic skyline, trendy bars and restaurants, glitzy theaters, large ex-pat community and vibrant economy.

 

They often say the city makes New York look like a village. Some, before departing Shanghai, say they are leaving the future for the past.

 

While there is certainly some truth to these observations, it's only one side of the coin.

 

Traffic congestion, pollution, food safety and lack of civic responsibility on the part of many local residents are just some of many other thorny issues Shanghai faces.

 

Even with larger houses and more disposable income, many locals feel they are less happy than decades ago.

 

Most tourists don't see this side. They only visit the attractions, such as the Bund, Xintiandi, Nanjing Road Pedestrian Mall, Yuyuan Garden and Oriental Pearl TV Tower. 

 

In fact, if they were just a little more adventurous, they would find that some old neighborhoods adjacent to the posh Xintiandi area are much more interesting, both culturally and historically.

 

There, you see the real Shanghai. It's like going back in time by half a century. Several families share one kitchen. Cooking is a social time with neighbors in a smoky, dimly lit room. Homes are often crowded and decrepit. Residents cannot afford to buy any of the new apartments being built in a massive scale in the city.

 

This is Shanghai, one of the most prosperous Chinese cities. It is also the most un-Chinese city in the country, just like New York is the most un-American city in the United States.

 

Situations in hinterland Chinese cities and the countryside are totally different.

 

Foreign tourists who believe they have seen or understand China after touring just a couple of big cities like Shanghai are simply getting an incomplete image of the country.

 

My advice when I talk to visiting foreign tourists, journalists, diplomats and students, is to take a trip into the city's old town areas, smaller Chinese cities and the vast countryside.

 

I want them to see with their own naked eyes everything, both good and bad, about the country. Then they can then make their own judgment.

 

The truth is that the more they see both sides of the coin, the more they love the country. Many of those I know keep coming back, some even bring their families and friends.

 

However, we used to stick to the traditional concept that the negative side is the skeleton in the closet and should be kept from visitors.

 

That explains why we used to tell and show foreigners only the marvelous things in the country. We believed that we should show them the Maglev bullet train instead of crowded buses emitting thick black smoke. We should lead them to top bilingual schools instead of run-down schools for poor migrant children...

 

We were reluctant to talk about problems, regardless of the fact that it is only natural for a developing country in transition and a country as large, populous and diverse as China to have many problems.

 

But trying to hide the bad things, or keeping the skeleton in the closet, does not always work in today's global village. Internet and satellite TV have made what happened in one remote corner of the world known instantly all over the world.

 

Trying to hide bad things is not only unwise, it reflects a lack of confidence in you and your country.

 

The damage of trying to conceal something bad could be disastrous. People won't trust you any more once they realize they're being duped. They won't treat someone with no credibility as friends. And they won't come back to you, to your city or your country.

 

Chinese movies in the 1960s and 70s often depicted heroes as semi-god figures - figures so perfect that you would never encounter them in real life.

 

We all know that it's a bubble that has busted. Model soldier Lei Feng is still an admirable person, although we all know by now that he did not lead such a thrifty life as described in the old literature. The real Lei Feng is more like a warm-hearted guy you find in the community. It actually makes Lei Feng more likable.

 

Telling both sides of China's story to foreigners works the same way. It will only help, rather than hurt the image of the country.

 

We should confidently show people the country's great achievements of the last 29 years. At the same time we should not hesitate to discuss problems such as pollution, intellectual property rights, food safety, freedom and democracy...

 

Honesty is still the best policy. We have been trying to show the real China, instead of bragging ourselves as a perfect Lei Feng.

 

No one in this world is perfect. And we should not hesitate in opening our own closet to visitors, both from home and abroad.

 

(China Daily July 28, 2007)