Concert Hall debate

    IT is unfair for Shenzhen media and lawmakers to criticize the management of the Shenzhen Concert Hall by comparing it to Shanghai, Hong Kong and Singapore.

    It’s not exactly comparing like with like, is it?

    Shenzhen is a young city with a largely migrant population of low-paid workers. Shanghai, to take one example, is 2,000 years old. It has a settled population of intellectuals, businessmen and laborers. The arts have found fertile soil to thrive in Shanghai and it has had the benefit of time.

    I have attended shows in Shenzhen where hardly a quarter of the seats were taken. But what can be done about it? Already the management has subsidized the tickets to make them more affordable to the public. It takes time to foster culture anywhere, not least in a very young city where there is little tradition of the arts.

    What is disappointing, however, is that so few expats have availed themselves of the opportunity to enjoy great performances by both Chinese and foreign performers. This is a golden opportunity to experience Chinese plays and musicals — language notwithstanding.

    The Shenzhen Municipal Government should continue to support the arts with subsidies and in other ways and should not be unreasonable in its expectations. As with any sort of desert, a “cultural desert” requires plenty of water to make it bloom.

    Promoting culture should be regarded as a responsibility of the municipal government. It is a service to the people, not a business venture where the bottom line is everything. Not everything that counts can be put in dollars and cents.

    Yin Ee Kiong via e-mail

    Kindergartens

    I REFER to your story titled “City to regulate kindergartens” published Friday.

    It sounds good that the city government will better regulate kindergartens. But it’s an old story. The government tells the school when it will come to visit and the school takes half the children for a walk until government inspectors leave. Then it’s back to the same old thing.

    If the government wants to regulate the kindergartens, it should make sure that other aspects — such as the curriculum and activities, as well as children’s health and emotional development — are up to standard.

    Kindergarten lays the foundation for a child’s future academic success. The government should make sure that serious measures are implemented and enforced to improve kindergarten standards.

    Robert Sowa via e-mail

    Singer’s death

    THE death of singer Wang Bei while undergoing plastic surgery was appalling. While an investigation should be launched into the hospital and doctors who performed the surgery to determine the cause of her death, Chinese people need to learn a lesson from the tragedy.

    A growing number of Chinese are resorting to surgery to make themselves look more appealing following a plastic surgery boom in South Korea. Many opt to go under the knife without knowing the risks.

    Wang’s death should serve as a warning to those considering following suit. The tragedy should also prompt authorities to better regulate the emerging industry.

    Zhang Tiantian via e-mail