As we shared with you in our last blog, Shanghai's Chinese New Year celebrations last week were very spectacular; however the feeling in Shanghai is that they actually seemed quite restrained in comparison with previous years.

Reports here and here backs up those assertions and cite concerns over air pollution as being one of the key factors.

Such reports demonstrate a growing awareness of environmental issues in Shanghai, where air pollution has recently been a very topical issue. 

All of this rather begs the question, how much do fireworks contribute to air pollution?

By analysing data from the U.S. Consulate Shanghai Air Quality Monitor we have been able to answer this question.

The graph below shows how PM2.5 readings varied in the hours either side of the new year's midnight extravaganza.

The columns on the graph have been colour coded to correspond with the Air Quality Index (AQI) chart displayed to the right.

From this we can see that readings from the Air Quality monitor peaked at 1am with an AQI of over 500 - which is quite literally off the scale!

Air pollution continued to be "hazardous" for a further two hours before returning to more "normal" levels.

The data demonstrates a clear correlation between the launching of fireworks and air pollution, though it is hard to say how quickly the effects dissipate.

Fireworks have been an important part of Chinese culture since they were invented in the 7th century and witnessing the Chinese New Year celebrations is a sight not to be missed. 

However, people with respiratory conditions, the elderly and children might want to consider taking precautions such as staying insider or wearing a respirator.

Last night people across China were celebrating Chinese New Year and the arrival of the year of the snake. 

Although Chinese New Year is a week long celebration the majority of fireworks are launched around midnight on News Year's Eve and it is quite a spectacle.

This short time-lapse video was captured from a residential tower near the Senlinx office in Zhongshan Park, Shanghai.

The team at Senlinx wishes all our family, friends, clients and future clients the very best for 2013. Gong Xi Fa Cai!

Earlier this month, Senlinx visited the Southern Chinese city of Guangzhou to attend the CLSE Show - more formally known as the 5th China (Guangzhou) International Labor Protective Equipment And Security Emergency Rescue Exhibition (Chinese name: 第五届中国(广州)国际劳保防护用品展览会).

With the aim of assisting our international client’s source high-grade protective gloves and safety helmets, the show proved to be a little bit of a disappointment as it was mainly focused on the domestic market.
However, the exhibition provided Senlinx with ample opportunities to communicate with a variety of old and new contacts in the PPE manufacturing, testing and distribution fields.

Compared with the internationally-known COS+H show (China International Occupational Safety & Health Exhibition 第六届中国国际安全生产及职业健康展览会) which Senlinx attended this autumn in Beijing, this domestic exhibition attracted more SMEs from Guangzhou Province as well as nearby provinces and municipal cities such as Shandong, Jiangsu, Shanghai etc.

At the exhibition, Senlinx was also delighted to attend informative seminars on the CE certification mark and European safety footwear testing, which was presented by SATRA.

Although the fair proved to be quite positive for Senlinx as we further added to our knowledge and understanding of the market, it was felt on the whole by many exhibitors that the event was a little underwhelming and didn't live up to their expectations. 

The trip to Guangzhou, historically known as Canton, proved very popular with the Senlinx representative as it offered a respite from the short and cold winter days currently being experienced in Shanghai.

Senlinx is planning further visits to many PPE shows, including a visit to the 86th China Occupational Safety& Health Goods Expo in Shanghai, China on 17-19 April 2013. Please get in touch if anyone requires support for this event or others.

Being an Australian-owned and managed business based in Shanghai, China, Senlinx is an active member of AustCham Shanghai and has recently taken part in a range of informative Servcorp SEC (Shanghai Enterprise Collective) events.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank TXM Lean Solutions for hosting the event on Lean Manufacturing in China and Bureau Veritas for their presentation on Business Certification to name just a few.

Informative events like these help to further broaden our team’s manufacturing and business knowledge, make great new contacts and learn about China’s business trends.

Since introducing market reforms under Deng Xiaoping, China’s manufacturing industry has developed a dominant position in the global market; however over recent years the outlook has darkened somewhat.

China is currently experiencing a transformative period featuring fierce competition and a turbulent global economy environment, with many issues and challenges which shouldn’t be overlooked, such as:

• Inexperience in internal management systems
• Spiraling costs, particularly the cost of labour
• Poor development of intellectual property and branding

It is becoming essential for Chinese manufacturers to create a culture of sustainability, continuous improvement and innovation not just for their success, but for their very survival.

Last month Senlinx travelled to the nation's capital to attend the 6th International Occupational Safety & Health Exhibition (COS+H), held at the National Convention Center in Beijing.

Since its inception in 2002, the biannual event has become the leading trade fair of its kind in China and is increasingly world renowned for its range of exhibitors and attendees.

With the incredible range of companies presenting their wares, the super-size event not only helps manufacturers and distributors create and build on partnerships, but also acts as something of a giant classroom for study of China’s personal protective equipment (PPE) market.
 

Following a busy period for Senlinx, staff members were treated to a day out at the Shanghai Masters tennis tournement, held at the spectacular Qizhong Arena.

The excursion was reward for the team’s sterling efforts in recent months as Senlinx has continued to develop and prosper. 

Senlinx held a team building weekend break for staff members at the beautiful Thousand Island Lake near Hangzhou in Zhejiang Province.

The team enjoyed a cruise on the lake and a visit to the nearby Nine Roaring Horizons waterfall.
As well as enjoying the fresh air and beautiful scenery, staff took delight in sampling the famous local fish which was prepared in front of their eyes by the lake side.