28 January 2018
Greetings all from Shenyang, Liaoning province, China. We’re nearing the time of Chinese New Year, nearing the time when we pass our 8th anniversary in China and my 3rd anniversary as the General Manager here in Shenyang. Hard to believe.
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| The Michelin Shenyang Tire Company Direction team (- 2) , Jan 2018 |
We are trying to be really focused on both our customers and our people, so one of the things we do at least once a year, typically when we have had some changes in the management team, is to organize a team visit to tire dealers, wholesalers and car manufacturers. At the same time we try to have some fun and explore beautiful northeast China. With that objective in mind, a couple of weeks ago, the management team went to Shandong province. Below is an account of the adventure from my perspective I wrote during the trip:
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| The China Geography lesson! Shandong province is right across the East China sea from Liaoning Province |
18 Jan 2018
Me and 11 of my team are on an adventure! We are Taking the overnight train from Shenyang to Jinan to see some Customers on Friday and have some fun together on Saturday. The entire adventure is also meant to help us improve our teamwork and I’m sure it will! Last year we went to Harbin to see customers and also have some fun at the ice festival and that little trip did start to build some good relationships with people. When you spend days and nights together you do get to know each other!! Unfortunately, 2 of the team members are sick and cannot join us, so we will have to pick another destination for a future time ! I’m convinced the benefits far outweigh the cost for developing a team that is both customer and people centric.
Given the quick advancement of trains and transportation in general in China, I think this type of train won’t be around much longer... too slow!. This type of train is a “green” train (and that does not necessarily mean environmentally friendly). Green is the color on the outside, it stops at many stops along the way, it’s slow and it always gives priority to the high speed trains.
Getting on the Green train in Shenyang
Overall it’s 14 hours overnight for a trip that would take 2 hours to fly. Several members of the team have told me that when they were young (10-15 years ago) this type of train with a sleeper cabin was only a dream! Only possible for government officials. Normal people Couldn’t buy it even if they had the money. In fact most members of my team have only taken a train like this one or two other times in their life! (Like me!) I Shared the cabin with 3 other women on my team. When the tickets for this train are sold there is no allowance for male/female in a cabin so during the first 20 minutes everyone is wanting to swap cabins to be with friends etc. A bottom bunk ticket can normally only able to swap with another bottom bunk ticket holder. One car has 40 bunks and there Is 1 toilet and 3 sinks common for all.
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| Sarah and the bunk mates (thankfully the Chinese ladies took care of all of the switching conversations so that 4 out of the 6 females on my team could be together as bunk mates! |
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| Communal sinks and toilets on the train |
Ready or not, Lights out at 11:00! Seems to be norm that the men drink and play cards! Smokers go between the cars to smoke even though it’s not allowed. The women seem to stay in cabins and talk and look at their phones (like me right now as I write this!)
I am soaking it all in, another real China experience!
Sleep was intermittent. Lots of stops, lots of other trains passing, but overall quiet (with my headphones on and an audio book droning me off to sleep).
My first night in a Chinese train— wasn’t on my bucket list, but done now!
19 Jan 2018
Good morning from somewhere in Shandong Province, China. Looks cold and foggy outside. We haven’t arrived at our destination yet, but my little cabin is awake and getting ready for breakfast. I Just came back From the 3 sink common bath area after brushing my teeth beside my personnel manager doing his morning shave and my quality manager putting on her makeup!this takes team building to a whole new level! Breakfast was standard Chinese...good thing I brought some of my own snacks!
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| Breakfast on the train...yum.... |
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| The team that eats breakfast together works well together! |
Jinan is the capital city of Shandong Province and it has about 8 million people. Just from observation it is not quite as developed as Shenyang. Lots of white sky, and it wasn’t 100% fog...
We visited 2 tire dealers and listened to their concerns and their outlook for the future. Always interesting to hear direct with no filter!
Then we had lunch and then drove 2 hours To TaiAn.
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| Talking to our customers in Jinan |
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| Taking to our customers in Jinan |
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| To sell something, you gotta have some stock..not too much though! |
20 Jan 2018
Today we explored TaiShan mountain just outside of TaiAn city. Good news is we were above the fog/smog! This is a UNESCO site. This is one of the 5 famous and holy mountains China. (Heng Shan, 恒山 Heng Shan, 衡山 tai Shan, 泰山 Hua Shan, 华山Song Shan
嵩山. Taishan is famous because many emperors came here to give thanks to The gods and each one prayed for their own needs at the time. There are many places all along the path that have engravings in stone of poems and philosophy. When the emperors came they did not climb themselves. They rode a horse to a certain point and then they were carried. It is said that there are 18 flat points along the path and that is where the emperors would stop to pray. These places also came to be called 十八盘 shi ba pan2 =18 plates which has a similar pronunciation to shi ba pan4 盼，meaning 18 hopes for the emperors carriers! At one point on the mountain, (where the cable car stopped) there are 4 gates (north, south, east, west) and the South gate is the only one with contact to the earth. We went through the south gate and through this gate it is said we are no longer on earth, we are in heaven. There was a big stone tablet with no engravings. there are still many Taoist temples and the top is Yu WANG DI which means the God of the sky. Of course there is a path and steps...and also a cable car! I’ll let you guess which method of transportation we chose!
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| Cool up on the mountain...but I'm sure it wouldn't be so cold if we had walked up all of those steps! |
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| The view from the top of Taishan mountain |
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| Taishan architecture |
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| Clean air up on top of Taishan! |
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| The team around one of the landmarks...same as the one on the 5 Yuan note |
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| The classic tourist photo..with the 5 yuan note! |
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| Beautiful morning on Tai Shan mountain |
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| The Chinese version of the US smokies...Taishan |
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| Tai Shan in Winter is beautiful with the layers |
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| Taishan in winter |
After lunch on the mountain, we drove back to Jinan. In Jinan we visited Baotu park which has 72 separate spring water sources. It was being decorated for Lantern festival, so it was hard to see the natural beauty. The water was crystal clear and occasionally you could see small bubbles in the water seeping from the bottom of the ponds. The biggest spring was really bubbling up! I’m sure this park is beautiful in the spring and summer..but with beauty comes tonnes of people too!!
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| Sarah in front of the bubbling spring in Baitu park in Jinan |
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| Baitu Spring at sundown |
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| Baitu natural springs park in winter |
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| An artistic carved stone window in Baitu park in Jinan, Shandong Province. I could go for one of these in my garden one of these days! |
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| Getting ready for the lantern festival in Baitu park |
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| One of the spring water ponds in Baitu Park, Jinan |
We went to eat at a nice restaurant beside the Daming Hu 大明湖 (big lake) which is fed by the natural springs. And at night many lighted bridges making it a very nice atmosphere.
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| The view from the restaurant on Da Ming Hu in Jinan |
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| The walkway around Daming lake in Jinan |
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| Team picture at the restaurant |
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| The bridge and pavillion in daylight at DaMing Hu in Jinan |
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| A view of the river on Da Ming Hu lake in Jinan |
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| The restaurant beside Daming Hu in Jinan |
After this we went to the train station to take the night train back to Shenyang. It was an uneventful ride..the good news is We were in a cabin with 4 people with a door, not 6 people without a door!
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| The 6 bed cabin without a door on the overnight train |
Looking back at the last 3 Days, it was very successful..we talked to customers, we shared some wonderful experiences that I’m sure will help is work better together and we saw some beautiful scenery. Beautiful China.
Another experience I would never have been able to do without my Chinese colleagues, and in many ways they would not have been able to take without me. Memories of a lifetime!
I leave you with my favorite photo of the trip...at the “South Gate of Heaven” according to Chinese legend.
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| According to the Chinese legend, there are 4 gates into heaven (North, South, East, West) and the South gate is the only one with a connection to earth. This is the South gate on Taishan. |
So that’s about it for this adventure! Now, Sarah has visited 2 our of the 5 holy mountains in China...3 more to go! Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers as we continue to seize the day here in China!
Sarah & Rod
Shenyang, China
