China in Transition: A First-Hand Look.

07/14/2010 5:09 pm EST

Focus: MARKETS

Howard Gold Image

Howard Gold

Founder & President, GoldenEgg Investing

The New China
1. Shanghai's 21st Century skyline in the smog.
Shanghai's 21st Century skyline in the smog.
|slidebreak|
Speculators' Haven
2. The Shanghai Stock Exchange carries the hopes, dreams, and nightmares of average Chinese investors.
The Shanghai Stock Exchange carries the hopes, dreams, and nightmares of average Chinese investors.
|slidebreak|
A Glimpse of the Future
3. 20 million Chinese have queued up for hours to see the latest technological wonders at Shanghai's World Expo 2010.
20 million Chinese have queued up for hours to see the latest technological wonders at Shanghai's World Expo 2010.
|slidebreak|
Cutting Edge
4. A robot plays Beethoven at Shanghai's popular Museum of Science and Technology.
A robot plays Beethoven at the popular Shanghai Science and Technology Museum.
|slidebreak|
Freedom of Movement
5. Visitors from all over China crowd the Forbidden City in Beijing and...
Tourists from all over China throng the Forbidden City in Beijing.
|slidebreak|
Shop 'Till They Drop
7. Shoppers still crowd Shanghai's Nanjing Road at 10:00 PM.
Shoppers still crowd Shanghai's Nanjing Road at 10:00 PM, engaging in "domestic consumption."
|slidebreak|
Early Retirement
8. Retirees play mah-jongg in Hangzhou: China's aging population will become a bigger problem in the years ahead.
Retirees play mahjong in Hangzhou: China's aging population will become a bigger problem in the years ahead.
|slidebreak|
Boom
9. Guangzhou's skyline is filled with cranes as the city gears up for this fall's Asian Games.
Guangzhou's skyline is filled with cranes as the city gears up for this fall's Asian Games.
|slidebreak|
...And Bust
10. This uncompleted office tower in Guangzhou is an eyesore resulting from speculative real estate fever.
This uncompleted office tower in Guangzhou is an eyesore resulting from speculative real estate fever.
|slidebreak|
Life Goes On
11. In a residential neighborhood far from the glittering new skyscrapers of Guangzhou, most Chinese make their livings the old-fashioned way.
In a residential neighborhood far from Guangzhou's glittering new skyscrapers, people make their living the old-fashioned way.
Photos by Howard Gold