File this under: City weirdness.
Let’s just get the pics up: here’s Beijing’s very new road signs. You’ll see this at every crossing if it gets replaced:
Guess what: Shanghai got it first!
On a personal level, it’s a bit like a @DavidFeng (Beijing) – @sdweathers (Shanghai) “Mutual Inspiration” thing, a la a road sign version. Both Chinese cities have great talent. I’m on radio all the time, and @sdweathers is on TV all the time, so we’re all in this great big media world. And we tweet. And do Facebook. And stuff.
On a public level, the new signs have apparently gone unnoticed by local media (or international media). Some think it’s cool; some are more blahed by it. It could be that street signs are being “unified”, whereupon the Shanghai design won by leaps and bounds and is now taking over the Middle Kingdom. Or it could be blatant copying (as @gabyu tweeted).
For locals, Beijingers are confused. Some say this city has been internationalized too much to the extent that this is no longer the Beijinger’s Beijing. (We did not intend to provoke the Beijinger with that quip.) Others say it’s a cool move, and that the new signs sure are informative.
Expats look at this with slightly different angles. Some have commented on my Facebook post, saying that the Shanghai sign was always a more precise, more informative, and “better” sign. Others thought it was just a futile copycat move.
Thing is, if this is part of a nationwide unification process, let it rip. However, a sign with Beijing characteristics would also be nice…
In fact, I like this Shanghai-style roads signs better, because it is prettier and briefer than Taiwan’s.