21ST-century China is a country on the move. As it hurtles into the future, a new revolution - that of a fast-growing creative movement - is taking place," writes Sharon Leece on the cover of her new book, "China Modern".

Together with the Philippines-born photographer A. Chester Ong, she has published a book about China's modern decoration, design and architecture as shown in the private homes, bars and restaurants in Beijing, Hong Kong and Shanghai.

"China Modern" shows design from Taoist simplicity and sleek urban minimalism to modern reworkings of Chinese imperial themes. Clear lines and a harmonic interaction of colours characterize the captured objects.

Establishing effort

The author discussed her book in the "simply life" shop based in Shanghai's Xintiandi.

Sharon Leece, who lives in Hong Kong, contributes professional interiors and lifestyle features for several magazines as well as for the South China Morning Post. During her four years of working for Elle Decoration Hong Kong, she cultivated an understanding of Chinese-inspired design and its relevance to modern interiors.

"There have been many different kinds of design over recent years, especially Asian designs, but no one had really looked at Chinese design before. We still have to explore this area," explains Leece. "China Modern" is her second book after her first, "China Style" and a third one will be published soon.

Deeply impressed by the unique style resulting from modern adaptations of traditional Chinese ideas, Leece adores most of all the huge spaces that architects and designers are able to work with in this country.

Architect's heaven

These days, Shanghai seems to have become one of the biggest playgrounds for architects in the world. However, contemporary architecture in Shanghai is not necessarily Chinese architecture.

In contrast to Sharon Leece, Jin Zeguang, Principal of Art-Tech Consulting co. operation in Shanghai regrets that: "Today there is no such thing as contemporary Chinese architecture in Shanghai. It is all influenced by Western architecture and very international in style."

Like most other Chinese architects, he has spent educational time abroad. He studied architecture at Tongji University in Shanghai and obtained a masters degree in Belgium. After finishing university, he lived for 10 years in the US. Nevertheless, he decided to come back to China: "It was a hard decision for me, but the main reason was the big opportunity offered by Shanghai, as the biggest market for architects in the world. The US market is almost full."

Cultural exchange

Jin Zeguang qualifies his claim that there is no such thing as contemporary Chinese architecture by explaining that Chinese culture has always been influenced by other cultures and that no culture would change without the influence of other cultures. "Chinese architecture has been Westernized since the end of the First Opium War in the mid 19th century, but these days Chinese people have started to remember their traditions and try to win back their own architecture."

Traditionally, architecture in China was called tumu, which means earth and wood. Jin explains: "Ancient Chinese people had a closer relation to materials and always kept in mind that when something was wooden it was made from a tree. This close relationship between man and nature has got lost these days and this phenomena also reflects society's mental situation."

He also stated that many Westerners want to take in Chinese architecture by adopting elements of fengshui in their own buildings, but he denies that they will ever have success in this since there is a mystery behind Chinese architecture that Westerners cannot just adopt by absorbing some decorative aspects. Fengshui is an ancient Chinese ethnoscience that addresses the harmonic layout of cities, villages, dwellings, and buildings.

Complex interweaving

In Shanghai, Western architecture seems to be part of Chinese contemporary art and the city seems to find a way of uniting Chinese style with Western style. But still, there are some apparently insurmountable differences, such as the simple fact that Chinese architects earn 20-80 per cent less than their Western colleagues.

There are innumerable angles from which Chinese contemporary architecture can be looked at, but as one author on the China Culture Information Internet site has written: "The complex interweaving of the contradictions of new and old, Chinese and Western, constitute the special feature of contemporary Chinese architecture."

Jin Zeguang qualifies his claim that there is no such thing as contemporary Chinese architecture by explaining that Chinese culture has always been influenced by other cultures and that no culture would change without the influence of other cultures. “Chinese architecture has been Westernized since the end of the First Opium War in the mid 19th century, but these days Chinese people have started to remember their traditions and try to win back their own architecture.? Traditionally, architecture in China was called tumu, which means earth and wood. Jin explains: “Ancient Chinese people had a closer relation to materials and always kept in mind that when something was wooden it was made from a tree. This close relationship between man and nature has got lost these days and this phenomena also reflects society’s mental situation.? He also stated that many Westerners want to take in Chinese architecture by adopting elements of fengshui in their own buildings, but he denies that they will ever have success in this since there is a mystery behind Chinese architecture that Westerners cannot just adopt by absorbing some decorative aspects. Fengshui is an ancient Chinese ethnoscience that addresses the harmonic layout of cities, villages, dwellings, and buildings.

Complex interweaving

In Shanghai, Western architecture seems to be part of Chinese contemporary art and the city seems to find a way of uniting Chinese style with Western style. But still, there are some apparently insurmountable differences, such as the simple fact that Chinese architects earn 20-80 per cent less than their Western colleagues.

There are innumerable angles from which Chinese contemporary architecture can be looked at, but as one author on the China Culture Information Internet site has written: “The complex interweaving of the contradictions of new and old, Chinese and Western, constitute the special feature of contemporary Chinese architecture.?